A-22-20

Obituary

Beatrice Louise Smith, age 91, died on October 19, 2022, at her home in Rosewood Retirement Community in Bakersfield, CA.  She was born on August 18, 1931, in Chatsworth, CA, the daughter of Alfred and Veda Jones.  When her mother passed away and her father became ill at a young age, Beatrice was raised from age 10 by her aunt and uncle, Leland and Ruth Olsen, in Buttonwillow, CA.  She graduated from Bakersfield High School, Class of 1949. Beatrice married her childhood sweetheart, Robert L Smith, on February 26, 1951.  Beatrice was a full time wife and mother. She and her husband raised four young children from their farm in Buttonwillow, CA, and then moved to rural Shafter to raise them through their teenage years.  The couple moved to Orange County for 8 years and have resided the last 35 years in Bakersfield.  She and her husband have been members of First Baptist Church in Shafter, Bethel Baptist Church in La Habra, Fellowship Bible Church in Bakersfield, and more recently Riverlakes Community Church.Beatrice was an avid Dodger fan ever since the team came to Los Angeles in 1958, played recreational softball herself on church teams, and bowled on a community team for many years. She enjoyed traveling across the United States with her husband in their motor home and she loved her golden retrievers, Annie and then Ali.  Her top priority was always the children in her life; including those she birthed, as well as their friends, her nieces and nephews, the children and youth from her church, and eventually her grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Last February she and her husband celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary.In addition to her parents, Beatrice was predeceased by her brothers Harvey, Marvin, and Stanley Jones and by her son Brian Smith.  Surviving Beatrice, in addition to her husband Robert Smith, are her daughters, Deborah Bender and her husband Michael; Nancy Dragoun and her husband John; Janice Blumer and her husband Dave; and her daughter-in-law Roxanne Smith.  In addition Beatrice was grandmother to Erik, Ellen and husband Brian, Rachel and husband Chris, Emily and husband Jim, Jared and wife Mary Beth, Haakon and wife Chassy, Jordan and wife Natalie, Calysa, Nicole and husband Morgan, and Adam.  And she has enjoyed welcoming 13 great grandchildren into her world: Michael, Ethan, Benjamin, William, Ronan, Elise, Brielle, Jarrett, Madison, Carson, Eliana, Oliver, Seth, and Bethany.