Mrs. Bessie Lee Potter Smith, 86, of Marianna, Fla., and formerly of Ebro, Fla., passed away Sunday, Nov. 29, 2009, in Jackson Hospital. Funeral services will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009, at McQueen's Temple Firstborn Church of the Living God in Vernon, Fla., where the Rev. John Ozell Brown is pastor with the Rev. Billy Marshall officiating. Interment will follow in St. Luke Memorial Gardens in Vernon, Fla., with McKinnie Funeral Home of Campbellton, Fla., directing. Visitation for family and friends will be held from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009, at Oak Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Ebro, Fla. Our beloved mother, Bessie Lee Potter Smith was born to the late Wesley and Mary Daisy Brown Potter on Oct. 20, 1923, in Miller's Ferry, Fla. She accepted Christ into her life at an early age and joined St. Luke A.M.E. Church. Bessie was united in holy matrimony to Henry D. Smith Sr. on July 14, 1947, and to this union nine children were born. She later joined her husband in faith at Oak Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Ebro, Fla., where she served as a deaconess and worked in many other capacities until her health began to fail. She was preceded in death by her husband and two daughters, Dorothy Smith Becoats and Mary Smith Olds. A lifetime of precious memories are left with a caring and devoted family, including four daughters, Audrey Leeks (Edward) and Martha Leslie (Hosea) of Marianna, Fla., Rachel Crews (Tony) of Port St. Joe, Fla., and Sallie Daniels (Wilson) of Dothan, Ala.; three sons, Henry D. Smith Jr. (Linda) of Greenwood, Fla., Elroy Smith (Bernice) of Fayetteville, N.C., and Bertram Smith of San Antonio; two sons-in-law, Culton Olds of Marianna, Fla., and Roy Becoats of Panama City, Fla.; one brother, Isiah Potter and (Rosia) of Chipley, Fla.; three sisters, Elsie Harmon, Annie Lee Harmon and Matilda Harmon (Goode), all of Orange Hill, Fla.; brothers and sister-in-law, Sam Pompey of Panama City, Fla., John H. Milton (Gussie) and Matron Smith of Ebro, Fla.;15 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; a special friend of the family, Orvie P. Cole; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends. McKinnie Funeral Home 5304 Bowden Hill Road Campbellton, Fla. 32426 850-263-3333