Meet the People

Julia Smith Lewis

Sitting just outside the front door to Julia’s apartment on Rumsey is an old church pew. This pew is a good symbol for this strong lady and her life. The pew is from the Glen Allen Methodist Church in Glen Allen, Alabama. Julia was raised in Glen Allen and the memories of attending that church with her father and grandmother are central in her early life. She thanks God for those years. The pew goes where Julia goes. Period. After high school she moved on to the University of Alabama School of nursing in Birmingham. This woman, who as a child fainted when faced with vaccination became part of a team doing open heart surgery at a time when that was still very new in the medical field. She was affiliated with the University Medical Center. Julia married Dr. Irwin Lewis, a neurologist from Canada who taught at the medical school as well as having a private practice. They had two daughters. Lisa now lives in Boulder, Colorado and Vanessa lives in Birmingham. Julia was office manager for Irwin for many years. Irwin died of pancreatic cancer in 1997. Julia has had a great passion for wildlife photography. This interest developed as the Lewis family traveled extensively in Canada and the western United States when the girls were young. The new Cody Hotel commissioned some of her photographs for their collection. They are open to the general public for viewing. Julia’s first trip to Cody country came when she was interested in locating a summer camp for her daughters. She had heard of the Ridgeway Ranch in Sunlight Basin. She made arrangements to spend some time as a guest at the 7D Ranch as she explored the area and searched out ranch programs for students. Julia says she fell in love with Cody and the clean air and blue skies. After Irwin’s death Julia sold their home in Birmingham and moved to Billings. In time she sold that home and moved to Cody. Her prior connection with the Dominick family, particularly Marshall, led her to Christ Episcopal Church. The Lewis family had had some Episcopal experience during the years when Vanessa and Lisa attended the Advent Episcopal Day School in Birmingham, a K-8 school. Julia was on the board of that school for many years, extending her service much beyond her own girls time there. There have been several intensely transcendent moments in Julia’s life which have contributed to her strong faith. I call them moments when she was in “thin places.” The time of Irwin’s death was a particular one when she knew supreme peace, Irwin had made peace with God and was at peace. Physically Julia has dealt with major challenges. She lives with an inoperable brain tumor and a degenerating spine. A pulmonary embolism last fall was life threatening. In her living room she has an amazing large golden vase with a thousand cranes upon it- a power point for sure. And then there is the statue of Kuan Yin- a symbol of peace and tranquility, and two icons painted by Rev. Daphne Grimes (the Accession and Madonna and Child). Julia is very grateful for these icons painted by the Rev. Daphne Grimes. She is most grateful for the many prayers in the past and present that continue to sustain her. Her future at this time is an open book. You know that pew from Glen Allen Methodist Church will always be a part of it.