Jean (DeBord) Smith

Jean Smith, age 88, died on Thursday April 14, 2022 in Bethany, Ok. She was born Rose Jean Debord on July 20th, 1933 in Hopkins County (Sulphur Springs, TX).  She was the fifth of seven children born to Lawrence and Gladys Debord.

Jean grew up on a farm near Sulphur Springs, Texas.  She attended Sulphur Springs High School where she graduated in 1949.  During her school years she met her future husband Ben Mynard Smith.  They were married at a private residence in Sulphur Springs on Dec. 30th, 1950.

Jean and Mynard moved to Oklahoma City in 1951 and started their family a few years later.  They had three girls Gayle, Kay and Brenda.  They moved to Yukon in 1962 where Jean was a housewife for several years before becoming a waitress at the Chauteau Inn and The Hilltop Restaurant.  In the early 1970’s she became a Certified Apartment Manager and managed several complexes in Yukon, Norman and Oklahoma City until 1989. 

She and Mynard built their forever home at Pioneer Lake in Meridian, OK.  in 1995.  They enjoyed the quiet country life and the private pond (lake) that the area provided.  Things might have been a little to quiet for Jean who found herself with too much time on her hands while Mynard ran their two Country Convenience Stores, so Jean went to work as a Walmart Greeter in Guthrie where she was voted Best Store Clerk by the readers of The Guthrie News Leaders Best of Guthrie in 2005.  She retired from Walmart in 2013 and moved back to Yukon to be closer to her family.

She began regular visits to the Dale Robertson Center with her special friend Albert Buckmaster.  She enjoyed playing Bingo, taking exercise classes and eating there for lunch daily until she could no longer attend due to her health.  She also enjoyed attending church services with Albert at Yukon Church.

She is survived by her daughter Brenda Jester (Tim) of Yukon; grandsons Robert Potter of El Reno, Derick Miller (Shawna) of Norman, Eric Jester (Jordan) of Yukon and Adam Jester of Yukon, granddaughters Andrea Cherry of Oklahoma City and Kyla Owl (Michael Gaines) of Moore, OK., 10 great grandchildren; sister Doris Fennell of Fort Worth, TX., and brother Chester Debord of Wolf City, TX. and her special friend Albert Buckmaster of Yukon, OK.

She was proceeded in death by her husband Ben Mynard Smith, daughters Linda Gayle Owl and Patricia Kay Baker, her parents Lawrence and Gladys Debord, brothers Rudolph and Dalby Debord, and sisters Bessie Maude Goldsmith and Mary Ann Kleinheinz.

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