Phyllis Smith

Phyllis Louise Smith, having lived 94 year, passed away peacefully in her sleep on December 22, 2018 at Cottage in the Meadows, Yakima, WA. She was born in Mabton on February 19, 1924, the fifth of six children to Vernett V. Grow and Ina Laura Miller Grow. Phyllis was five years old at the beginning of the Great Depression and she grew up helping her family garden and farm during those hard times always chasing after her two older brothers Norton and Bryce, and trying to keep up with her two older sisters, Jean and Fay. Her little brother, Cameron, having trouble saying her name called her Fiddy Woo, but she was always Sis to the others. She attended school in both Mabton and Toppenish. After graduation, she married Lester I. Barbee and from that union three children were born, Judith, Virginia and Jimmy Barbee. Phyllis valued the family and was a loving daughter, sister, mother, wife and aunt. She made sure her children know her whole family and she was always taking them to visit her parents and other relatives and had cousins come to visit. Phyllis loved her children and made sure they know it. She sewed school cloths for them and made sure they were involved in community activities. Phyllis was a life time member of both Easter Star and the YWCS, her other favorite organizations were the Buena Grange and TOPS. While married to Les Barbee, she helped him plant and grow fruit trees. The operations grew and the fruit was eventually packed, stored and sold from their packing warehouse. She managed the packing operation in the warehouse and was quite the disciplinarian. Many a local high school student came under her tutelage. After her children were raised and her divorce from Les, Phyllis returned to her roots. While at a Mabton class reunion she renewed an old childhood friendship with Kenith L. Smith. They married and started a wonderful retirement together. You would often catch them at a 4th of July parade, the Prosser Balloon Festival or the Sunnyside lighted Christmas parade. They enjoyed going to the Rodeo and going boating and fishing. Grandkids loved going to the lake with Grandma and Grandpa, to stay for a few days of fishing and swimming or visiting their home in Grandview to play a lively game of pool in the garage. Phyllis is preceded in death by, her parents, Ina and Vernett Grow, her brothers and their wives, Norton and Millie Grow, Bryce and Guyla Grow and her husband, Les Barbee and their daughter Judith (Clifford) LaCasse and her son, Jimmy Barbee as well as by her loving husband Kenith L. Smith. Phyllis is survived by her daughter, Virginia (Ron) Obert, two sisters Jean (Clifford) Hansen, Fay (William Clark), one brother, Cameron (Pat) Grow, and a step son Darrel (Maralou) Smith; eleven Grandchildren, and numerous great grandchildren. A special thank you to her loving caregivers at Fieldstone Memory Care –Yakima, WA and Cottage on the Meadows- Yakima, WA. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Phyllis Smith, please visit our flower store.