Mabel Tolliver age 91, a longtime Sedro-Woolley, Washington resident passed away November 15, 2022, at Skagit Valley Hospital.  She was born October 25, 1931, in Burlington, WA to Sam and Bertha (Abbenhouse) Smit.  She was raised in Burlington.  She had many fond memories of growing up in Skagit Valley as well as traveling with family and friends to attend large conventions of Jehovah’s Witnesses in New York, St. Louis, Cleveland, and Los Angeles.

She was raised by Dutch parents.  Her father immigrated to the United States from the Netherlands in 1914, shortly before the outbreak of World War I.  Her mother was born in Mount Vernon, WA to immigrants from the Netherlands.

After graduating from Burlington Edison High School on May 27, 1948, she graduated from the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead, a school for Jehovah’s Witness missionaries on February 8, 1953.  She then spent seven (7) wonderful years serving as a missionary in various parts of Peru.  While in Peru, she also attended the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos.  After returning home to assist her family, she worked as a legal secretary for the Stiles Law firm in Sedro-Woolley until her marriage.  After raising a family, she worked for the Burlington Edison School District in the ESL program helping many immigrant and migrant children until her retirement in 1998.

Mabel was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses on August 9, 1946, in Lake Erie outside of Cleveland, Ohio.  She was married to Garvey Lee Tolliver, Jr. in Sedro-Woolley on August 3, 1963.

Mabel was always interested in people and enjoyed visiting and sharing meals with guests in her home.  She was a lifelong student and as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses her main focus in life was to teach as many as she could about the Bible’s comforting promises.  We all look forward to the privilege of welcoming Mabel back in the resurrection, a hope in which she had strong faith.

Mabel is survived by her children, David (Kim) Tolliver, Daniel Tolliver and Sarah (John) Scofield; brother, Tom Smit as well as nephews and nieces.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Sam and Bertha Smit; sister, Frances Smit, brothers, Harry Smit and Richard Smit.

A Memorial Service will be held at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Sedro-Woolley, 410 Ball Street on Saturday, December 3, 2022, at 1:30 PM.  The program may also be viewed via Zoom video conferencing.  Please leave your email address in the online guest register at www.lemleychapel.com if you wish to receive an invitation to attend the Memorial Service via video conferencing.  Mabel’s final resting place will be alongside her husband at Union Cemetery, Sedro-Woolley.  Please share your memories of Mabel and sign the online guest register.