Barbara J. Smith

Published November 17, 2020 at 4:14 PM

Private Funeral services are 10 AM, Saturday, November 21, 2020 at the First Presbyterian Church in Lake Andes. Public burial is in the ZCBJ Cemetery, rural Wagner. Public visitation will be the hour prior to services at the church on Saturday. Peters Funeral Home in Wagner is in charge of arrangements.

Barbara Jean Smith, 84, of Lake Andes, was born November 18, 1935 at Dodge City, KS, the daughter of Clarence Isiah and Alice Elizabeth (Christensen) Williams. She died Thursday, November 12, 2020 at the Avera St. Benedict Health Center in Parkston.

Barbara’s family moved to Centralia, WA in 1936 to get away from the Dust Bowl in Kansas. In Centralia, she attended Oak View Grade School and graduated from Centralia High School in 1954.

Barbara was united in marriage to John Vernon Smith on March 21, 1959 in Centralia, WA. They met while he was stationed in Washington. Barbara graduated from Mode Beauty School in Olympia, WA in 1956. After moving to Lake Andes, she worked as a food stamp cashier as well as other jobs at the courthouse. She did professional cleaning services and also worked as an apartment manager and managed rental houses.

Barbara served as a Cub Scout volunteer, Modern Woodman volunteer, and held numerous positions with the First Presbyterian Church.

Barbara will be remembered for her love of gardening, cleaning, cooking, and traveling with her sisters.

Thankful for having share her life are her four children: Ronald (Karen) Smith of Sydney, MT, Roger Smith of Tripp, Robin Smith of Lake Andes, and Randall (Jaime) Smith of Sioux Falls; 13 grandchildren: Lauren Olson, Travis Richard, Kyle Richard, Randi Wooten, Mercedes Ivy, Cinnamon Smith, Chevy Smith, Jazzmaine Smith, Rachael Smith, Robert Smith, Patrick Braden, Aden Smith, and Makenzie Smith; 19 great grandchildren; and her sisters: Davene Walliman of Stayton, OR, Grayse Provoe of Lacey, WA and Aggie Tapper of Federal Way, WA.

Barbara was preceded in death by her husband John, parents, and siblings: Ed Williams, Mary Fischer, Julene Fadness, David Williams, Peggy Morris and Leroy Williams.