Margaret Watts Smith

A celebration of life will be held for Margaret “Mollie” Watts Smith at 11 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025, at Friendship Baptist Church with burial in the church cemetery. Visitation will be 5-8 p.m., Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, at Riverwood Family. She will lie in state from 10-11 a.m. Saturday at the church.

Margaret Watts Smith is loved by so many people.  Therefore, she was called by many names — “Mamo,” “Miss Mollie,” “Mama,” “Mamo Mollie,” “Mollie,” “Baby,” and “Margaret.” She lit up every room she entered with her beautiful smile and loving heart. When she gave you a hug you felt everything was right in the world.

On Sept. 9, 1940, she was born to John Ira Watts and Mary Eula Watts, who preceded her in death. She was one of eight children, preceded in death by Bobby Watts, Annie Bell Smith, Donald Watts, Mary Boswell, and Gloria Nations. She is survived by Johnny Watts and Glen Watts.

She grew up in Zetus community and graduated from Brookhaven High school. She attended Friendship Baptist Church where she met a local boy named Talmadge Eugene Smith. They fell in love and were married on July 12, 1958. They later had two daughters, Connie and Carla, who she loved dearly.  She was survived by Talmadge and her daughters Connie Coon and Carla Smith, who feel honored to have her for a mother.

When her husband accepted the call to preach, she immediately became a preacher’s wife. She served this role wholeheartedly for the rest of her life, making everyone feel loved and supported. Everyone loved Miss Mollie and her hugs. She also began working at Stahl-Urban and next as a teacher’s aide at Brookhaven High school. Once the family moved to Natchez, MS, she began working as a teacher’s aide at Morgantown Elementary School and later as an optician at Spiller’s Optical. In 1984, Tam and Mollie moved back to Brookhaven, MS and she was the secretary at the Lincoln-Copiah Baptist Association. She served this role for 24 years and became beloved by all pastors and wives, church staff and church members.

Once she retired, she became an interim pastor’s wife and continued to be a loving mama, mamo, relative and friend. In addition to her two brothers, husband and daughters, she is survived by the folks she loved more than anything and who brought her much joy — her grandchildren, Tyler Ball and Eli Coon; great-grandchildren, Kaylie Ball, Carter Ball, Maddox Ball, Barrett Ball; and great-great-grandchild, Banks McJunkin. She was sadly preceded in death by her grandson Tate Ball, who she is hugging right now. Mollie would do anything for anyone who needed her, especially her family.

She had a full life with family, church, and travels to Israel, Japan, Australia, Venezuela, Scotland, Canada and all over the United States. She loved Elvis, Daniel O’Donnell, music shows and Dateline. She took piano lessons in retirement and played in a recital. She enjoyed coloring and looking out her glass room window at the trees, pond, and hummingbirds. She always said she loved to “sit and stare.” She brought this peace to everyone she met and she will be sorely missed.

Condolences and other information are available online at www.riverwoodfamily.com.