Dixie Lynn Chism

April 19, 1927 - July 6, 2021

Dixie Lynn Chism, passed away in her Irving home surrounded by her family on July 6, 2021. She was born on April 19,1927 in the Post Oak Community of Red River County, Texas to Emmitt and Gladys (Williams) Pratt. Growing up on the family farm with five brothers and sisters, Dixie developed her strong work ethic, love of family and how to be a caretaker of others. Dixie was a graduate of Detroit High School Class of 1943 and Paris Business College in 1951. She went onto work for several years at St. Joseph Hospital in Paris, Texas where she ran the insurance department. In 1964, she married Harrell Chism and moved to Irving. They purchased Chism & Smith Funeral Home and she went to work for the newly built Irving Community Hospital to run their insurance department. In 1969, Dixie went to work for First Baptist Church as the Minister of Education secretary where she worked for 19 years, leaving in 1988. She then went to work for Big State Drug Store handling all of the insurance for 5 more years until she retired in 1993. Dixie and Harrell were longtime members of Plymouth Park Baptist Church where, until she was unable to attend, she was very active in her Sunday School department and had worked many years in the preschool department teaching Sunday School and holding the babies. She was a member of Order of Eastern Star, Irving Chapter #777, Irving Book Club, Past President of Irving Ladies Lions Club and served on the Irving School Advisory Board for Office Duplication Practices for many years. Preceded in death by her loving husband of 56 years, Harrell Chism; parents; brothers, Morris Pratt, G.D. Pratt and Emmitt Ray Pratt; and sisters, Modie Johnson and Sallie Dale. She is survived by daughter, Charlotte Chism Waldrum of Irving, Texas; sons, Joe Woods and wife, Mary Jim, and James Woods and wife, Linda, all of Emory, Texas; 7 grandchildren, Stephanie Crocker, Tina Thornton, Laura Sanderson, Angela Startz, Kimberly Douglass, Emily Bevan, and Corey Waldrum; 13 great-grandchildren; 4 great-great-grandchildren; sister-in-law, Murel Pratt of Detroit; brother-in-law, John Chism of Irving and numerous nieces and nephews. The family will receive friends for visitation on Friday, July 09, 2021 from 11:00AM-1:00PM with funeral services following at Plymouth Park Baptist Church, 1714 N. Story Road, Irving, TX 75061. Interment will follow at Oak Grove Memorial Gardens, Irving, TX. Online condolences may be shared at www.slaymemorialfuneralhome.com. In lieu of flowers, the family requests, for memorials to be made to Scottish Rite Hospital for Children Dallas, https://scottishriteforchildren.org/. Arrangements are under the direction of Charlotte Chism Waldrum and Slay Memorial Funeral Centers.