Always praying and looking for someone who will let me share their story, I was drawn to Sonya Smith as she sang in The Joy of Christmas choral program presented by Clarke-Venable Baptist Church choirs. I could sense her faith as she later sang for a Sunday morning service.
Sonya was born to Conrad and Dorothy Harris on March 20, 1968. Her father was from the Beulah-Hubbard, Little Rock area, and attended the Oakland Baptist Church, while her mother attended the Decatur Midway Church. Her siblings are Gwen Walker, Debbie Stamper, and Ronnie Harris of Decatur.
A cheerleader and trumpet player in the band, Sonya Harris graduated from Decatur High School in 1986, and immediately married her high school sweetheart, Scott Smith, who had graduated in 1984. Their daughter Chassidy was born the next year, with two boys, Jackson and Andrew, following thirteen months apart in 1990 and 1991.
James Scott Smith, son of Butch and Mazie Smith Wall, is from Decatur. His father and wife Betty lives in Decatur, while Scott’s mother, who was Circuit Clerk for Newton County at one time, is now married to Jim Wall and lives in Jackson. Sonya and Scott have now been married over thirty-three years. Sonya says, “Through the hard times and the good, I feel that we have built a wonderful life together. Scott’s motto is ‘Selfless Service.’”
Scott joined the Mississippi Army National Guard when he was seventeen. He attended East Central Community College, He then went to work at Shelby Region 3 NCO School, primarily in the field of Logistics. After several other assignments, he was deployed in 2005 and spent a year in Iraq. After retiring from the military, he was employed by the Mississippi Department of Transportation, later serving as Newton County Emergency Management Director. His current position is the Newton County Landfill Superintendent.
Remembering her youth, Sonya admits, “I made a lot of mistakes. I was a wild child. Gave my mother and daddy a lot of grief. My life didn’t get on track until I realized where God was supposed to be in it.”
She had “walked the aisle” at Midway Baptist Church when she was ten and was baptized. When she was asked by the pastor if Jesus had forgiven her sins, she remembers shrugging her shoulders, as she didn’t really know. She thinks she just followed a friend down the aisle. When she was in her late 20s, “I woke up and realized that God was not where He was supposed to be in my life.”
Later, as a chaperone at a lock-in for the children, she talked to the preacher, who led her in the sinner’s prayer. “I asked Jesus to save me and was rebaptized. From that moment, my decision-making processes completely changed. Instead of just thinking through things on my own and making decisions, I asked Jesus for guidance. I also asked Him to clarify for me what the sins were in my life.”
She continued, “I still am not perfect, but my decisions are a lot better. I want young people to realize that if you ask Him to save you, there’s nothing too bad and nothing He can’t help you overcome.” She spoke of how some people say, concerning your bad choices and actions, “Jesus loves you anyway.” She went on to explain, “He always loves us, but if we are saved, we will want to turn from our sin and follow Him.” She also asserted, “God doesn’t care where you’ve been. He’s more concerned with where you’re going.”
Sonya’s life changed when she graduated from East Central’s nursing school in 2000. That was also about the same time her faith first got tested, with the loss of her father. “I was a daddy’s girl. He was a WWII vet, a POW in Germany for six months. He was 75, and died of Lou Gehrig’s disease in 2000. I was 32 when he died. I was a new nurse, and the baby of our family. Yet, I saw the symptoms.” After taking him to the VA, she said it was a “very talented neurologist” at the University Hospital Emergency Room who over the next few months in Jackson rigorously tested and diagnosed him. Four days after that, at home, he passed away. However, she said, “I had an overwhelming sense of peace. It was God’s doing.”
She worked at Rush Hospital on the Medical-Surgical floor for 1½ years, then in Surgery for three years, after which she took a position with Dr. Kevin Ward, General Surgeon, continuing as his First Assistant for eleven years. In 2015, she began working from home, with C2C Solutions, a company contracted by Medicare.
The Smiths’ daughter Chassidy graduated from Newton County High School in 2005, after excelling as a member of the champion NCHS softball team. She was voted Most Valued Player for the MAC All-Star slow-pitch game of 2005. Chassidy is now a registered nurse and has worked in the Meridian Surgery Center for several years.
As their three children have grown up and gotten married, Sonya told me, “We’ve been really fortunate that all our children met and married people that fit very well in our family.” Chassidy married Justin Gates in May 2014. Her daughter Alexa (Lexi) is twelve, and their Madaline is four. Sonya says, “Justin is just an awesome guy. He bonded with us like glue.” She told me that he takes up a lot of time with both girls, and kept track of Lexi’s ball games while he was off training in Virginia.
Their son Andrew graduated in 2010, after playing football. He and his high school sweetheart Hannah Farmer were married November 23, 2019. Andrew is a nuclear medical technologist. He earned his B.S. in Kinesiology from Mississippi State before graduating from Baptist College of Health Sciences in the Nuclear Medical Technology program. Andrew is now working at Methodist University Hospital in Memphis. Hannah has a B.S. in Marketing, with a Master’s in Business. She worked for Farm Bureau before the move to Memphis.
The Smiths’ oldest son, Jackson, graduated from the Youth Challenge Academy at Camp Shelby in Hattiesburg in 2008. A graduate of the Mississippi Law Enforcement Officer Training Academy, Jackson is now a law enforcement officer for Mississippi Department of Transportation. This June 1, 2019, Jackson and Alli Kellum, a Newton County Academy graduate from Newton, were married and are now living in Starkville.
Sonya and Scott, who was brought up in the Methodist Church, have been active members of Clarke-Venable Baptist Church in Decatur since 2006, where Sonya is a member of the adult choir and helps with the youth choir. Sonya said, “Every time something bad has happened in my life, whether it be personal or anything, I’ve always found great comfort in my church.”
She recalls, “My faith has been tested many times since my father’s death—many different things in my family. He’s always been there to get me through. Always been who I turn to. There’s a saying, that God won’t put more on you than you can handle. There are things we can’t handle alone, but with His help we can make it through it.”
Live for Jesus! He’s coming soon!
You may contact me at lagnesrussell@gmail.com or 601-635-3282.
