Pauline Leuretta Alsobrooks

Pauline Leuretta Smith Alsobrooks was born June 15, 1926 to her parents Nancy and Irvin Smith. She was one of 9 siblings, with 3 sisters and 5 brothers. She went to school through the 11th grade, when she was “kidnapped” by G E Alsobrooks and whisked off to Cold Springs where they married; she and GE had four children – Donald, Peggy, Sandra, and James. Pauline’s parents were farmers who raised their own crops as well as raising livestock to feed the family; Pauline and her siblings all helped with working in the fields and tending the animals. She learned at an early age the arts of preserving vegetables, fruits, and meats for later use, as well as quilting, sewing and baking … and she loved reading. Many times Pauline could be found harvesting produce from the garden, picking berries in the woods, canning jar after jar of food…………..She always wanted to be sure her “family” had plenty to eat…….And no one ever went hungry from her table. She was the undisputed “queen” of chicken and dumplings in the family; and these along with her pineapple cake were seen at virtually every church function and family get together. She enjoyed seeing the family enjoy the fruits of her labor; many times the local preacher and his wife were invited to Sunday dinner. The family lived in Cleveland until 1958 when they moved to Houston. Pauline and GE stayed there in the Spring Branch area until around 1971 and then moved back to the Cleveland area and built a home on the old home place inherited from G E’s father near Bear Creek Community. This was their home for the rest of their days. By example, Pauline and G E taught their children a healthy work ethic and a faith based way of life, as both she and GE were very active in the local church community. She worked in the elementary school cafeteria in Houston, as well as in the local hospital, and later in life she helped manage the Food Bank for Bear Creek Baptist Church and also worked the Vacation Bible School there for many years. She was always there for the Benevolence Committee when food needed to be prepared for a group; she was very generous with the blessings she received and happy to share them with others. Pauline is preceded in death by her husband, GE, her sons Don and James, her parents Nancy and Irvin Smith, her brothers Franklin, Lawrence and CJ, her sisters Ira Lee, Dora and Aline. Survivors include her daughter Peggy Robinson and husband Harvey, daughter Sandra Miles, grandchildren Matt Baker, David Baker, Ben Alsobrooks, Mark Alsobrooks, Nathan Alsobrooks, Stacy Covington and Laura Kershaw; 9 great-grandchildren, brothers Oliver Smith and wife Pauline, and Arnold Smith and wife Jeannie. Pauline was kind and loving, a caring wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother … as well as a friend to the many she adopted into the family … and she will be sorely missed. But we can rejoice knowing, as we often heard her say at other funerals, that hers’ is behind her – ours is still to come. We love her and miss her….may she rest in peace.