Sim Thornton smitherman III        

Sim T. Smitherman III, 70, was born Oct. 13, 1945,  in Centreville, Ala., in Bibb County, Alabama, the oldest son of Sim T. Jr. and Helen Shirley (Bishop) Smitherman. He died March 6, 2016, at the family farm near Louisburg.


He graduated from Buffalo High School in 1964 and was a lifelong farmer who worked many jobs to support his farming hobby. He worked for several years as a truck driver and lastly as a postal carrier. Many funny family stories involve the antics of his animals.


He enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was a Vietnam veteran. His parents met while members of the U.S. Navy during World War II. He and his brothers Tony and Les all served in the  Navy.


He was united in marriage with Florence Wessel in 1968. They had three children before divorcing.


He married Gloria Carpenter in 1980. Their daughter’s birth completed the chant of “Linda, Brenda, Sim and Kim.”


Smitty was preceded in death by his parents; daughter, Brenda Lee Thomas; two brothers: Tony and Leslie Smitherman; and one sister, LeeAnn Richardson.


Survivors include his wife, Gloria; and two daughters: Linda K. and husband, Jeff Jensen, and Kimberly and husband, David Stark; one son, Sim T. Jr. and wife, Kim Smitherman; one sister, Donna and husband, Steve Carlisle; two brothers: Bob and wife, Connie Bass, and Dusty and wife, Joyce Smitherman; his great-aunt, Alice Johnson; 13 grandchildren: Renee, Whitney and Levi Watts, Tiffanie Cole, Buddy and Cortney Smitherman, Kaylee Schoenfeldt, JJ Jensen, Abby, Katie and Chase Stark, Jacob Wright and Aaron Arnold; four great-grandchildren: Blaine Smitherman, Jace Duckering, Landon and Cayden Becker; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends who will greatly miss him.