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ALICE JUANITA CLIFTON SMITH

1918 – 2019

Alice Juanita Clifton Smith was born January 21, 1918 in Galveston, Texas to Annie Louise Clifton (Harkness) and Jesse Ernest Clifton. Alice would have been 101 years old on January 21, 2019. She passed away peacefully on January 2, 2019.

Alice proudly graduated from John H. Reagan High School in Houston on June 5, 1936. She went to work for Foleys in the accounting department and then worked at Commercial Credit Corporation in accounting.

Alice met Winston Lang Smith at the Church of Christ that they both attended. They married March 14, 1941 and were married 42 years when Winston passed away in 1983. They had three children. Alice lived in Houston the majority of her life. Using her usual good common sense, Alice chose to live her last few years in a nursing home in Groesbeck, Texas. Her family greatly appreciates the loving care given Alice by the staff of Groesbeck LTC and the friendship of the residents there.

Alice and Winston built 7 houses almost completely by themselves and remodeled and renovated several more. They did this in their “spare” time because Winston worked fulltime at Lack’s Auto Supply and then White’s Stores Incorporated. Alice was a talented seamstress making many of Karen and Denise’s clothes and Karen’s wedding dress. She also made many beautiful quilts which she gave to family members. Alice loved to crochet and her children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, brother and friends benefitted from this hobby by her gifts of afghans and other crocheted items. Alice also poured, painted, and fired ceramics, which she also gifted to family and friends.

Alice had a phenomenal memory her whole life, correcting her children and friends when they had a date or a fact wrong and answering our many questions about events from long ago.

One of her special memories was a trip that she and her best friend, Blanche, took to Bandera, Texas when she was about 19 years old. They rode horses, enjoyed a hayride, went swimming and thoroughly enjoyed the country life while there. Alice and Winston loved to travel and enjoyed road trips to most of the United States. Alice was very proud and excited to take her first and only plane trip, when she was 77 years old, to attend her grandson, Duane’s, wedding in Pennsylvania.

Unlike many older people, Alice eagerly learned how to use a computer from Denise when she was about 80 years old. She kept up-to-date and in contact by email and loved to play computer games.

Alice was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Winston Lang Smith, and by 5 of her brothers and sisters.

She is survived by daughter Karen Hale and her husband John; their son Lt. Col. Duane Hale, his wife Jennifer and their children Ainsley, Hailey, and Charlotte; son Keith Smith and his children Brandon, Brittany and Bradley; daughter Denise Bischoff and her husband Earl; her brother Robert Clifton and his wife Shirley. She is also survived by her many, beloved nieces and nephews and their children.

The family will receive visitors at Forest Park Lawndale Funeral Home at 12:00 on Tuesday, January 8, 2019. Graveside service will follow immediately after visitation at 1:00 at the same location if weather permits (or in the visitation room).

Honorary pallbearers are Lt. Col. Duane Hale, John Hale, Robert Clifton, Earl Bischoff, Billy Luman, Don Holden, and Bobby Mims.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Plantersville Town Hall Scholarship Fund (PO Box 37, Plantersville, TX 77363) or to a charity of your choice.

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Groesbeck Journal

P.O. Box 440
Groesbeck, TX 76642
Phone: 254-729-5103
Fax: 254-729-0362