Bennie Annette Smith-Whiteside was born in Bellaire, Fort Bend County, Texas on January 24, 1927, to Pearl McCole-Smith and Walter Smith Sr. She spent most of her childhood year in Bellaire attending Rice Community School in Bellaire. Bennie accepted Christ as her savior at an early age. Her family later moved to Houston, Acreage Homes Texas, there she attended and graduated from Booker T. Washington High School 1946. She attended Galilee Baptist Church in Acreage Homes, where her grandfather was the Officiating Pastor for over thirty-years. She later met and married James L Whiteside II, to this union five-children were born.

Bennie was a delightful person, pure at heart, she loved family and family loved her. She loved telling stories of her childhood and adulthood years, to anyone who had a listening ear. She would tell them over and over, but it was ok, because we enjoyed hearing them every time and she enjoyed telling them. Her children and grandchildren and her nieces and nephews were her delight and she had a positive impact on everyone that crossed her path, up until the time she expired. Although she did not attend church on a regular basis, she studied the Bible daily and knew the Word of God, she had regular devotion every evening with her children, 6:00 PM sharp. She loved teaching her grandchildren and great grandchildren the Word of God. Mother was stern but humbly stern, we knew not to act up. Her reading of the Word of God gave her insight and a discerning spirit, which gave her the ability to help people in need with scriptures off the top of her head and tell them where they could find them in the Bible. Momma's sister Aunt Rosie Lee was an interpreter of dreams and mom was the dreamer, she would always say "Did you get the word on that."

After attending Barber School, Bennie got her license to become a Barber. She also worked at Woolsworth Department Store downtown Houston, that is where she met her husband James. She loved sitting and talking with people, so she later was a companion sitter.

Bennie never remarried, she took care of her children Jacqueline and Rudolph up until the day of her expiration.

Bennie is preceded in death by her parents, Pearl McCole-Smith and Walter Smith, Sr, her husband, James L Whiteside, II, one-sister, Rosie Lee Smith-Taylor and one-brother, Walter Smith, Jr.

She leaves to cherish her ever-loving memory three-daughters, Francida Annette Mitchell (Alfred-deceased), Jacqueline Marie Thompson (Willie-deceased), Hattie Mae Whiteside-Lucas (Larry) and two-sons, James Lewis Whiteside, III and Rudolph Whiteside (never married), 30-grandchildren, 86-great grandchildren and 43-great great grandchildren, and a host of nieces and nephews, and friends.

Funeral Services for Ms. Bennie Whiteside will be Friday January 25, 2019 at The Rhema Bible Church Chapel located at 1025 W. Kenosha Street in Broken Arrow at 12:30PM.

Burial will follow at Rolling Oaks Memorial Gardens in Tulsa.

Visitation hours for Ms. Whiteside will be Thursday from 1PM until 7PM in Tulsa.