Doris Nell Smith

Doris Nell Smith, affectionately known as “Mamaw” to many, was born to Ernest and Eva Smith on September 27, 1931 in Hughes Springs, Texas. The youngest of eight, Doris witnessed the wake of the Great Depression and the entirety of World War II by the time she was fourteen. Learning to thrive in such a large family and amid global challenge, Doris toughened up fast. She took care of family, she took care of business, and she was not afraid to work hard.

One of her earliest jobs was at Texas Electric in Fort Worth, Texas, where, in the early 1950s, she met Marion Carroll Smith on a blind date. The two were married in 1955 and enjoyed 35 years of adventures together from Fort Worth, to Albuquerque, to Santa Fe, and back again. Along the way, they had a family, which, from their two children, Carol and Paul, grew to include four grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and near countless border collies.

Doris loved her Lord and she loved to cook. Though she was not one to gush, she found great delight in discovering and delivering people’s favorite dishes, and she was a consummate hostess. Whether it was a Sunday lunch of Poppyseed Chicken, a mass of sausage balls on Christmas morning, or a hot vat of Posole on New Year’s Day, every delightful treat Doris meticulously made said “I love you” in a way that outdid words.

A lifelong believer, Doris was a fixture of the Northeast Church of Christ, where she sat up front weekly, relishing hymns and critiquing sermons. And she used her gift in the kitchen to share her love of Jesus with innumerable church families over the years. Today, we hurt because we will not taste her special confections in this life again—but we celebrate that she is now back with her Marion, with the Creator they love, armed with a recipe book for the ages and a pantry that will never run dry.

Set some plates for us, Mamaw. You’re home, and we will join you when we can.