Thelma Smith Obituary

The following is the obituary for my Grandma (my mom's mother) who died this past Monday morning. Grandma was the last of my grandparents still living. I have a lot of great memories of my grandparents... but, it's sad to realize that now they are only memories.

Thelma William Smith, 91, of 2501 Allentown Road, formerly of Bath, passed away at 2:10 a.m. Monday, March 10, 2008, at Hallmark House Nursing Center.

Born Feb. 22, 1917, in Littrell, Ky., to John Alexander and Mariah Elizabeth (Williams) Smith, she married Guy Boyd Smith on Dec. 30, 1932, in Littrell. He died June 3, 2004, in Pekin.
She also was preceded in death by two sons, Bobby Smith on July 6, 2005, in The Villages, Fla., and Jerry Smith on Jan. 24, 2007, in Pekin; one granddaughter; three brothers; and three sisters.

Surviving are two daughters, Rosie E. (Phil) Sexton of Monmouth and Connie D. (Ron) Sutton of Pekin; one daughter-in-law, Terry Smith of The Villages, Fla.; 15 grandchildren; 33 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandsons; and two sisters, Nannie (C.H.) Long of Plainfield, Ind., and Maydelle Key of Indianapolis, Ind.

She was a member of Parkway Christian Church in Pekin.

A homemaker, Thelma was devoted to her church and her family. She loved to read and cook.
She was a member of the Fulton County Chapter of the Modern Woodmen of America Camp 596.

Her funeral will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at Preston-Hanley Funeral Home, Pekin Chapel. The Rev. Dr. Richard Shaw and the Rev. Andrew Ramey will officiate. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Burial will be in White Chapel Memory Gardens in Canton.

Memorial contributions may be made to Harbor Light Hospice, 2000 W. Pioneer Parkway, Suite 18B, Peoria, IL 61615 or to Hallmark House Nursing Center, 2501 Allentown Road, Pekin, IL 61554.

To express condolences online, visit http://www.preston-hanley.com/.

Published in the Peoria Journal Star on 3/11/2008.