Ms. Shirley Lowery Elton Smith, age 85, of Hazlehurst, died Saturday, November 12, 2016 at her place of residence. She was a native of Lumber City in Telfair County and was a resident of Hazlehurst for 37 years. She was the daughter of the late Vasco Alexander, Sr. and Annie Minton Rawlins Lowery of Lumber City and member of Hazlehurst First United Methodist Church, Friendship Sunday School Class. UMW Circle 2, Administrative Council and was co-coordinator of the Older Adult Ministries. Educated in Lumber City schools, she earned her Associative of Arts Degree at Brewton Parker College in Mt. Vernon, her B.S. in Education at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, and her Masters of Education at Georgia Southwestern University in Americus. She taught in Wheeler, Telfair, Bibb, Chatham, and Jeff Davis Counties, where she retired after 33 years of teaching. She privately tutored for 20 years. She served for three years as the Lay Representative for the Jeff Davis County Board of Education on the RESA Board of Control in Statesboro. She was a Jeff Davis County Instructor for the Substitute Teachers Workshop for several years. She was also a weekly volunteer for "Rolling Readers