Juanita (Nita) Marie Smith (Beasley) (Moore)

Juanita (Nita) Marie Smith (Beasley) (Moore)

Nita was born in a log cabin near the confluence of Bennett creek and Little Rocky creek in Clark, Wyoming on a cold winter day, February 8, 1933. She was the sixth sibling and first girl born to Bessie and Jess Smith. Preceding her were Vern, Jim, Terry, Darrel, Bruce and Harley, all are deceased with the exception of Harley. Following her were two Sisters, Shirley and Beverly. They are also deceased.

From the cabin where Nita was born the family moved to another cabin between Bennett creek and Little Rocky creek when she was three and made their home there for a winter. Then they moved that cabin to Bennett creek where it still stands and made their home there. She grew up in Clark, Wyoming, attending Clark grade school and high school in Belfry, Montana. She attained her Associate of Arts degree from Powell Community College.

Summer time jobs at dude ranches occupied her time until she graduated and started working for Husky Oil company full time. Besides her accounting duties she became the editor of the Husky Newsletter, where her writing skills were put to good use with many funny and informative stories. She wrote many short stories and poems and illustrated many books and publications, such as Wapiti Bill’s Wanderings’ by Bill Dansby and Nita’s own book Memories in and Around Clark.

She got married to George Beasley, and became a Mom and Grandma to his brood, bought the place from her Mom, the original family home on Bennett creek and proceeded to develop it. She built a new log cabin, drilled a well and tried her hand at farming. George passed on and she married Gary Moore, who drowned in the Clarks Fork River. When Husky Oil Company sold out she took early retirement and settled back on her “Ranch” to live the life of luxury with her many cats, dogs, goats and horses.

Although she had no children of her own she had much company. With many cousins, nieces, nephews, friends and their family’s making her “Ranch” the gathering place for family reunions and get together. The children and grandchildren of George Beasley first marriage came to visit often as well as her sister, Beverly, brother-in-law, Carl and children. Beverly and Carl ended up moving a mobile house onto her property and living there for many years.

Nita was very civic minded. She was involved in her community. She used her secretary skills by volunteering for the Clark Cemetery committee and the Clark Pioneer Recreation Center. She wrote and took part in many plays at the Rec Center during the annual Clark day’s festival. She attended her Church, Stateline, regularly barring weather or her health.

As she aged her mind slowly slipped into dementia trying to forget the hardships and hurts that she could do nothing about while under the loving care of her niece, Wendy.

 

Finally….

MY REQUEST

By Juanita Moore

Oct. 28 1994

Lord, when it comes my time to die.

Please take me like my Mother

Who simply closed her eyes and slept

From this life to the other.

 

You know she was a simple soul—

She never read Your Book:

But yet she always kept it near.

And from its presence took

 

The strength and love and wisdom,

Required to rear the souls

That You sent down here to her

To seek our earthly goals.

 

She did not know the words and Psalms,

You passed down through the ages.

But her old Book held our life stories

Tucked within its pages

 

The births, the deaths, the joys, the tears.

The weddings and divorces –

The little scraps that build a life

With all its ebbs and forces.

 

And while she did not know each verse,

And story printed there.

I do believe she often went

 To You in silent prayer.

 

To ask Your help and guidance

In the tasks that You assigned—

How else could she have always been

So loving and kind?

 

What made her eyes to twinkle so?

What made her smile so warm?

You must have held her in Your hand

And kept her safe from Harm.

 

I’m striving, Lord, to do Your will.

And fulfill every task –

Just make me like my Mother, Lord –

That’s all I’ll ever ask….

Rest in peace Nita!!!!!