Jeanette Elmina Volrath Goldsmith, 89, of Brevard, died on April 17, 2015. She was the daughter of the late John Paul and Bertha Melissa Summey Volrath. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, John Riley "Goldy" Goldsmith and six brothers and sisters. Surviving are her sons: John William "Bill" Goldsmith and wife Gail of Craig, CO and Paul Gordon Goldsmith of Mooresburg, TN; daughters: Patsy Elizabeth Phillips of Mooresburg, TN, Betty Jean Goldsmith of Brevard and Karon Louise Goldsmith of Brevard; one brother, Hoover Volrath and wife Christine of Brevard; grandchildren: Frankie, Bonita, Crystal, Angela, Mark, David, Daniel, Bryan, Brad and T.J.; great-grandchildren: John, Scott, Taylor, Zachery, Maven, Cyrus, Emerson, Joseph, Nicole, Alexis, Mark Jr, Aubrey, Orrin, Ryan, Riley, and Noah; and fifth-generation great-great-grandchildren: Scarlett and Zaiden. She was born in Rosman, NC and attended school in Rosman, NC and Isaqueena School in Oconee, SC. Her working life included Pisgah Mill in Brevard, NC, Perkins Laundry in Brevard, NC, American Enka in Enka, NC, Farmer's Federation in Brevard, NC, Celeste Frocks in Trenton, NJ, and Mountain Sanitarium/Fletcher Hospital/Park Ridge Hospital in Fletcher. She retired from Park Ridge Hospital after many years of service. She enjoyed life to the fullest as a vivacious and spiritual woman whose love of nature, mountains, waterfalls, hiking, flowers and rocks was rivaled only by her devotion and caregiving of her family, friends and all other people and animals. Her compassion was evident in her involvement in the western North Carolina and upstate South Carolina communities. She was a charter member of the Brevard Seventh Day Adventist Church. Along with her best friends and children she helped to start the original church and assisted in building the current church. She coordinated the Community Service Program helping provide for those who were cold, hungry or struggling, and was a greeter welcoming all visitors to worship. She loved talking with people, ministering to anyone she encountered in all walks of her life. She volunteered for many years with the American Red Cross and enjoyed helping conduct Health Fairs. One of her favorite passions was providing clothing and items for the children in the orphanage at Miracle Hill Ministries in Pickens, SC. Her sensitivity and warmth, as well as courage, strength, and determination, were expressed especially as a mother who worked tirelessly to nurture five children, ten grandchildren, sixteen great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. She provided childcare to many in the area and welcomed children into her home with open arms. She was lovingly known as Grandma or Mamaw not only to her own grandchildren but also to many kids who loved to visit, play with her and enjoy her wonderful food and hospitality. She helped to sponsor foreign nurses to the United States and became known as Lilo to her Filipino and Oma to her German adopted families. She was vegetarian and loved experimenting with vegetable dishes but always cooked the best typical southern food. She was most at peace immersed in a sense of wonder about the natural world, whether on long hikes in the mountains and forests of North Carolina, in raft trips down the French Broad River, riding Bill's snowmobile in Colorado, rock-hopping the lakeshores of Minnesota and Canada, picnicking with buffalo in Yellowstone National Park, photography from the Grand Canyon to Niagara Falls, enjoying watching golf, nascar racing, Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy, camping and peaceful campfires. Shining Rock Wilderness was one of her favorite places to spend time. She loved to garden and pick tomatoes, beans, blueberries and apples. The only thing she did not enjoy picking was cotton in her younger years. Her thumbs were always green as she had the healthiest flowers, shrubs and trees. She passed her gardening skills on to her children. She was a champion at jigsaw puzzles and could chop wood as good as any man. Her favorite movies included Sound of Music and Anne of Green Gables. Her hobbies included crocheting, quilting, embroidery, sewing and making sculptured dolls with her friend Ruby King and her daughter Betty. She thoroughly enjoyed researching genealogy and exploring cemeteries in search of relatives with her daughter Patsy. Her serenity and quiet spirit ended and her inner red-headed German spirit appeared when anything or anyone was not being nice to family, friend or patient. She was very protective of anyone who could not protect themselves. She wished for everyone to have peace and happiness and in her caring ways, did all she could to make sure everyone was happy and healthy. A Celebration of her life service will be held at Moody-Connolly Funeral Home at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22 with Reverend Bob Self officiating. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service. Burial will follow in Blue Ridge Gardens of Memory. Online condolences may be left at www.moodyconnollyfuneralhome.com. Moody Connolly Funeral Home and Crematory is in charge of the arrangements.