Jessie was born in 1928 at Marston, Mo.
She leaves behind a legacy of service, devotion and fierce love. In 1945, Jessie met the love of her life, Samuel "Sam" T. Smith. For 63 years they worked side by side building and nurturing their family and serving the Lord. Jessie's life has been devoted to loving and serving God, her family, her friends and her community. She always sought to learn and better herself for her family and others. Jessie was the first in her family of eight brothers and sisters to earn a college degree and would have nothing less than her own children earn college degrees. Her calling/ avocation and what she loved most after God and her family was to teach. Her passion for teaching others always shown through. It was evident whether she was teaching her children, grand-children, great-grand-children, nephews and nieces how to cook, how to play games, how to have a proper tea party or their math homework.
That love of teaching was evident in the hours of Bible study and preparation for the many, many Sunday school classes she taught over 50 years. Her most impressive legacy is the hundreds of lives changed for the better because they had the great fortune to have Jessie as an elementary school teacher. She is remembered by most everyone as a beloved and favorite teacher.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Sam Smith; her parents, Fred and Pearl Butler; her daughter, Susan Smith; and her great-grandchild, Harrison Dean.
She will be missed by her son, Greg Smith of Orange Park, Fla., and her daughter, Alicia Dean of Lenexa and their spouses; her grand-children, Brandon Dean of Lenexa, Jessica McDill of Columbus, Miss., and Jennifer McKechnie of Prairie Village, Kan., and their spouses; and her great-grand-children, Mason, Ethan and Asher Dean of Lenexa and Archer McKechnie of Prairie Village.
Services were in Overland Park Chapel, Overland Park, Kan. Graveside services were in Shawnee Mission Memory Gardens, 75th and K-7 Highway, Shawnee, Kan.
Jonesboro Sun obits. July 8, 2015
Jessie was born in 1928 at Marston, Mo.
She leaves behind a legacy of service, devotion and fierce love. In 1945, Jessie met the love of her life, Samuel "Sam" T. Smith. For 63 years they worked side by side building and nurturing their family and serving the Lord. Jessie's life has been devoted to loving and serving God, her family, her friends and her community. She always sought to learn and better herself for her family and others. Jessie was the first in her family of eight brothers and sisters to earn a college degree and would have nothing less than her own children earn college degrees. Her calling/ avocation and what she loved most after God and her family was to teach. Her passion for teaching others always shown through. It was evident whether she was teaching her children, grand-children, great-grand-children, nephews and nieces how to cook, how to play games, how to have a proper tea party or their math homework.
That love of teaching was evident in the hours of Bible study and preparation for the many, many Sunday school classes she taught over 50 years. Her most impressive legacy is the hundreds of lives changed for the better because they had the great fortune to have Jessie as an elementary school teacher. She is remembered by most everyone as a beloved and favorite teacher.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Sam Smith; her parents, Fred and Pearl Butler; her daughter, Susan Smith; and her great-grandchild, Harrison Dean.
She will be missed by her son, Greg Smith of Orange Park, Fla., and her daughter, Alicia Dean of Lenexa and their spouses; her grand-children, Brandon Dean of Lenexa, Jessica McDill of Columbus, Miss., and Jennifer McKechnie of Prairie Village, Kan., and their spouses; and her great-grand-children, Mason, Ethan and Asher Dean of Lenexa and Archer McKechnie of Prairie Village.
Services were in Overland Park Chapel, Overland Park, Kan. Graveside services were in Shawnee Mission Memory Gardens, 75th and K-7 Highway, Shawnee, Kan.
Jonesboro Sun obits. July 8, 2015
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