Laura Smith Farris

Laura Beth Farris, age 90, passed away Sunday, April 10, 2016. Funeral service will be 1 P.M. Thursday, April 14 at Pecan Grove Funeral Chapel in Waco under the direction of Foss Funeral Home and Cremation Center of Valley Mills. Interment will follow at Waco Memorial Park.

Mrs. Farris will lie in-state at Foss Funeral Home until noon Wednesday. Visitation will be Wednesday, April 13 at Pecan Grove Funeral Chapel from 6-8 P.M.

Laura Beth was born to Turner and Hazel Wiggs in Waco. When Laura Beth was 11 years old her mother passed away and she and her brother went to live with their grandparents. She graduated from Waco High School and soon thereafter married Glenn Smith in December 1943. Together they raised 4 children: Glenda, Judy, Tommy, and Melody, in Speegleville where she continued to live her entire life, until she went to live at Westview Manor nursing home in McGregor in 2014. She worked at Sears for over 25 years retiring in 1980.

After Glenn’s death in 1977, she married Ray Lattimer and learned how to fish and hunt together with him. Ray died in 1984 and she married John Farris in 1988. He preceded her in death in 2003. She and John had a love for traveling and were able to make many trips in their RV with good friends and also made many new friends going on group trips across America. After retirement she also volunteered with the Hillcrest Baptist Auxiliary.

Laura Beth was a devoted wife to each of her husbands ministries, serving with them in various Baptist churches in the Central Texas area. She lived life displaying Christian values in all she did, and will be remembered by her family for the strong faith in God she demonstrated in traveling along life’s path. Her love for her family was without end, and her kindness and generosity to others in need was immeasurable. She had a servants heart, and all who knew her were blessed by her presence and actions.

She was preceded in death by her husbands Glenn Smith, Ray Lattimer, and John Farris and her brother Raymond Wiggs.

Left to cherish her memory are her children; Glenda Foss and husband Wayne of Speegleville, Judy Wheeler of Waco. Tommy Smith and wife Maxine of McGregor, and Melody Grigsby and husband Kyle of Lorena, seven grandchildren; Kevin Foss. Glenn Wheeler, Stacey Vanderkinter, Thomas Smith, Kelli Parker, Keith Grisby and Kristy Dumas; ten great-grandchildren: Coalson and Angela Foss, Thomas and Elisabeth Vanderkinter, Kaden and Kody Dumas, Camryn Smith and Kaylee, Mikaela and Piper Porter.

The children would like to express their deepest appreciation for all who cared for this wonderful lady during her final years as she lived life with dementia. Pallbearers will be her grandsons, Kevin Foss, Glenn Wheeler, Keith Grigsby, Thomas Smith, David Vanderkinter, David Dumas, Mike Porter. Honorary Pallbearers will be Grady Dameron, Harvey Smith and Steve Farris.

Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society or the Alzheimer’s Association, 688 Alliance Parkway Suite 500, Hewitt.