Carolyn DeeAnn Smith was born on September 16, 1940, in Hollis, Oklahoma. She moved to Lubbock, Texas, as a child and grew up there. Her parents were Pearson Madison and Lena Mae Johnson. Pearson had been widowed and had three grown children and one teenager, who went to live with her sister after the marriage. When Carolyn was 10, her brother Donald was born.
Carolyn graduated from Lubbock High School. She attended Texas Tech University but did not graduate. She got her associate’s degree in Interior Design after she was married, had children, and was living in Florida. Carolyn had a variety of interesting careers, including having her own newspaper column in Windermere, Florida, working for a psychology professor at Texas Christian University, and being the county bookkeeper in Parker County, Texas. When she retired, Carolyn set out to realize a lifelong dream, that of being a writer. She wrote some contemporary romances and cozy mysteries, but her first love was writing western historical romantic suspense. Most of her close to 100 novels are set in the 1880s. She won several writing awards during the course of her career.
Carolyn and Lilburn moved frequently. They were married in Dallas and at one point ended up in Weatherford, Texas, living on a peach orchard called Smithhaven Farms. For the last 4 ½ years, Carolyn lived in Fort Worth with her youngest daughter.
Carolyn was an avid genealogist. She loved tracing her ancestors and collecting their stories and photographs. Carolyn loved to travel. In addition to many states in the United States, Carolyn had traveled to Germany, Switzerland, Italy, England, and her favorites, Scotland and Ireland. Carolyn also liked to look at antique malls. At one time, she had several antique booths in Weatherford and Granbury. She was also a voracious reader.
Carolyn belonged to the Disciples of Christ denomination since early childhood. She was active in church committees and Sunday school. She was also interested in volunteering for organizations like Catholic Charities and Meals on Wheels and in civil justice. Carolyn was a stay-at-home mother for both her daughters’ childhoods. She was actively involved as a homeroom mother and in the PTA. As a writer, she was generous with advice to novice writers and participated in several multi-author series. Carolyn was known for her intelligence, her sense of humor, her kindness, and her sweet nature.
As a child, Carolyn went to her friend Joyce’s 13th birthday party and met Joyce’s 17-year-old brother, Lilburn. She thought he was very dashing and sophisticated. When she was in high school, they began dating. They would go on to marry and stay married for almost 62 years. Lilburn died last year on May 29, 2025, and Carolyn struggled to adjust. In the end, she died of a broken heart because she just didn’t want to live without the love of her life. She passed away on May 1, 2026. Carolyn is survived by her grown daughters Stephanie Suesan Smith and Stacy Barbara “Bea” Smith.
A Celebration of Life memorial will be held for Carolyn on May 23, 2026, at 11 a.m. The service will be followed by a reception meal in the Fellowship Hall. The ceremony will be held at Ridglea Christian Church, 6720 West Elizabeth, Fort Worth, Texas, 76116. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Ridglea Christian Church.
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