CARLSBAD — Lena Louise "Granny" Smith, 84, of Bonita Street, passed away at home with her family around her on Feb. 5, 2007.
Louise was born on Sept. 4, 1922, in Taylor Springs, N.M. to Elec and Mary Belle (Sherrill) Gleaton. Her mother died when she was six, so Louise, or "Weese" as her family called her, was raised by her grandmother Elizabeth Sherrill and later by her aunt and uncle, Frank and Camille (Sherrill) Gaines in Ft. Worth, Texas. They were very good to Louise, and raised her and her younger sister as if they were their own children. She attended school in Ft. Worth.
The summer that Louise turned 15 she and her younger sister Katherine rode the bus from Ft. Worth to visit her sister Mary Smith who lived with her husband on his family's ranch 26 miles south of Ft. Sumner. While she was there she met the love of her life, Mary's brother-in-law John Buford Smith, who worked the family ranch and also day worked at other ranches.
Even though there was a 14-year age difference, they were both smitten and John serenaded Louise with his guitar and sang to her, while her younger sister and his youngest brother watched and giggled. There was a lot of horseback riding, dancing, and swimming in the Pecos River that summer. She was a city girl in love with a real cowboy. John often said that he thought "she was cuter than a little speckled pup under a red wagon."
When she went home John wrote to her only to have the letters intercepted by her concerned aunt and uncle who didn't approve of the age difference and wanted Louise to finish her education. Two years later, when Louise was 17, she and her sister went to visit Mary again. BIG MISTAKE! John and Louise saw each other and as you can probably guess, she never went home. The romance was rekindled and they were married on July 27, 1940, in Ft. Sumner. Shortly thereafter the Smith family and neighboring ranch families threw a chivalry for them.
Louise and John started married life together on the Smith Ranch where they lived for many years and had a lot of great memories, as you can imagine, with a young newly married city girl learning all about ranch and rodeo life in the 1940s. When you asked Louise in later years about that time being hard, she would say, Well, I was young and in love, and I didn't know any better." Two of their four children were born during this time. They later sold the ranch and moved to Missouri where they had another child, but eventually settled in Carlsbad, where their last child was born and they lived for the rest of their lives. John worked and retired from Potash Company of America and Louise was a homemaker.
Louise and John celebrated 53 wonderful years together. Some were hard, but they had a lot of love and what it took to stay together. John died in 1992, and Louise spent the last years of her life living life to the fullest, spending time with her children, grandchildren, many friends, and a succession of little poodles, the last of which is "John B." whom she named after her husband. She also volunteered at the CARC Farm where she had many great friends.
Louise was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and a friend to many. She always had the time to listen and try to help anyone who needed help. She had the patience of a saint, whether it was with a young great-grandchild trying to explain something to her that she really didn't understand, or an older grandchild talking to her about a concern, she listened like they were the only ones in the world. She was a great cook, and loved to travel. All you had to say was "let's go Granny," and she had her purse and you were on your way.
Louise had a wonderful sense of humor. She was hard of hearing all of her life, and until about 15 years ago did not wear a hearing aid. So, she sometimes would not hear the correct pronunciation of words. When her family would tease her (which they did quite often), she took it very good naturedly and laughed. She was fun, a great sport, loved to laugh and instilled that and the love of family in her children. Family gatherings were always a great time filled with laughter.
Louise loved her family and friends and was much loved by them all. She will be greatly missed until we are together again.
Louise was preceded in death by her parents, grandparents, aunt and uncle, husband John, two sisters, Mary Savage and Katherine Brown, brother Norman Gleaton, grandson, Terry Baker, niece Pam VerBrugge, nephew Lannis Smith, and numerous aunts, uncles, sisters-in-laws and brothers-in-law.
She is survived by daughters Bonnie Hess (Ed) of Carlsbad, and Camille Trombley (Dalton) of Flora Vista; sons, John L. Smith (Reba) of Rosewood, Texas, and Norman D. Smith of Albuquerque; grandchildren Lena Williamson (Jon), Leslie Dake (Jon), Lisa Perea (Pat), Michelle LaPorte (Gary), Jennifer Shoemake (Mike), and Amy Smith; great-grandchildren: Christopher and Alyssa Perea, Justin and Corey Baker, Lain (Stacy), and Logan Williamson, Coty Thompson, Jordan and Breanna Martinez, Cami LaPorte, Tyler and Aaron Shoemake, Kobe Gabaldon, and Megan Dake; great-great-grandchildren: Hunter Guidry, and Riley and Morgan Williamson; sister-in-law Rose Barnett (Duane) of Springfield, Mo.; nieces: Ramona Feik (Derald) of Portland, Ore., Marky Tucker (Tucker) of Monroe, La., Sandra Hunt of Phoenix, Ariz., and Judy McNabb (Leon) of Georgia; nephews Bob Smith (Dolores) of Wallowa, Ore., Jeffery Linden Smith (Valerie) of Post Falls, Idaho; Barry Hunt (Lynn) of Carlsbad; and James H. Smith (Teresa) of Albuquerque; and numerous grand-nieces and nephews. She is also survived by Vernon Shoemake of Carlsbad, Johnny Bowman of Bosque Farms and many friends.
Pallbearers will be Johnny Bowman, Leon Collier, Jerry Owen, Don Roberts, David Tawater, and Jae Walker. Honorary Pallbearers will be her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
A funeral service and celebration of Louise's life is set for 2 p.m. Saturday at West Funeral Home with Chaplain Jimmy Ryan of Golden Services Hospice officiating. Graveside services and interment will follow at the Carlsbad Cemetery. Visitation will be at West Funeral Home today from 1-8 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. until the service.
Arrangements are by West Funeral Home.
Louise was born on Sept. 4, 1922, in Taylor Springs, N.M. to Elec and Mary Belle (Sherrill) Gleaton. Her mother died when she was six, so Louise, or "Weese" as her family called her, was raised by her grandmother Elizabeth Sherrill and later by her aunt and uncle, Frank and Camille (Sherrill) Gaines in Ft. Worth, Texas. They were very good to Louise, and raised her and her younger sister as if they were their own children. She attended school in Ft. Worth.
The summer that Louise turned 15 she and her younger sister Katherine rode the bus from Ft. Worth to visit her sister Mary Smith who lived with her husband on his family's ranch 26 miles south of Ft. Sumner. While she was there she met the love of her life, Mary's brother-in-law John Buford Smith, who worked the family ranch and also day worked at other ranches.
Even though there was a 14-year age difference, they were both smitten and John serenaded Louise with his guitar and sang to her, while her younger sister and his youngest brother watched and giggled. There was a lot of horseback riding, dancing, and swimming in the Pecos River that summer. She was a city girl in love with a real cowboy. John often said that he thought "she was cuter than a little speckled pup under a red wagon."
When she went home John wrote to her only to have the letters intercepted by her concerned aunt and uncle who didn't approve of the age difference and wanted Louise to finish her education. Two years later, when Louise was 17, she and her sister went to visit Mary again. BIG MISTAKE! John and Louise saw each other and as you can probably guess, she never went home. The romance was rekindled and they were married on July 27, 1940, in Ft. Sumner. Shortly thereafter the Smith family and neighboring ranch families threw a chivalry for them.
Louise and John started married life together on the Smith Ranch where they lived for many years and had a lot of great memories, as you can imagine, with a young newly married city girl learning all about ranch and rodeo life in the 1940s. When you asked Louise in later years about that time being hard, she would say, Well, I was young and in love, and I didn't know any better." Two of their four children were born during this time. They later sold the ranch and moved to Missouri where they had another child, but eventually settled in Carlsbad, where their last child was born and they lived for the rest of their lives. John worked and retired from Potash Company of America and Louise was a homemaker.
Louise and John celebrated 53 wonderful years together. Some were hard, but they had a lot of love and what it took to stay together. John died in 1992, and Louise spent the last years of her life living life to the fullest, spending time with her children, grandchildren, many friends, and a succession of little poodles, the last of which is "John B." whom she named after her husband. She also volunteered at the CARC Farm where she had many great friends.
Louise was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and a friend to many. She always had the time to listen and try to help anyone who needed help. She had the patience of a saint, whether it was with a young great-grandchild trying to explain something to her that she really didn't understand, or an older grandchild talking to her about a concern, she listened like they were the only ones in the world. She was a great cook, and loved to travel. All you had to say was "let's go Granny," and she had her purse and you were on your way.
Louise had a wonderful sense of humor. She was hard of hearing all of her life, and until about 15 years ago did not wear a hearing aid. So, she sometimes would not hear the correct pronunciation of words. When her family would tease her (which they did quite often), she took it very good naturedly and laughed. She was fun, a great sport, loved to laugh and instilled that and the love of family in her children. Family gatherings were always a great time filled with laughter.
Louise loved her family and friends and was much loved by them all. She will be greatly missed until we are together again.
Louise was preceded in death by her parents, grandparents, aunt and uncle, husband John, two sisters, Mary Savage and Katherine Brown, brother Norman Gleaton, grandson, Terry Baker, niece Pam VerBrugge, nephew Lannis Smith, and numerous aunts, uncles, sisters-in-laws and brothers-in-law.
She is survived by daughters Bonnie Hess (Ed) of Carlsbad, and Camille Trombley (Dalton) of Flora Vista; sons, John L. Smith (Reba) of Rosewood, Texas, and Norman D. Smith of Albuquerque; grandchildren Lena Williamson (Jon), Leslie Dake (Jon), Lisa Perea (Pat), Michelle LaPorte (Gary), Jennifer Shoemake (Mike), and Amy Smith; great-grandchildren: Christopher and Alyssa Perea, Justin and Corey Baker, Lain (Stacy), and Logan Williamson, Coty Thompson, Jordan and Breanna Martinez, Cami LaPorte, Tyler and Aaron Shoemake, Kobe Gabaldon, and Megan Dake; great-great-grandchildren: Hunter Guidry, and Riley and Morgan Williamson; sister-in-law Rose Barnett (Duane) of Springfield, Mo.; nieces: Ramona Feik (Derald) of Portland, Ore., Marky Tucker (Tucker) of Monroe, La., Sandra Hunt of Phoenix, Ariz., and Judy McNabb (Leon) of Georgia; nephews Bob Smith (Dolores) of Wallowa, Ore., Jeffery Linden Smith (Valerie) of Post Falls, Idaho; Barry Hunt (Lynn) of Carlsbad; and James H. Smith (Teresa) of Albuquerque; and numerous grand-nieces and nephews. She is also survived by Vernon Shoemake of Carlsbad, Johnny Bowman of Bosque Farms and many friends.
Pallbearers will be Johnny Bowman, Leon Collier, Jerry Owen, Don Roberts, David Tawater, and Jae Walker. Honorary Pallbearers will be her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
A funeral service and celebration of Louise's life is set for 2 p.m. Saturday at West Funeral Home with Chaplain Jimmy Ryan of Golden Services Hospice officiating. Graveside services and interment will follow at the Carlsbad Cemetery. Visitation will be at West Funeral Home today from 1-8 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. until the service.
Arrangements are by West Funeral Home.
CARLSBAD — Lena Louise "Granny" Smith, 84, of Bonita Street, passed away at home with her family around her on Feb. 5, 2007.
Louise was born on Sept. 4, 1922, in Taylor Springs, N.M. to Elec and Mary Belle (Sherrill) Gleaton. Her mother died when she was six, so Louise, or "Weese" as her family called her, was raised by her grandmother Elizabeth Sherrill and later by her aunt and uncle, Frank and Camille (Sherrill) Gaines in Ft. Worth, Texas. They were very good to Louise, and raised her and her younger sister as if they were their own children. She attended school in Ft. Worth.
The summer that Louise turned 15 she and her younger sister Katherine rode the bus from Ft. Worth to visit her sister Mary Smith who lived with her husband on his family's ranch 26 miles south of Ft. Sumner. While she was there she met the love of her life, Mary's brother-in-law John Buford Smith, who worked the family ranch and also day worked at other ranches.
Even though there was a 14-year age difference, they were both smitten and John serenaded Louise with his guitar and sang to her, while her younger sister and his youngest brother watched and giggled. There was a lot of horseback riding, dancing, and swimming in the Pecos River that summer. She was a city girl in love with a real cowboy. John often said that he thought "she was cuter than a little speckled pup under a red wagon."
When she went home John wrote to her only to have the letters intercepted by her concerned aunt and uncle who didn't approve of the age difference and wanted Louise to finish her education. Two years later, when Louise was 17, she and her sister went to visit Mary again. BIG MISTAKE! John and Louise saw each other and as you can probably guess, she never went home. The romance was rekindled and they were married on July 27, 1940, in Ft. Sumner. Shortly thereafter the Smith family and neighboring ranch families threw a chivalry for them.
Louise and John started married life together on the Smith Ranch where they lived for many years and had a lot of great memories, as you can imagine, with a young newly married city girl learning all about ranch and rodeo life in the 1940s. When you asked Louise in later years about that time being hard, she would say, Well, I was young and in love, and I didn't know any better." Two of their four children were born during this time. They later sold the ranch and moved to Missouri where they had another child, but eventually settled in Carlsbad, where their last child was born and they lived for the rest of their lives. John worked and retired from Potash Company of America and Louise was a homemaker.
Louise and John celebrated 53 wonderful years together. Some were hard, but they had a lot of love and what it took to stay together. John died in 1992, and Louise spent the last years of her life living life to the fullest, spending time with her children, grandchildren, many friends, and a succession of little poodles, the last of which is "John B." whom she named after her husband. She also volunteered at the CARC Farm where she had many great friends.
Louise was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and a friend to many. She always had the time to listen and try to help anyone who needed help. She had the patience of a saint, whether it was with a young great-grandchild trying to explain something to her that she really didn't understand, or an older grandchild talking to her about a concern, she listened like they were the only ones in the world. She was a great cook, and loved to travel. All you had to say was "let's go Granny," and she had her purse and you were on your way.
Louise had a wonderful sense of humor. She was hard of hearing all of her life, and until about 15 years ago did not wear a hearing aid. So, she sometimes would not hear the correct pronunciation of words. When her family would tease her (which they did quite often), she took it very good naturedly and laughed. She was fun, a great sport, loved to laugh and instilled that and the love of family in her children. Family gatherings were always a great time filled with laughter.
Louise loved her family and friends and was much loved by them all. She will be greatly missed until we are together again.
Louise was preceded in death by her parents, grandparents, aunt and uncle, husband John, two sisters, Mary Savage and Katherine Brown, brother Norman Gleaton, grandson, Terry Baker, niece Pam VerBrugge, nephew Lannis Smith, and numerous aunts, uncles, sisters-in-laws and brothers-in-law.
She is survived by daughters Bonnie Hess (Ed) of Carlsbad, and Camille Trombley (Dalton) of Flora Vista; sons, John L. Smith (Reba) of Rosewood, Texas, and Norman D. Smith of Albuquerque; grandchildren Lena Williamson (Jon), Leslie Dake (Jon), Lisa Perea (Pat), Michelle LaPorte (Gary), Jennifer Shoemake (Mike), and Amy Smith; great-grandchildren: Christopher and Alyssa Perea, Justin and Corey Baker, Lain (Stacy), and Logan Williamson, Coty Thompson, Jordan and Breanna Martinez, Cami LaPorte, Tyler and Aaron Shoemake, Kobe Gabaldon, and Megan Dake; great-great-grandchildren: Hunter Guidry, and Riley and Morgan Williamson; sister-in-law Rose Barnett (Duane) of Springfield, Mo.; nieces: Ramona Feik (Derald) of Portland, Ore., Marky Tucker (Tucker) of Monroe, La., Sandra Hunt of Phoenix, Ariz., and Judy McNabb (Leon) of Georgia; nephews Bob Smith (Dolores) of Wallowa, Ore., Jeffery Linden Smith (Valerie) of Post Falls, Idaho; Barry Hunt (Lynn) of Carlsbad; and James H. Smith (Teresa) of Albuquerque; and numerous grand-nieces and nephews. She is also survived by Vernon Shoemake of Carlsbad, Johnny Bowman of Bosque Farms and many friends.
Pallbearers will be Johnny Bowman, Leon Collier, Jerry Owen, Don Roberts, David Tawater, and Jae Walker. Honorary Pallbearers will be her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
A funeral service and celebration of Louise's life is set for 2 p.m. Saturday at West Funeral Home with Chaplain Jimmy Ryan of Golden Services Hospice officiating. Graveside services and interment will follow at the Carlsbad Cemetery. Visitation will be at West Funeral Home today from 1-8 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. until the service.
Arrangements are by West Funeral Home.
Louise was born on Sept. 4, 1922, in Taylor Springs, N.M. to Elec and Mary Belle (Sherrill) Gleaton. Her mother died when she was six, so Louise, or "Weese" as her family called her, was raised by her grandmother Elizabeth Sherrill and later by her aunt and uncle, Frank and Camille (Sherrill) Gaines in Ft. Worth, Texas. They were very good to Louise, and raised her and her younger sister as if they were their own children. She attended school in Ft. Worth.
The summer that Louise turned 15 she and her younger sister Katherine rode the bus from Ft. Worth to visit her sister Mary Smith who lived with her husband on his family's ranch 26 miles south of Ft. Sumner. While she was there she met the love of her life, Mary's brother-in-law John Buford Smith, who worked the family ranch and also day worked at other ranches.
Even though there was a 14-year age difference, they were both smitten and John serenaded Louise with his guitar and sang to her, while her younger sister and his youngest brother watched and giggled. There was a lot of horseback riding, dancing, and swimming in the Pecos River that summer. She was a city girl in love with a real cowboy. John often said that he thought "she was cuter than a little speckled pup under a red wagon."
When she went home John wrote to her only to have the letters intercepted by her concerned aunt and uncle who didn't approve of the age difference and wanted Louise to finish her education. Two years later, when Louise was 17, she and her sister went to visit Mary again. BIG MISTAKE! John and Louise saw each other and as you can probably guess, she never went home. The romance was rekindled and they were married on July 27, 1940, in Ft. Sumner. Shortly thereafter the Smith family and neighboring ranch families threw a chivalry for them.
Louise and John started married life together on the Smith Ranch where they lived for many years and had a lot of great memories, as you can imagine, with a young newly married city girl learning all about ranch and rodeo life in the 1940s. When you asked Louise in later years about that time being hard, she would say, Well, I was young and in love, and I didn't know any better." Two of their four children were born during this time. They later sold the ranch and moved to Missouri where they had another child, but eventually settled in Carlsbad, where their last child was born and they lived for the rest of their lives. John worked and retired from Potash Company of America and Louise was a homemaker.
Louise and John celebrated 53 wonderful years together. Some were hard, but they had a lot of love and what it took to stay together. John died in 1992, and Louise spent the last years of her life living life to the fullest, spending time with her children, grandchildren, many friends, and a succession of little poodles, the last of which is "John B." whom she named after her husband. She also volunteered at the CARC Farm where she had many great friends.
Louise was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and a friend to many. She always had the time to listen and try to help anyone who needed help. She had the patience of a saint, whether it was with a young great-grandchild trying to explain something to her that she really didn't understand, or an older grandchild talking to her about a concern, she listened like they were the only ones in the world. She was a great cook, and loved to travel. All you had to say was "let's go Granny," and she had her purse and you were on your way.
Louise had a wonderful sense of humor. She was hard of hearing all of her life, and until about 15 years ago did not wear a hearing aid. So, she sometimes would not hear the correct pronunciation of words. When her family would tease her (which they did quite often), she took it very good naturedly and laughed. She was fun, a great sport, loved to laugh and instilled that and the love of family in her children. Family gatherings were always a great time filled with laughter.
Louise loved her family and friends and was much loved by them all. She will be greatly missed until we are together again.
Louise was preceded in death by her parents, grandparents, aunt and uncle, husband John, two sisters, Mary Savage and Katherine Brown, brother Norman Gleaton, grandson, Terry Baker, niece Pam VerBrugge, nephew Lannis Smith, and numerous aunts, uncles, sisters-in-laws and brothers-in-law.
She is survived by daughters Bonnie Hess (Ed) of Carlsbad, and Camille Trombley (Dalton) of Flora Vista; sons, John L. Smith (Reba) of Rosewood, Texas, and Norman D. Smith of Albuquerque; grandchildren Lena Williamson (Jon), Leslie Dake (Jon), Lisa Perea (Pat), Michelle LaPorte (Gary), Jennifer Shoemake (Mike), and Amy Smith; great-grandchildren: Christopher and Alyssa Perea, Justin and Corey Baker, Lain (Stacy), and Logan Williamson, Coty Thompson, Jordan and Breanna Martinez, Cami LaPorte, Tyler and Aaron Shoemake, Kobe Gabaldon, and Megan Dake; great-great-grandchildren: Hunter Guidry, and Riley and Morgan Williamson; sister-in-law Rose Barnett (Duane) of Springfield, Mo.; nieces: Ramona Feik (Derald) of Portland, Ore., Marky Tucker (Tucker) of Monroe, La., Sandra Hunt of Phoenix, Ariz., and Judy McNabb (Leon) of Georgia; nephews Bob Smith (Dolores) of Wallowa, Ore., Jeffery Linden Smith (Valerie) of Post Falls, Idaho; Barry Hunt (Lynn) of Carlsbad; and James H. Smith (Teresa) of Albuquerque; and numerous grand-nieces and nephews. She is also survived by Vernon Shoemake of Carlsbad, Johnny Bowman of Bosque Farms and many friends.
Pallbearers will be Johnny Bowman, Leon Collier, Jerry Owen, Don Roberts, David Tawater, and Jae Walker. Honorary Pallbearers will be her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
A funeral service and celebration of Louise's life is set for 2 p.m. Saturday at West Funeral Home with Chaplain Jimmy Ryan of Golden Services Hospice officiating. Graveside services and interment will follow at the Carlsbad Cemetery. Visitation will be at West Funeral Home today from 1-8 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. until the service.
Arrangements are by West Funeral Home.
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