Jo Smith, 97, of Lampasas, died on April 16, 2024.
Visitation will be held at Sneed-Carnley Funeral Chapel in Lampasas on April 21 from 5-7 p.m.
Services will be held April 22 at 10 a.m. at Sneed-Carnley Funeral Chapel, with interment to follow at Davis Cemetery in Briggs.
Jo was born in Worthington, Indiana on March 8, 1927, a true child of the Great Depression. She and her twin sister Jean were the youngest of eight children.
She finished high school in Worthington, then moved to Washington, D.C. during World War II until she “got things sorted out.” She spent some time in Florida and then relocated to Indianapolis for work.
After her stint in Indianapolis, she decided she would uproot and move to Texas to marry a cowboy. With the intention of heading to Austin, she and her friend drove to Texas. On their way, Jo saw a man on a horse and figured he must be a cowboy. His name was Ivan Buck Smith. Buck and Jo fell in love and married seven weeks later. They made their home in a little place off Rocky Creek, near Watson.
They would spend their lives together on Rocky Creek, raising three children -- Amanda, Mitchell and Mark.
Jo was a founding member of the Burnet County Republican Party, a 75-year member of the Briggs Church of Christ, and she enjoyed spending time with her family, especially playing cards and Skipbo with grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Ivan Buck Smith; her twin sons; and seven siblings.
Survivors include her daughter, Amanda Hensley, and husband Dan; sons Mitchell Smith, and Mark Smith and wife Dana, and Raymond Wysong and wife Krista who was like a son to her. She also is survived by grandchildren Joanna Boyd and husband Walter, Zane Hensley and wife Nichole, Doak Hensley (Zoë), Sawyer Smith and wife Marisa, Caul Smith and wife Abbie, and Quint Smith; and greatgrandchildren Scarlet Boyd, Harrison Boyd, Benjamin Boyd, Avery JoLee Boyd, Emmie Jo Hensley, Arch Hensley and Ivan Lee Smith.