Jessie Marie Sargent Smith, born May 11, 1933, in Purcell, Missouri, was the youngest of seven children born to Carl and Thelma (Benson) Sargent. Her early years in a large family during challenging times helped shape her resilient and practical nature.
Jessie became a mother at a very young age while living in Missouri, having three children before relocating to Superior, Arizona in the mid-1950s. There, she met and married Korean War veteran James Smith, who lovingly adopted her three children. Together, they welcomed another child and later settled in Apache Junction, Arizona. Jessie worked hard to help support her family, holding various jobs over the years, including positions at Roger’s Corporation and cleaning model homes at Leisure World, where she formed many lasting friendships.
Jessie was known for her frugality, directness, and sense of humor. She took great pride in her appearance, even jokingly playing the “dumb blonde” when it suited her. She loved shopping, enjoyed a good laugh, and liked things done her own way. Jessie also took enormous pride in maintaining an orderly home and often helped family members with their own cleaning—sometimes re-cleaning areas she felt had not been done quite right. Cleaning was something she genuinely enjoyed; cooking, however, was another story entirely. She openly disliked it, and over the years it became a family joke to gently steer her away from certain holiday dishes. One especially memorable moment came when she served a pie made with a pre-made crust, only for everyone to discover mid-bite that the paper liner had accidentally been left in—a story that would be retold with laughter for years to come. During her retirement years in Mesa, Arizona, Jessie enjoyed traveling and participating in activities at the local senior center, including bingo, arts and crafts, and the occasional luncheon. She would often joke that the food there was worse than her own cooking and desperately needed more seasoning—something her granddaughter was always prepared to provide from the purse that seemed to contain everything.
Throughout her later years, Jessie’s faith in God became an ever-deepening source of strength. Reflecting on her life, she often mentioned that her sister Ruth had lived to the age of 93, a milestone Jessie herself had hoped to reach. As her own 93rd birthday approached, she met the transition with quiet grace and acceptance, saying, “Well, my birthday is in a month and a half… that’s close enough. I’m tired.”
In her final hours, she spoke with her son Chuck about accepting Jesus as his Savior so they could one day be reunited. After hearing his proclamation of faith, Jessie seemed to find the peace she had long been seeking. Her work finished and her heart at rest, she drifted into a deep sleep that afternoon and passed away peacefully.
Jessie was preceded in death by her parents; all six of her siblings; her daughter, Carol Mitchell; and her son, Randy Smith. She is survived by her children, Charles “Chuck” Smith and Brenda Chavez (Bernie Chavez); eight grandchildren; many great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandson, who affectionately called her “Triple G.”
A small graveside service will be held at Mountain View Memorial Gardens in Mesa, Arizona, on Monday, May 11, at 10:30 a.m., as she requested.
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