Ellen Smedley Smith, born December 7, 1914 in Denver, Colorado, passed away March 18, 2021, in Fayetteville, Arkansas. She was the third child of Victor Clyde and Anne Wheeler Smedley. At age 106, she had outlived all of her five brothers and sisters, as well as her husband, James L. Smith, Jr., who died in 1993. She is survived by her daughter, Sarah Anne Myers and husband William D. (Dan) of Fayetteville, AR, her son James L. Smith, III and wife Sandra of Athens, GA and her sister-in-law, Phoebe Smedley of Denver, CO. She was blessed with five grandchildren, three step grandchildren, twelve great grandchildren and many beloved nieces, nephews and friends.
Ellen's grandfather, William Smedley, was a Quaker from Pennsylvania who established a dental practice in Denver in 1870. Her father and two uncles also became dentists and joined her grandfather to start the Smedley Dental Clinic in Denver. As a child during the 1920s, Ellen developed a love of nature and the outdoors during summers with her siblings and cousins at the families' mountain cabin in Estes Park, while her father or one of her uncles worked as a dentist in an adjacent cabin. Later the dental office became the Clyde Smedley cabin, and Ellen and her family have been returning there each summer for years.
Ellen studied humanities and world culture at Scripps College in Claremont, California for two years, and in 1936 graduated from the University of Colorado in Boulder, where she was a member of the Delta Gamma sorority. It was there she met her husband-to-be, Jim, and they were married in Denver in 1937. They lived in Dallas and Ft. Worth, Texas for several years, and it was during those years that their children, Sarah and Jimmy, were born.
During World War II, as Jim served in Europe, Ellen and the children split their time between her parents in Denver and his in Baxter Springs, Kansas, returning to the family cabin in Estes Park during the summer months. After the war, Ellen and Jim decided to settle in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where Ellen worked with Welcome Wagon, greeting newcomers to Fayetteville, and became active in the PTA, serving one year as President of the Washington School PTA. She was also a founder and 70-year member of her PEO Chapter, and a long-time member of the Perennial Garden Club in Fayetteville. Ellen and Jim enjoyed playing golf at Fayetteville Country Club, and her love of the game continued for the rest of her life. In 2014, this passion caught the attention of the Golf Channel, where she was featured in a segment called "Ellen Smith, 100 Year-old Golfer" (https://www.golfchannel.com/video/ellen-smith-100-year-old-golfer)
After their children went to college, Ellen and Jim travelled frequently, making new friends all around the world. They especially enjoyed trips focusing on nature and wildlife, including birds, and exploring National Parks in the West. After Jim's death in 1993, Ellen's generous and adventurous spirit led her to pursuits like volunteering for Meals on Wheels and traveling to China with a group from the University of Arkansas. She continued to gather with family each summer in Estes Park, enjoying hikes and even whitewater rafting with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She often travelled with her old friend, Phil Prescott of San Jose, California, and they enjoyed life together in their 80s and 90s.
Ellen was a great fan and supporter of the University of Arkansas Razorbacks football and basketball teams, the Walton Arts Center, Wilson Park, the Fayetteville Public Library, and the Crystal Bridges Museum. She had an active spiritual life, starting each day with meditation and prayers, and was a long-time, engaged member of the First United Presbyterian Church. As her long life continued, she lost many of her earliest friends and family, but she continued to make and cherish new and younger friends from all walks of life, many of whom were the children and grandchildren of friends in her own generation. She nurtured these connections around the world with her great skills as a note-writer and communicator.
After back surgery at age 97, Ellen gave up driving and accepted caregivers in her home who became like family and enabled her to continue her Fayetteville activities and annual trips to Colorado. She showed great determination, and after a few months of rehabilitation resumed playing golf and enjoying daily walks in her neighborhood's Wilson Park.
When asked the secret of her long and productive life, Ellen said "Live with Gratitude." At her 100th birthday celebration, she summed up her approach to life with this Hindu proverb: "The winds of Grace are always blowing; we just have to put up our sails." She was a positive, loving and faithful person, always looking forward to the next exciting event or chance to be with friends and family. With Ellen's passing, Fayetteville and many friends and family elsewhere have lost a beloved icon, who will always be remembered and will surely be missed.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to one of Ellen's favorite causes, the First United Presbyterian Church in Fayetteville (https://www.fupcfay.org/) or the Fayetteville Public Library (https://www.faylib.org/). To sign the online guest book, please visit www.bernafuneralhomes.com
Published March 20, 2021
Ellen's grandfather, William Smedley, was a Quaker from Pennsylvania who established a dental practice in Denver in 1870. Her father and two uncles also became dentists and joined her grandfather to start the Smedley Dental Clinic in Denver. As a child during the 1920s, Ellen developed a love of nature and the outdoors during summers with her siblings and cousins at the families' mountain cabin in Estes Park, while her father or one of her uncles worked as a dentist in an adjacent cabin. Later the dental office became the Clyde Smedley cabin, and Ellen and her family have been returning there each summer for years.
Ellen studied humanities and world culture at Scripps College in Claremont, California for two years, and in 1936 graduated from the University of Colorado in Boulder, where she was a member of the Delta Gamma sorority. It was there she met her husband-to-be, Jim, and they were married in Denver in 1937. They lived in Dallas and Ft. Worth, Texas for several years, and it was during those years that their children, Sarah and Jimmy, were born.
During World War II, as Jim served in Europe, Ellen and the children split their time between her parents in Denver and his in Baxter Springs, Kansas, returning to the family cabin in Estes Park during the summer months. After the war, Ellen and Jim decided to settle in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where Ellen worked with Welcome Wagon, greeting newcomers to Fayetteville, and became active in the PTA, serving one year as President of the Washington School PTA. She was also a founder and 70-year member of her PEO Chapter, and a long-time member of the Perennial Garden Club in Fayetteville. Ellen and Jim enjoyed playing golf at Fayetteville Country Club, and her love of the game continued for the rest of her life. In 2014, this passion caught the attention of the Golf Channel, where she was featured in a segment called "Ellen Smith, 100 Year-old Golfer" (https://www.golfchannel.com/video/ellen-smith-100-year-old-golfer)
After their children went to college, Ellen and Jim travelled frequently, making new friends all around the world. They especially enjoyed trips focusing on nature and wildlife, including birds, and exploring National Parks in the West. After Jim's death in 1993, Ellen's generous and adventurous spirit led her to pursuits like volunteering for Meals on Wheels and traveling to China with a group from the University of Arkansas. She continued to gather with family each summer in Estes Park, enjoying hikes and even whitewater rafting with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She often travelled with her old friend, Phil Prescott of San Jose, California, and they enjoyed life together in their 80s and 90s.
Ellen was a great fan and supporter of the University of Arkansas Razorbacks football and basketball teams, the Walton Arts Center, Wilson Park, the Fayetteville Public Library, and the Crystal Bridges Museum. She had an active spiritual life, starting each day with meditation and prayers, and was a long-time, engaged member of the First United Presbyterian Church. As her long life continued, she lost many of her earliest friends and family, but she continued to make and cherish new and younger friends from all walks of life, many of whom were the children and grandchildren of friends in her own generation. She nurtured these connections around the world with her great skills as a note-writer and communicator.
After back surgery at age 97, Ellen gave up driving and accepted caregivers in her home who became like family and enabled her to continue her Fayetteville activities and annual trips to Colorado. She showed great determination, and after a few months of rehabilitation resumed playing golf and enjoying daily walks in her neighborhood's Wilson Park.
When asked the secret of her long and productive life, Ellen said "Live with Gratitude." At her 100th birthday celebration, she summed up her approach to life with this Hindu proverb: "The winds of Grace are always blowing; we just have to put up our sails." She was a positive, loving and faithful person, always looking forward to the next exciting event or chance to be with friends and family. With Ellen's passing, Fayetteville and many friends and family elsewhere have lost a beloved icon, who will always be remembered and will surely be missed.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to one of Ellen's favorite causes, the First United Presbyterian Church in Fayetteville (https://www.fupcfay.org/) or the Fayetteville Public Library (https://www.faylib.org/). To sign the online guest book, please visit www.bernafuneralhomes.com
Published March 20, 2021
Ellen Smedley Smith, born December 7, 1914 in Denver, Colorado, passed away March 18, 2021, in Fayetteville, Arkansas. She was the third child of Victor Clyde and Anne Wheeler Smedley. At age 106, she had outlived all of her five brothers and sisters, as well as her husband, James L. Smith, Jr., who died in 1993. She is survived by her daughter, Sarah Anne Myers and husband William D. (Dan) of Fayetteville, AR, her son James L. Smith, III and wife Sandra of Athens, GA and her sister-in-law, Phoebe Smedley of Denver, CO. She was blessed with five grandchildren, three step grandchildren, twelve great grandchildren and many beloved nieces, nephews and friends.
Ellen's grandfather, William Smedley, was a Quaker from Pennsylvania who established a dental practice in Denver in 1870. Her father and two uncles also became dentists and joined her grandfather to start the Smedley Dental Clinic in Denver. As a child during the 1920s, Ellen developed a love of nature and the outdoors during summers with her siblings and cousins at the families' mountain cabin in Estes Park, while her father or one of her uncles worked as a dentist in an adjacent cabin. Later the dental office became the Clyde Smedley cabin, and Ellen and her family have been returning there each summer for years.
Ellen studied humanities and world culture at Scripps College in Claremont, California for two years, and in 1936 graduated from the University of Colorado in Boulder, where she was a member of the Delta Gamma sorority. It was there she met her husband-to-be, Jim, and they were married in Denver in 1937. They lived in Dallas and Ft. Worth, Texas for several years, and it was during those years that their children, Sarah and Jimmy, were born.
During World War II, as Jim served in Europe, Ellen and the children split their time between her parents in Denver and his in Baxter Springs, Kansas, returning to the family cabin in Estes Park during the summer months. After the war, Ellen and Jim decided to settle in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where Ellen worked with Welcome Wagon, greeting newcomers to Fayetteville, and became active in the PTA, serving one year as President of the Washington School PTA. She was also a founder and 70-year member of her PEO Chapter, and a long-time member of the Perennial Garden Club in Fayetteville. Ellen and Jim enjoyed playing golf at Fayetteville Country Club, and her love of the game continued for the rest of her life. In 2014, this passion caught the attention of the Golf Channel, where she was featured in a segment called "Ellen Smith, 100 Year-old Golfer" (https://www.golfchannel.com/video/ellen-smith-100-year-old-golfer)
After their children went to college, Ellen and Jim travelled frequently, making new friends all around the world. They especially enjoyed trips focusing on nature and wildlife, including birds, and exploring National Parks in the West. After Jim's death in 1993, Ellen's generous and adventurous spirit led her to pursuits like volunteering for Meals on Wheels and traveling to China with a group from the University of Arkansas. She continued to gather with family each summer in Estes Park, enjoying hikes and even whitewater rafting with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She often travelled with her old friend, Phil Prescott of San Jose, California, and they enjoyed life together in their 80s and 90s.
Ellen was a great fan and supporter of the University of Arkansas Razorbacks football and basketball teams, the Walton Arts Center, Wilson Park, the Fayetteville Public Library, and the Crystal Bridges Museum. She had an active spiritual life, starting each day with meditation and prayers, and was a long-time, engaged member of the First United Presbyterian Church. As her long life continued, she lost many of her earliest friends and family, but she continued to make and cherish new and younger friends from all walks of life, many of whom were the children and grandchildren of friends in her own generation. She nurtured these connections around the world with her great skills as a note-writer and communicator.
After back surgery at age 97, Ellen gave up driving and accepted caregivers in her home who became like family and enabled her to continue her Fayetteville activities and annual trips to Colorado. She showed great determination, and after a few months of rehabilitation resumed playing golf and enjoying daily walks in her neighborhood's Wilson Park.
When asked the secret of her long and productive life, Ellen said "Live with Gratitude." At her 100th birthday celebration, she summed up her approach to life with this Hindu proverb: "The winds of Grace are always blowing; we just have to put up our sails." She was a positive, loving and faithful person, always looking forward to the next exciting event or chance to be with friends and family. With Ellen's passing, Fayetteville and many friends and family elsewhere have lost a beloved icon, who will always be remembered and will surely be missed.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to one of Ellen's favorite causes, the First United Presbyterian Church in Fayetteville (https://www.fupcfay.org/) or the Fayetteville Public Library (https://www.faylib.org/). To sign the online guest book, please visit www.bernafuneralhomes.com
Published March 20, 2021
Ellen's grandfather, William Smedley, was a Quaker from Pennsylvania who established a dental practice in Denver in 1870. Her father and two uncles also became dentists and joined her grandfather to start the Smedley Dental Clinic in Denver. As a child during the 1920s, Ellen developed a love of nature and the outdoors during summers with her siblings and cousins at the families' mountain cabin in Estes Park, while her father or one of her uncles worked as a dentist in an adjacent cabin. Later the dental office became the Clyde Smedley cabin, and Ellen and her family have been returning there each summer for years.
Ellen studied humanities and world culture at Scripps College in Claremont, California for two years, and in 1936 graduated from the University of Colorado in Boulder, where she was a member of the Delta Gamma sorority. It was there she met her husband-to-be, Jim, and they were married in Denver in 1937. They lived in Dallas and Ft. Worth, Texas for several years, and it was during those years that their children, Sarah and Jimmy, were born.
During World War II, as Jim served in Europe, Ellen and the children split their time between her parents in Denver and his in Baxter Springs, Kansas, returning to the family cabin in Estes Park during the summer months. After the war, Ellen and Jim decided to settle in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where Ellen worked with Welcome Wagon, greeting newcomers to Fayetteville, and became active in the PTA, serving one year as President of the Washington School PTA. She was also a founder and 70-year member of her PEO Chapter, and a long-time member of the Perennial Garden Club in Fayetteville. Ellen and Jim enjoyed playing golf at Fayetteville Country Club, and her love of the game continued for the rest of her life. In 2014, this passion caught the attention of the Golf Channel, where she was featured in a segment called "Ellen Smith, 100 Year-old Golfer" (https://www.golfchannel.com/video/ellen-smith-100-year-old-golfer)
After their children went to college, Ellen and Jim travelled frequently, making new friends all around the world. They especially enjoyed trips focusing on nature and wildlife, including birds, and exploring National Parks in the West. After Jim's death in 1993, Ellen's generous and adventurous spirit led her to pursuits like volunteering for Meals on Wheels and traveling to China with a group from the University of Arkansas. She continued to gather with family each summer in Estes Park, enjoying hikes and even whitewater rafting with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She often travelled with her old friend, Phil Prescott of San Jose, California, and they enjoyed life together in their 80s and 90s.
Ellen was a great fan and supporter of the University of Arkansas Razorbacks football and basketball teams, the Walton Arts Center, Wilson Park, the Fayetteville Public Library, and the Crystal Bridges Museum. She had an active spiritual life, starting each day with meditation and prayers, and was a long-time, engaged member of the First United Presbyterian Church. As her long life continued, she lost many of her earliest friends and family, but she continued to make and cherish new and younger friends from all walks of life, many of whom were the children and grandchildren of friends in her own generation. She nurtured these connections around the world with her great skills as a note-writer and communicator.
After back surgery at age 97, Ellen gave up driving and accepted caregivers in her home who became like family and enabled her to continue her Fayetteville activities and annual trips to Colorado. She showed great determination, and after a few months of rehabilitation resumed playing golf and enjoying daily walks in her neighborhood's Wilson Park.
When asked the secret of her long and productive life, Ellen said "Live with Gratitude." At her 100th birthday celebration, she summed up her approach to life with this Hindu proverb: "The winds of Grace are always blowing; we just have to put up our sails." She was a positive, loving and faithful person, always looking forward to the next exciting event or chance to be with friends and family. With Ellen's passing, Fayetteville and many friends and family elsewhere have lost a beloved icon, who will always be remembered and will surely be missed.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to one of Ellen's favorite causes, the First United Presbyterian Church in Fayetteville (https://www.fupcfay.org/) or the Fayetteville Public Library (https://www.faylib.org/). To sign the online guest book, please visit www.bernafuneralhomes.com
Published March 20, 2021
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