Mary Smith Sneed departed this life January 26, 2011.
Mary was born to Blaine Smith and Lucy Ann Davis on February 3, 1915, at Sherill Cove on the Qualla Boundary in western North Carolina. She attended Cherokee Boarding School and Chilocco Indian School.
Mary served as Clerk of the Tribal Council of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and was a social worker for Swain County, North Carolina, Fort Hall, Idaho, and Warm Springs, Oregon, Agencies of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Cherokee Boys Club in Cherokee. She also worked for many years as an Instructional Aide and Counselor at Intermountain Indian School in Brigham City, Utah.
In 1963, she attended a summer session in social work in Boston, Massachusetts. The insights and determination Mary exhibited to her professors caused them to create for and award her the grade of “Splendid,” a distinction above the highest grade ordinarily awarded in the program. Mary also did course work at Mars Hill College and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Mary was an accomplished poet and essayist. She is remembered for generously sharing tree saplings with her friends.
Mary was preceded in death by her husband, Woodrow Oscar, and is survived by her son, Woodrow Blaine Sneed, and daughters, Roseanna Sneed Belt and Sarah Margaret Sneed. She also leaves eight grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren.
Mary was a founding and life-long member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (the Mormon Church), US 441, Whittier, North Carolina.
Visitation will begin at 4 p.m. Friday, January 28, 2011, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, January 29, 2011, also at the Church.
Condolences at www.crispfuneralhome.org