Gwendolyn K. Smith
Gwendolyn K. Smith
Gwendolyn K. “Gwen” Smith, age 94, of Macon, Mo., passed away Sunday, February 27, 2022 at Samaritan Memorial Hospital in Macon.
Gwen was born on April 10, 1927, in Kearney; the daughter of Ray Pharis Kelly and Irene Diffenbacher Kelly. She graduated from high school in Browning, and attended the University of Missouri-Columbia where she met her future husband, Robert Walkup (Bob) Smith. They were married at Storm Lake, Iowa on June 25, 1949, lived on a farm south of Clarence; and raised three boys, Robert Kelly Smith of Jefferson City, Jeffry Alan Smith of Charlottesville, Va. and Roger Elbert Smith of Macon.
Gwen was preceded in death by her husband Bob, parents Ray and Irene and two brothers, Monroe Kelly and Raymond (Shorty) Kelly.
She is survived by son, Kelly and wife Peggy Threlkeld Smith and their children Meade Smith (Adie), Megan Smith and Schuyler Smith (Ashtin); son Jeff and wife Cynthia Geiger Smith and their children Leslie Peregoy (Tim) and Jeff Smith, Jr.; and son Roger and wife Rhonda Farmer Smith and children Grant Smith (Lin) and Grace Smith. She is also survived by seven great-grandchildren.
Early in their marriage, Gwen taught in one-room school houses. As Bob’s baseball career developed, she supported him by traveling with 3 small boys, living in cities including; Caracas, Venezuela, Toronto, Canada, Boston, MA, San Diego, CA and Atlanta, GA. Following Bob’s retirement from baseball, she and Bob raised the boys on the family farm. She later was a bookkeeper for their business, Bob Smith Feedlot Systems.
Gwen was active in Eastern Star, Clarence Christian Church, D.A.R., Clarence Study Club, and numerous bridge clubs. Gwen enjoyed singing in a women’s trio with friends Charlene (Burkhardt) Pontius and Ardith Simpson, flower gardening, rug hooking, knitting, sewing, and reading. She never missed the opportunity to share a teachable moment.
Visitation will be 5 to 7 p.m., Wednesday, March 2, 2022 at the Greening-Eagan-Hayes Funeral Home in Clarence, MO. A second visitation will be 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm, Thursday, March 3, 2022 at the funeral home in Clarence.
Funeral service will be 1 p.m., Thursday, March 3, 2022, at the Greening-Eagan-Hayes Funeral Home in Clarence, MO.
Burial will be in the Union Grove Cemetery, south of Clarence. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials to the Union Grove Cemetery.
