Services for Olivia P. Smith, 94, of Vidalia, who died Sunday, March 25, 2007, at Centinela Medical Center, in Inglewood, Calif., will be 11 a.m. Tuesday at Young’s Chapel Baptist Church with the Rev. Shep Bethley officiating.

Burial will follow at Pine Hill Memorial Park Cemetery under the direction of Concordia Funeral Home, Ferriday.

Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at the funeral home.

Mrs. Smith was born Nov. 12, 1912, in Newellton, the fifth of seven children of John and Irene Reed Patterson. Olivia attended school and remained in Newellton where she met her husband, George Smith Sr. They moved to Vidalia in the early 1930s and it became their permanent home when George was employed by the Levee Board. They became parents to ten children. Young’s Chapel Missionary Baptist Church became Olivia’s church home and she cherished worshiping and serving there under the leadership of the Rev. David Woods, the Rev. Levi Miller and the present pastor, the Rev. Shep Bethley. She served on the Mother’s Board and all of her children were baptized there.

Gardening, quilting and sharing family stories with her children and grandchildren were some of the hobbies that Olivia enjoyed. She had a very warm heart and established a special bond with all of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren as well as their spouses. She also had a circle of friends that she stayed in contact with on a regular basis and was loyal to them. She admired her doctors, nurses, caregivers and anyone who provided some type of service for her.

Olivia reluctantly relocated to Los Angeles, Calif. in 2004 to be near her daughters when her health failed her. She enjoyed visits from family members and vacationing Vidalians.

She was preceded in death by four of her children; and her siblings.

Survivors include two sons, George Smith Jr. and wife, Ruby, of Brentwood Calif., Anderson Smith and wife, Irene, of Vidalia; her daughters, Virta S. Hawkins and husband, Cumcy, of Los Angeles, Calif., Lois S. Ellis and husband, Jesse, of Duarte, Calif., Joyce L. Smith of Gardena, Calif. and Voncil L. Smith of Los Angeles, Calif.; 26 grandchildren, Patricia Johnson, Willie Smith Jr., Lisa Smith, Claudette Black, Renia Smith, Gwendolyn Johnson, Menda and Eddie Lucas, Derrick, Darryl and Raina Mitchell, Sherlon, Lonnie, Dornell and George Darren Smith, Kirk Johnson, Anita Dean, Brenda and Reginald Smith, Irene Payne, Perry Hawkins, Sheena Lewis, Jesse Ellis III, Kerry Smith, Aisha Phillips and Lorenzo Phillips Jr.; 75 great-grandchildren; sister-in-law, Leola Patterson; godson, Nathaniel Williams; daughter-in-law, Rose Smith; and a host of nephews, nieces, cousins and friends.