George Clayton Smith

George Clayton Smith, 85, Baldwin, died Saturday, April 15, 2006, at
Northeast Georgia Medical Center.

Mr. Smith was born December 24, 1920, in Banks County to the late Logan Sylvester Smith Sr. and Lena Stephens Smith. He also was preceded in death by his wife, Ruth Brown Smith; two brothers, Logan Sylvester (Happy) Smith Jr. and Bruce Coolidge Smith; and a sister, Isabel Smith Ervin. Mr. Smithwas a retired educator with Lula Elementary, Banks County Elementary and High School, Baldwin Elementary and South Habersham Junior High, with a combined total of 30 years of dedicated service. He was a member of Broad River Baptist Church, deacon and Sunday school teacher. Mr. Smith was a veteran of World War II, having served in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He was
a member of the Habersham Retired Educators Association and former columnist writing "Country at Heart" for The Northeast Georgian.

Survivors include his children, Daniel James Smith, Central, S.C., Rebecca Smith Purcell, Mount Airy, Samuel Clayton Smith, Lynchburg, Va., Philip Mark Smith, Baldwin; two sisters, Annie Ruth Smith Wilbanks and Elizabeth Ostine Smith Wilbanks, both of Baldwin; grandchildren, Abigail, Caleb and
Hannah Purcell, Kendra, Logan, Kayla and Haddon Smith, and Jessica and Addison Smith.

Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. Saturday, April 22, 2006, at Broad River Baptist Church with the Rev. Connie Berry and the Rev. Terry Purcell officiating. Burial will follow in the Harmony Baptist Church Cemetery with the Rev. Ray Rhodes officiating.

The family will receive friends from 2 to 4 p.m. and from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, April 21, 2006, at Whitfield Funeral Home, South Chapel, Baldwin.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Lena Stephens Smith Missionary Offering, c/o Broad River Baptist Church, 306 Ferguson Road, Baldwin, GA 30511.

Those wishing to express condolences to the family may do so online by visiting www.whitfieldfuneralhomes.com.

Whitfield Funeral Home, South Chapel, Baldwin
The Times, Gainesville, Ga., April 19, 2006

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Dear All:
My Father(George Clayton Smith) went to Heaven at approximately 4:58am this morning, April 15, 2006.
He was still in ICU and had begun experiencing more and more complications from the surgery.

We were called to come in when they expected him to possibly pass in the next few hours.  We immediately started to the hospital, but he passed about 15 minutes after the call to us was made.  We arrived about 30 minutes after his passing.  Since he was in ICU we could not stay with him round the clock, and we were trying to get ready for Mother's funeral today.  But we know that God planned it all, so this was His perfect will.  The nurse said his passing was very easy.  His blood pressure had been dropping, and he was unconscious before he passed.

We announced Daddy's passing today at Mother's(Ruth Brown Smith) funeral.  But we decided to not bury Mother today but to bury Daddy and Mother together at the same time after Daddy's funeral next Saturday.

Daddy's visitation is next Fri, April 21, 2-4pm and 6-9pm at Whitfield Funeral Home, South Chapel, in Baldwin, GA.  Daddy's funeral is set for 11am next Sat., April 22, at Broad River Baptist Church on highway 105 south of Baldwin, GA.  Burial of both Daddy and Mother will be in the Harmony Baptist Church Cemetery on highway 441 south of Baldwin, GA.

After Daddy's passing, I again read John 11:25-27 at the foot of his bed, just as I did for Mother.

Daddy and Mother, as they wished, were ushered very close together into the presence of the great God and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, less than one week apart.

In CHRIST, the Resurrection and the Life, and our eternal Hope
Danny Smith
Adoring son of Clayton and Ruth Brown Smith

John 11:25-26 -- 'Jesus said..., I am the resurrection, and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.  And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.'

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Update:  April 13:

Please pray for Daddy(Clayton Smith).  He has moved the most yet so far, but his doctor says that his liver and kidneys still aren't working, and this makes his condition extremely serious and life-threatening.  His liver not working properly has caused the sedation to stay in his system much longer than otherwise.
We need to pray for Daddy a lot.  Please pray that God will see fit to spare his life.  I need your prayers too at this time. 

Thanks for your prayers.

In CHRIST,
Danny Smith
Adoring son on Clayton and Ruth Brown Smith
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Jeremiah 33:3 -- 'Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.'

Clayton Smith has been hospitalized since before Ruth’s death last Saturday. We will keep this post updated as we are advised of his condition.  Please feel free to add any comments to this posting about Clayton just as was done so nicely for Ruth. 

April 10, 2006:

Dear All:  Please pray for my Father, Clayton Smith. I just talked to his doctor. He is still not waking up from sedation probably because his liver isn't working properly.  Neither are his kidneys.  Please pray specifically for his liver and his kidneys, that they will begin to work properly, and that he will wake up completely from the sedation.  He is not in a coma, but is in a very heavy sleep.  He responds to some stimuli, like squinting in bright lights and opening his eyes when you talk sometimes; sometimes he also moves his arms.  The sedation has been turned off for over a day. 
Please, please, please pray for my Father.
Thank you so much for your prayers for all of us.
In CHRIST,
Danny Smith

Jeremiah 33:3 - "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.'

Comments

[Sandy Reid]

Danny, I am praying for your father and your family during this challenging time. May I suggest that you ask about the oxygen level in your father's blood. Gases used during surgery lessen the oxygen level and I have read where a little extra oxygen afterwards can help some people become more aware. (I researched this after my great aunt's gall bladder surgery left her greatly confused.) May our Creator God, in whose image we are made, Comfort you all with the Peace which passes all understanding. May Jesus heal your broken heart and by His strips, heal Clayton, for His Glory, I pray in Jesus' name. Amen Sandy

[Evelyn Dunagan]

Danny, Your hearts are broken over the loss of your Mother and need time to heal. We pray that our Heavenly Father will heal your Dad and allow him to remain here with you and your family. We know that God answers our prayers but we cannot know what His plan is. Stay strong, keep your faith, and pray that God's will be done. Our hearts go out to you and your family.
Love, Evelyn & Mac

[The Northeast Georgian]

N. E. Georgian, April 19, 2006:
Former columnist's death is like losing a neighbor

Tuesday, April 18, 2006 10:14 AM EDT

Clayton Smith, former community columnist for The Northeast Georgian, died Saturday, April 15. Mr. Smith, a retired teacher with 30 years of service, wrote for this newspaper and the Georgia Shopping News before it for several years.

Mr. Smith taught hundreds of young people at Lula Elementary, Banks County Elementary, Banks County High School, Baldwin Elementary and South Habersham Junior High School. But his teaching didn't end when he retired from public schools.

He compiled his columns into a book, "Country at Heart," in 1996.

"It all started when I was working in my backyard garden and found a rusty mule shoe, which must have been worn by one of our mules used on this and other fields in the 1920s and 1930s," Smith wrote in the introduction to his book. "This incident brought forth such a flood of memories that I simply felt compelled to put it down on paper. I wanted to leave our offspring a record of our day. May I encourage you to do the same?"

He wrote about topics such as gardening, mules, how to not get killed by a train, the magic of a covered bridge, Veterans Day, farm animals and other critters, hog-killing time and old dogs.

"I talked with Ty Cobb" is the name of one chapter of his book.

Mr. Smith's simple, yet colorful writings appealed to a widespread audience, from those who remembered the days he was writing about to those who wanted to know more about successful gardening.

Mr. Smith died Saturday, only a few hours before the funeral for his beloved wife, Ruth.

Although he hadn't written for the newspaper in several years, many people continue to follow his advice on gardening and life.

His death is like losing a neighbor.