ROCKWALL, TX – Jan. 2, 2021 – Inez Rupe Smith, age 95, passed peacefully from this life into heaven last week at Texas Health Hospital. Inez was born in Rockwall, TX to Mable Moore Rupe and William Franklin Rupe. She gave her life to Christ in July of 1937 and remained a lifetime member of the First Baptist Church. She married H. Kenneth Smith on May 8, 1943, and their only child, Mary Jean (M. J.) was born in the summer of 1945. Inez and Kenneth remained totally committed to each other for 57 years until his death in 2000. Her smile greeted two, maybe three, generations at the Rockwall Post Office for 30 years and retired as Assistant Post Master in 1984. She and Kenneth were “Rockwallians” through and through and enjoyed watching Rockwall transform itself from the small, mostly rural, town where she grew up to the growing and changing community it is today.
Inez was a member of Eastern Star and earned the Grand Cross of Color, Past President of the Rockwall Business and Professional Club, member of Rockwall Literary Club, Friends of the Library, and the Rockwall Historical Society. She taught young folks Sunday School at First Baptist Church, was a volunteer at many Vacation Bible Schools and was a Girl Scout Leader, but the role she relished most was being a wife and mother. She was class Room Mother for M. J.’s class for several years and she loved her “kids”. She attended the Class of ’63 50th class reunion and was included when the “girls” had female-only events. One of the “girls” referred to her as the Martha Stewart of the 1950s and 60s because her home was always open to M.J.’s friends; it was orderly and pie, cake, cookies, or a platter of fried chicken available. She was loved as a wife, mother, mother-in-law, sister, aunt, grandmother, and great grandmother. Her kind spirit and loving ways will be greatly missed by all who knew her. Past pleasures include embroidering cup towels, pillowcases, and baking desserts to share with loved ones. The Rockwall Community Playhouse was her favorite entertainment and for the past few years playing Solitaire on her telephone. Her Tuesday night “Girls Night Out” group was an important part of her time with friends.
“MyNez” is survived by her loving and dedicated daughter M.J. Stahl and son-in-law Chuck; other survivors include sister-in-law Dorothy Rupe; granddaughter Lisa Stahl, grandson Greg Stahl, great-granddaughters Kathryn Morgan Pearlman and Hannah McGregor Pearlman; great-grandson Charles Dylan Stahl; nieces Nancy Rupe Thome, Lynn Rupe Ledoux, Ann Rupe Spain, Janet Smith Burleson, Carolyn Wilson Jolley and nephews Phillip Rupe and David Smith. Inez asked that the following men serve as pallbearers: Jack Ford, Lynn McCreary, John McAlexander, Joe Pecina, nephew Phillip Rupe, and Blake Armstrong (representing the Stahl family).
Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, January 4, 2021, at First Baptist Church, 610 South Goliad Street, Rockwall, with Pastor Steve Swofford officiating assisted by Pastor Jesse Crouch. Interment will follow in Rest Haven Memorial Park. Memorial contributions may be made to Rockwall Community Playhouse, 609 East Rusk Street, Rockwall, Texas 75087, or the Building Fund at First Baptist Church. Masks are required and social distancing will be carefully monitored. Services will also be streamed; click the link below and enter the meeting id and passcode.
https://zoom.us/j/91678267819?pwd=YVJVREw5bS8zTkw5dFlia0c0TGtkZz09
Meeting ID: 916 7826 7819
Passcode: 1234321
Obituary and funeral information shared by M.J. Stahl for publication in Blue Ribbon News.
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