Mai Belle Smith

Mai Belle Hawthorne Smith, 86, of DeSoto, went home to be with the Lord on Wednesday, December 21, 2016 after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease and cancer. Mai was born February 6, 1930, in Cleburne, Texas to George Stephen Hawthorne and Mary Belle (Hestand) Hawthorne. She was the youngest of six siblings. Mai was raised in Toyah, Texas where she graduated from high school in 1947. Mai was a living testimony of Jesus Christ. She led her family by great examples of compassion, unconditional love and unwavering strength. Her resourcefulness and creativity knew no bounds. She could make a meal out of any leftover in the fridge, was an accomplished needle-worker and cherished her time outdoors in the garden. She left her family with wonderful memories and many words of wisdom such as, “The right thing to do is usually the hardest thing to do.” As a member of the Wheatland United Methodist Church, Mai lived 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 to the best of her ability, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres .” Mai Belle Smith will be interned at Keene Memorial Park at a future date in a private family ceremony. She is survived by her daughters, Sandi Dietrich and husband, Mike of Ft. Worth, Peggy Beazley of DeSoto; grandchildren, Aaron Dietrich and wife, April of Ft Worth, Jeremy Dietrich and wife, Rayshelle of Ft. Worth, Dylan Beazley of Little Elm, David Dietrich of Ft. Worth, Kacie Henson and husband, Zach of River Oaks; great grandchildren, Hannah, Hope, Emme, Rowen, and Hattie Dietrich and Lucie Belle and Ellie Henson.