Miss Betty Smith of Fort Worth, Texas, a missionary candidate under the Woman's Board since 1928, and a former student of Bethel College, where she was much loved by faculty and student body, and a graduate of North Texas State Teachers' College, will sail from New York on July 29 in compliance with the agreement that "one other worker be sent without delay."

Miss Smith has the equivalent of an M.A. Degree in equipment, but sacrificed her degree for no credit studies of more value on the mission field, and is therefore wonderfully prepared to render most acceptable service in the John A. Deaver Mission where her coming is eagerly awaited by her friends and schoolmates, Rev. and Mrs. Bryson, also Miss Barnett, the people of the mission and native workers.

The dedicatory service for Miss Smith will be held in Addison Avenue Church, Nashville, Tenn., Rev. Dan Perry delivering the address, on Sunday evening, July 24, after which she will go to New York to take steamer. And again will a daughter of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church go forth in the name of the Lord and the Church in response to the Great Commission--"Go ye--teach all nations."

And again do we plead the prayers of the Church on behalf of this precious young girl who forsakes all, and gives all to obey the Lord's call.

Winsome, cultured, buoyant with all the sweetness and freshness of youth is Betty, but her life is truly Christ-touched and on the altar--given. Her eagerness and joyousness in going out where things are, for the most part, hard and unlovely to give her all makes the poor meager gifts of those who remain seem poorer still, and paltry in the extreme.

God in heaven forgive our poor gifts and pour out thy abundant blessings upon those who give their all, and bless, guide and keep our Betty.
[Source: The Missionary Messenger, August 1932, pages 4-5]

Never has there been a more impressive service or a sweeter service than the consecration and commission service for Miss Betty Smith, of Ft. Worth, Texas, which was held in the Addison Avenue Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Nashville, Tenn., Sunday evening, July 24, 1932, at 8 o'clock.

The audience was made up of the various Cumberland Presbyterian Churches in Nashville, friends of Miss Smith's from Peabody College, a large group from Bowling Green, Ky., and from Bethel College and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church at McKenzie, Tenn.

Rev. S. O. Payne of Arrington Street Church, Nashville, presided in the absence of the pastor, Rev. T. A. DeVore. Rev. Dan Perry of Hopkinsville, Ky., a former pastor of Miss Smith's, delivered a splendid consecration message in which the audience was made to feel keenly the challenge to our part of the task.

Rev. Payne led Miss Smith, and the congregation, in the responsive reading, and each one felt that "the spirit of the Lord was, indeed upon us," and that it was a happy privilege to even have a small part in sending the message of Christ's love through this consecrated life who had proven herself happy and eager to answer the call. Rev. Perry then presented the candidate in a few well chosen words, and Mrs. Johnie Massey Clay of Bowling Green, Ky., in her consecrated, sweet spirited manner, presented the charge and delivered the commission. As Betty stood, radiantly happy, to accept the charge and commission to--"Go in the name of the Lord and the Church," many tears of joy were shed by those who witnessed this beautiful and impressive scene. Then as she knelt for the consecrating prayer, which was offered by Rev. Perry surely everyone present must have breathed a prayer for this sweet, young girl who has given herself fully to the Lord.

At the close of the prayer the audience joined in singing, "God Will Take Care of You," and, as they later sang, "God Be With You Till We Meet Again," hearty handclasps were given as an expression of interest and love, and a pledge to support her with our prayer as well as in a material way.

The young people in the Christian Endeavor had expressed their love and interest in the member going out from them with a parting gift of beautiful flowers which Betty wore in appreciation.

As dear Betty goes to this new field of labor, so filled with joy for this opportunity of service fully offered to the task which is hers, and ours, may we not renew our covenant to the Lord to always hold our missionaries in earnest prayer, adding to the list of those who have gone before this new missionary, and ask God to keep her fine and true; that she may carry the message of his love to those who have never heard.

This is the biggest thrill that has come my way ever in my life. To be actually writing a "farewell" letter to my church, as I begin my work as a missionary! To be actually ready, finally, to carry out my highest ambitions and hopes! It's breathtaking lovely. So many of you are feeling sorry for me, are speaking in pitying tones of "the great sacrifice she's making," (I know because I've heard you). Please don't feel that way about it. It's not a sacrifice to do the thing you've been working toward for years. The sacrifice would come in not being able to do the thing you want to do. I love you, my dear church, and I'd be glad to sacrifice for you--I shall if the time ever comes when I need to. But--this isn't the time. If I weren't absolutely sure that I'd be happier than I've ever been, I'd not be a missionary. Sounds heretical, doesn't it? Think of this, though: what good could a sad missionary do? We are going out to take a better life--a more abundant life--and hence a happier life.

It's good to know that all of you are backing me and the others who are already in Cali. I'm going to work hard out there for Christ and you. Don't forget that I'll need especially your prayers, because I'm not as experienced yet as I should be, and there'll be plenty of problems that will be hard for me to solve.

Adios,

Betty Smith.

[Source: The Missionary Messenger, September 1932, pages 7-8]

The sending out of a new missionary, Miss Betty Smith, Fort Worth, Texas, to the South American field, was an event of church-wide interest.
[Source: Report of the Fifty-Third Annual Missionary Convention of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church Held in Memphis, Tennessee, June 14-18, 1933, page 5]

Abey Houston Smith
born: 21 November 1871 - Canehill, Washington County, Arkansas
died: 7 May 1931 - Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas
buried: Mount Olivet Cemetery - Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas
wife: Clara Lauris "Lannie" Eppler
(daughter of Wyle Clark Eppler and Dorcas Elizabeth Sorrels)
born: 29 July 1870 - Scott, Lonoke County, Arkansas
died: 27 May 1964 - Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas
buried: Mount Olivet Cemetery - Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas

Children of Abey Houston Smith and Clara Launis Eppler Smith:

1. Reba Singleton Smith
born: 1896
died: 1987

2. Arlie Bernis Smith
born: 1898
died: 1971

3. Alsie Iris Smith
born: 1900

4. Hobart Earnest Smith
born: 1901
died: 1906

5. Don Wayland Smith
born: 1903
died: 1955

6. Ivan Horace Smith
born: 1905
died: 1982

7. Albert Lee Smith
born: 1908
died: 1972

9. Rosa Elizabeth "Betty" Smith
Cumberland Presbyterian Missionary
born: 3 January 1910 - Snyder, Scurry County, Texas
died: 20 August 2007 - Boulder, Boulder County, Colorado
married: 23 December 1935 - Cali, Colombia, South America
cremated
husband: Leon Hodges Terrell
(son of Leon Hilton Terrell and Eunice Hodges)
born: 28 May 1902 - Bolton, Hinds County, Mississippi
died: 2 April 1983 - Boulder Bluff, Boulder County, Colorado
cremated

Child of Rosa Elizabeth "Betty" Smith Terrell and Leon Hodges Terrell:

9.1. Leon Andrew Terrell
born: 1947 - Cartagena, Colombia, South America
wife: Jo Ellen Husted

Children of Leon Andrew Terrell and Jo Ellen Husted Terrell:

9.1.1. Lane Andrew Terrell
born: Boulder Bluff, Colorado
wife: Mali

Children of Lane Andrew Terrell and Mali Terrell:

9.1.1.1. Stanton Reid Terrell
born: Colorado

9.1.1.2. Hilton Isley Terrell
born: Colorado

 

9.1.2. Jesse Leon Terrell
born: Honolulu, Hawaii
1st wife: Margaret Grace Jones

Children of Jesse Leon Terrell and Margaret Grace Jones Terrell:

9.1.2.1. Hannah Terrell

9.1.2.2. Andrew Stephen Terrell

9.1.2.3. Catherine Terrell

2nd wife of Jesse Leon Terrell: Heidi Stanley

 

 

9.1.3. Joel Reid Terrell
born: Honolulu, Hawaii
wife: Theresa "Terri" Marie Brown

9.1.4. Melody Elizabeth Terrell
born: Ridgecrest, California
husband: Sean Mooneyham

 

10. Mary Helen Smith
born: 11 November 1911 - Snyder, Scurry County, Texas
died: 20 March 1994 - Weatherford, Parker County, Texas
buried: Mount Olivet Cemetery - Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas
husband: Raymond Marvin Craver
born: 10 December 1909 - Colorado
died: 13 April 2002 - Weatherford, Parker County, Texas
buried: Mount Olivet Cemetery - Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas

11. Annie Ruth Smith
born: 1914
died: 1997