Obituary
Guest Book
1917
2012
After a long, courageous and difficult battle with old age, Mary Smith Peacock left this life to meet her maker on Monday, April 9, 2012. She was 94 years young. A property owner in the Volente area of Lake Travis since 1946, she had been a full time resident since 1987.
Born Mary Ellen Whelchel in Hartville, Missouri on May 22, 1917 to Norman Julian Whelchel and Martha Ellen Oliver, she was the youngest of their five children. From age 5, she and older brother Russell were raised by their mother, "Ella", in Mountain View Missouri where her mother owned and operated the Commercial Hotel. After graduation from high school, she came to Austin to attend the University of Texas School of Pharmacy. Graduating with honors at the top of her class in 1942, she had been inducted into Rho Chi, the pharmacy school honor society.
When she came to Austin at age 18, she lived with sister Joyce Grove and worked her way through college working as a clerk, soda-jerk, cashier at 6th Street's Grove Drug store. After graduation she moved behind the pharmacy counter where she filled prescriptions for over 16 years. Overall, she worked at Grove Drug for 20 years and was part owner of the store from 1954 to 1958.
Her career then took her to the Renfro's Rexall Drug Store on Burnet Road, which later became Sommers Drugs, where she worked for 17 years, most of them as manager of the store until it sold to another company. Her last professional years were in the pharmacy at the Skaggs Alpha Beta store on US183 at Anderson Mill Road. During her career, she had been a member and officer of the Capital Area Pharmaceutical Association. In 1992 she was presented a Citation of Achievement by the Texas Board of Pharmacy for "50 years of devoted service … to the profession of pharmacy."
Mary was fond of saying "I out lasted 2 husbands, 3 doctors, and my dog." She was married to Zilmon Smith ("Smitty") on July 29, 1936 and they were together almost 47 years until his death in 1983. During that time they enjoyed the family cabin on Lake Travis, trips to Port Aransas, gardening at their farm outside Elgin and some time spend in the Rio Grande Valley. In 1987, she married long time professional friend William ("Bill") Peacock, also a pharmacist and they moved into the new home that replaced the cabin in Volente where they installed a big new garden, did lots of landscaping and fished from their dock. They were together until his death in 1999. She lost her faithful canine companion, Emma, in 2010.
During the last half of her life, she traveled throughout the world visiting many countries on 6 continents. One of her favorite expeditions was to Alaska where she and Bill fished for halibut and salmon and took a helicopter to land on top of an iceberg.
Mary was an active member of the Volente community where she loved to be fishing or working in her yard and garden. She was a member of the Volente Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary, the Anderson Mill Garden Club (where she had served as an officer of the Anderson Mill Memorial, Inc.) and St. Thomas More Catholic Church. And her weekly Thursday Happy Hours were legendary.
Mary is survived by son Zilmon F. Smith ("Z") and his wife Lisa and their son Tyler Michael; son James N. Smith ("Jimmy") of Elgin; niece Carol Ann Cox of Sherman, TX; nephews Gene Grove of Whitefish, MT and Rolaph Whelchel of Lewisville, KY; faithful cat Callie, and many wonderful neighbors and friends. She was predeceased by her parents and siblings.
Mary will be lying in state at Cook-Walden Chapel of the Hills Funeral Home, 9700 Anderson Mill Road on Wednesday, April 11 from 3 to 5 p.m. Services will be at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 10205 Ranch Road 620 N at 2 p.m., Thursday April 12, with Msgr. Elmer Holtman officiating. Burial will follow in Austin Memorial Park. Following the internment Mary's life will be celebrated with a traditional Thursday Happy Hour at the Anderson Mill Garden Club, 13974 FM 2769 in Volente.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Anderson Mill Memorial, Inc., Attn: Mill Wheel Restoration Fund, 13974 FM 2769, or the Volente Fire Department, 15046 FM 2769, both in Volente, TX 78641.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
3 Entries
April 24, 2012
What a wonderful woman she was! We were honored to have known her.... even if our only connection was a little dog named Emma! Blessings and peace to her family. With love, Dr. Richard and Lisa Rafferty
April 11, 2012
Stacy Wood
To the most amazing woman we have ever met....you will be missed!! Love, Stacy and Richard
April 11, 2012
Marita Hasou
With sincere sympathy to all of Mary's Family. May she rest in peace.
I am thankful to have been one of her many, many friends and will always remember her as the eternally youthful and gracious hostess.
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Cook-Walden Chapel of the Hills Funeral Home9700 Anderson Mill Road, Austin, TX 78750
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