Margaret "Peggy" B. Smith

Margaret Mary (Peggy) Buckowski Smith was born on March 6, 1923 in North Hadley, Massachusetts and died on March 11, 2021 in Dallas, Texas. She was the daughter of Feliksa Krawczyk Buckowski and Wojciech Buckowski, both of whom immigrated from Poland in the early 20th century. Peggy was raised on a tobacco and onion farm in the Connecticut River Valley in Massachusetts and had memories of working in her family's fields, listening to her father retell the stories of Russian novels during the wintertime, and riding in her family's horse-drawn sleigh. She started school not knowing any English but finished third in her high school class. After high school, she joined the U. S. Navy as a Wave to help in the war effort during World War II. While serving in San Diego, California, she met her handsome husband Willie Ray (Bill) Smith who was also serving there. Peggy and Bill married in 1946 and lived in Tyler, Texas for their entire married life, until his death on May 29, 2003. Peggy assisted Bill in his insurance, lending, and cattle farming businesses during many years of their marriage. Peggy was a talented artist, a great home cook, and a gardener of organic vegetables. She had quite a green thumb and could nurse any plant back to good health. In addition, she was an accomplished seamstress who made wardrobes of lovely dresses for her daughters. Peggy also volunteered for the Salvation Army in Tyler as well as for other civic organizations. She was a member of Marvin Methodist Church in Tyler, Texas. Peggy was preceded in death by her parents, her grandson Daniel Austin Schaefers, and by her siblings Frances MacCaffrey, Joseph Buckowski, and Chester Buckowski. She is survived by her sister Bernice Kennedy of Mountain Home, Arkansas and by her daughters Sharon Smith Carroll (Ron) of Canton, Texas, Charlotte Smith Schaefers of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Susan Smith Daniel (Josiah) of Dallas, Texas. She is also survived by six grandchildren: Laura Pipkin Robinson (Howard) of Grapevine, Texas, Wilson Pipkin (Jennifer) of Landisville, Pennsylvania, the Rev. David Schaefers (Leigh) of Richardson, Texas, Rachel Schaefers Peters (Andrew) of Cincinnati, Ohio, Josiah M. Daniel, IV (Elizabeth) of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Thaddeus Exton Smith Daniel (Xiaosi Gu) of New York City, New York. Peggy had twelve great-grandchildren. A private graveside service is planned and burial will be in the Mt. Sylvan, Texas cemetery. If desired, memorial donations may be made to the Salvation Army in Tyler, Texas.

Margaret "Peggy" B. Smith

March 6, 1923 - March 11, 2021