Sept. 2, 1949 – April 14, 2013

NATCHEZ — Services for Emma Jean White-Smith, 63, of Chicago, who died Sunday, April 14, 2013, will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Pilgrim Baptist Church with the Rev. Melvin White officiating.

Burial will follow at Sunset View Memorial Park Cemetery under the direction of Robert D. Mackel and Sons Funeral Home.

Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until service time Saturday at the church.

Mrs. Smith was born Sept. 2, 1949, in Natchez, the daughter of Theodore Myles and Annie Mae White-Smith and Arthur Smith.

She confessed Christ at the early age of nine and joined Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church in Natchez where she sang in the choir. She was also an active member of the Civil Rights Movement.

Emma was a 1970 graduate of Sadie V. Thompson High School. She married Jessie Smith Sr. and moved to Chicago. Emma then became a member of Southern Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church, currently known as I Care Christian Center Ministry, under the leadership of Elder Lethaniel Smith.

Emma was a well-known talker in the community and everyone loved her. She was a volunteer for a number of years at William A. Hinton Elementary School and also served as an educator for 21 years for new patients at the dialysis unit. She enjoyed working in the yard with her flowers and making her home beautiful.

Emma was known by her family as “Babysister.”

To her union with Jessie, three children were born, Pamela Smith, Jessie Smith Jr. and wife, Antoinette, and Timothy Smith and wife, Danielle, all of Chicago; six grandchildren, Tanisha Shelton, Jayden Smith, Timothy Richardson, Shirron Collins, Kyla Collins and Edlena Newell, all of Chicago; seven stepchildren, Tommy Smith Sr, and wife, Charlotte, and Eddie Smith and wife, Evelyn, all of Grand Prairie, Texas, Elder Lethaniel Smith and wife, Erma, Amelia Brown, Robert Smith, Jessie Scales and husband, Arthur, and Leroy Smith and wife, Danielle, all of Chicago; and eight siblings, Thomas White Sr. and wife, Ann, of Fayette, Ronnie White and wife, Tonya, Shirley Smith-Lewis and husband, Carthy, Earl Smith and wife, Juanita, Clarence Smith, Bertha Smith and Cheryl Bradford, all of Natchez, and the Rev. Melvin White and wife, Tammy, of Red Lick; and a number of step-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, aunts, cousins and friends.