Loreta Jenkins Smith, 95, of Columbia, SC died on October 16, 2022. Mrs. Smith was born in State Road, NC on November 27, 1926 to Era Cockerham Jenkins and Hiram Cletus Jenkins.
Mrs. Smith was a graduate of Mountain Park High School in State Road, NC. She lived her life in NC until 1967 when the family moved to Columbia, SC. While in North Carolina, she was a member of Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church and later moved her membership to Riverland Hills Baptist Church in Columbia.

Mrs. Smith loved to travel and was known for her legendary cooking and fierce protection of her cultivated recipe collection. She had a gift for identifying a great recipe just by reading the ingredients and was able to re-create most anything she had tried in a restaurant. Known as "Gran" to her five loving grandchildren, she mastered spoiling them with gifts, love and a bit of mischief. Mrs. Smith was instrumental in providing accounting, bookkeeping and office management for her late husband's business, Tiny Smith Excavating Company.
A woman of deep faith and strength, Mrs. Smith set a wonderful example for her four daughters and will be missed immeasurably.

Mrs. Smith is survived by her daughters, Libby Ross, (Wayne) of Lake Lure, NC, Kathy Wikle of Columbia, SC, Susan Sowell (Dick) of Lenoir, NC, Patti Weber (Eric) of Hertford, NC; five grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, a fifth great-grandchild expected to arrive in February and sister-in-law, Louise Jenkins.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband Tiny Smith, (High School sweetheart and love of her life), brother, Leon Jenkins and sister, Cleta Osborne.

The memorial service for Mrs. Smith will be held at 11:00 am, Friday, October 28th in the Chapel of Shandon Baptist Church in Columbia. Burial will be held at Crestwood Memorial Gardens in State Road, NC on Saturday, October 29th, at 1 o'clock. Shives Funeral Home, Trenholm Road Chapel, is assisting the family.

In honor of Mrs. Smith's devotion to children, memorial donations may be made to St. Jude Children's Hospital, 2101 Rexford Rd #165W, Charlotte, NC 28211.