Wensil Allene Smith

Wensil Allene Lowery Smith, age 82, of Butterfield, passed away February 5, 2018. She was born on March 11, 1935 in Cooper to the late Granville Allen Lowery and the late Clara Anita James Lowery. She graduated from Magnet Cove High School where she met her husband of 63 years, David Smith. Other than her parents, she was preceded in death by three of her siblings, sister, Delores Lowery Lawrence, brothers, Hulon and Donnie Lowery, and brothers-in-law, A.J. Lawrence and Clyde Smith and sisters-in-law, Hilda Ann Lowery, Laurie Smith Crawford and Emma Garland Smith Wilson. She is survived by her spouse, David Smith of Butterfield; children Debra Smith (Jerry) Segers of Canton, Ga., Philip/Fritz (Cathleen) Smith of Kennesaw, Ga.; sisters, Jannis Lowery Smith of Hot Springs and Reta Lowery (Clarence) Woosley of Malvern; grandchildren, Anita (Trevor) Carson, Tuesday Smith, Catherine (Justin) White, and Morgan Smith; great-grandson, Colin White; brother-in-law, Howard Wilson of Tuscaloosa, Ala., sisters-in-law, Eva Jean Hathcock Lowery of Malvern, Rosalind Crawford of Houston, Texas, and Frances (Van) Wells of Ruston, La.; step-grandchildren, Christa Segers, Jerry Segers Jr, and Debbie Hayes; step-great-grandsons, Galen Bragg and Brennan Whaley; and a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, and other relatives. Genealogy was one of her favorite pastimes and she gathered a wealth of family information for more than 60 years. Wensil joked about her unusual name telling people, "It sounds like ‘pencil' but starts with a W." Remembered for her wit, kindness, and generosity, she loved her God and her church. A preacher's wife much of her adult life, she had a quiet way of supporting behind the scenes. She was active in Girl Scout leadership and her local PEO. She was an exceptional bookkeeper, working for Sears, Millsaps College, Capps Funeral Home and was Deputy Tax Collector for Walthall County in Mississippi. She highly valued education and provided "Nana Scholarships" to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Wensil credited her creativity to growing up in the post-Depression years saying, "We always had to ‘make something out of nothing.'" She enjoyed life and preparing special tea parties for her grandchildren. She loved butterflies, and was a marathon shopper and inquisitive world traveler. She claimed her greatest accomplishment was raising her two children to become caring, productive adults. Visitation will be Thursday, February 8 from 5-7 p.m. J.A. Funk Funeral Home, 318 Ash Street, Malvern, Ark. 72104. Services will be Friday, February 9 at 10 a.m. J.A. Funk Funeral Home. Graveside service follows at Cooper Cemetery. A luncheon meal will be served for the family at St. Paul United Methodist Church, 1310 East Mill Street, Malvern, Ark. In lieu of flowers, please make a contribution to the church or charity of your choice in memory of Wensil Smith.