Funeral Services for Ms. Ryleigh Lynn Smith, age 14 months of Ashland, will be on Friday, August 27th, 2021 at Olive Branch Baptist Church at 11:00 A.M. with Rev. Richie Farrow officiating. Burial will follow in the Clay County Memory Gardens. The family kindly requests masks be worn at all visitations and services.
Ms. Ryleigh passed away on Saturday, August 21, 2021 at Children’s Hospital in Birmingham surrounded by her family. She was born in Anniston, and was a very energetic and loving baby. When she wasn’t attending Barfield Baptist Church Daycare and making friends, she was at home watching Cocomelon, and laughing at her canine sisters, Lucy and Maggie. Ryleigh loved eating chocolate pudding, unicorns, and bubbles and was pretty popular on TikTok. She also had a sense of humor, often pulling of hats off of people’s heads, fake coughing, and was learning to crawl and walk at the same time. Her parents said she did a three legged crawl that always made her family laugh.
She is survived by her parents, Erin and Wendy Bennefield Smith of Ashland; her grandparents: Todd Smith of Ashland, Tonya Smith of Lineville, Rick Bennefield of Alexandria, and Karen Caldwell (James Robert) of Ashland; her Paternal Grandparents: Bobby Smith of Ashland, and Catherine Williamson (Billy) of Lineville; her maternal grandparents, Donna Patterson (Jerry) of Delta; two Aunts: Erika Smith (Fiancé Slayton) of Alexandria, and Haley Hudson (Blake) of Lineville; two uncles: Kellen Caldwell of Ashland and Emmanual Hunter of Huntsville; and a host of other aunts, uncles and a large extended family.
She is preceded in death by her Paternal Grandfather, Fred Hill; Maternal grandfathers, Jimmie Strickland and Gordon Bennefield; Paternal Grandmother, Jean Smith; and her maternal grandmother, Doris Bennefield.
Active Pallbearers will be Gabe Farr, Clay Yates, Don Browning, and Mike Burdette.
Honorary Pallbearers will be her uncles.
A visitation will take place on Thursday, August 26, 2021 at Benefield Funeral Home in Ashland from 5:00 P.M. until 8:00 P.M., and up until 10:00 A.M. on Friday. Flowers are accepted, or donations may be made to the Clay County Rescue Squad.
