Winona Smith Colbert
June 15, 1926 — June 7, 2016
Winona was a pioneer in the early 70’s by starting an exercise gym class, and she loved power-walking throughout Columbus daily with her friends. She was an avid sports fan, especially of basketball, tennis, and swimming, where she was the unofficial swim team cheerleader of CSA, GTSL, and, then in later years, for the Sunkist swimmers in Jackson where her granddaughter Jewels Faulkner was a member.
When Jack and Winona’s grandchild, Jewels Faulkner was born, they moved to Jackson to be close to their “Precious Sweet Angel.” They made sure to involve themselves in any and all things just to be close to her. Jewels Faulkner says her “Nana was made for love.”
Winona found joy in the ordinary things in life. When talking with her, she made you feel important because she truly cared and unconditionally loved those around her. She always saw the good in everyone and everything. She was adored and respected by her family and was a role model to all.
Up until the day she went to be with her Lord, she insisted on mowing her front and back yard and would drive to see her sisters in Arkansas and brother in Louisiana. She excelled in taking care of all family business transactions, walking daily, doing errands for her family, and she continued to be an avid sports fan, including participating every year in her March Madness bracket. She did all these things while demonstrating a positive attitude in everything. She loved reading her Bible in the morning and nonfiction books throughout the day, memorizing scriptures, and her most recent interest began a couple of weeks ago with memorizing a Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem called “A Psalm of Life.”
Found written in her journal and words for us all to cherish and live by: Psalms 27:4 “One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.”
She was preceded in death by her parents, Jewel and Alice Smith, her husband, John
“Jack” F. Colbert, Jr., and her infant grandson, Charles Emory Fitts, Jr. She is survived by her daughter, Jacqueline Colbert Fitts (Charles) of Calhoun City; daughter, Julie Ann Colbert of Jackson; granddaughter, Jewels Faulkner of Jackson; brother, Dwight H. Smith of Baton Rouge, LA; sister, Mavis Smith Troyer (Irv); sister, Joyce Smith Arguello; and sister, Naomi Smith of Hot Springs, AR; as well as several nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held at Memorial Funeral Home in Columbus, MS on Friday, June 10, 2016 at 2:00 pm with services at 3:00 pm. Graveside services will follow at Brooksville Cemetery.
Pallbearers are: Chris Chain, Bryan Harrell, Dan Horton, Mark McLemore, David Orr, and Bob Spinks.
Honorary Pallbearers are : Robert Arguello, Charles Fitts, Colbert Jones, J.W. Jones, Eddie Livingston, Irv Troyer, Larry Troyer, and Terry Smith.
For those desiring, memorials may be made to: Brooksville Cemetery Fund,
Attn: Melanie Hines, 586 Hines Road, Brooksville, MS 39739.
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