virginia (smith) smitherman
Virginia
Smitherman, 87, died Friday, April 27, 2012, at the Landmark Nursing
and Rehabilitation Center in Booneville. She was born July 24, 1924, to
Walter Williams Smith and Virgie Sanford Smith. She graduated from
Booneville High School in 1941, and from Mississippi State College for
Women in 1945, where she received a BS degree with a major in both
Bacteriology and Chemistry. She worked as a medical technician after
graduation at Kennedy General Hospital in Memphis, TN.She and Marvin Jesse Smitherman were married April 18, 1947, in Booneville where she had returned to live and work when Kennedy became a Veterans Hospital. Their marriage was blessed with three wonderful sons and she became by choice a full time wife and mother.
Virginia was a lifelong member of the Methodist Church first at Oak Grove Church in the Osborn Creek Community. In March 1947 she transferred her membership to First Methodist in Booneville and accepted a place in the Children's Division of the church school as Nursery Home Visitor. In 1951 she began teaching in the Kindergarten Department –a job she adored and kept until the summer of 1970 when she was needed at home as caregiver for her aging mother and father. After their deaths, she returned to the church school, this time teaching in the adult division for 11 years.
In 1948, she joined two organizations in which she still held membership- the UNW and the DAR. In the early 1950's she joined the Woman's Club of Booneville and held that membership until her death. When the George E. Allen Library opened she became a member of the Friends of the Library and also held that membership until her death. She cherished the time she spent in these organizations because the fed her deep interest in faith, genealogy, both local and national history, continuing education and politics. Virginia loved art and was an artist herself, drawing family portraits and painting various types of abstracts.
Funeral services will be at 2:00 P.M. Sunday, April 29, 2012 at the McMillan Funeral Home with The Reverend Philip Box officiating. Burial will be in Booneville Cemetery.
She is survived by three sons, Marvin Richard and his wife, Julie of Rochester, MN, Walter Lee and his wife, Karen of Hoover, AL and John Stanley and his wife Kim of Booneville; seven grandchildren, Rachel Scranton and her husband, David, Suzanne Jones and her husband Greg, Richard Jr., Christopher and his fiancé, Julie, Steven, Field and Jack; three great-grandchildren, Kaylee Johnson, Emily Scranton and Whitt Jones; and her long-time caregiver and friend, Cindy Bishop.
She was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; and one sister, Eleanor Weatherford.
Visitation will be from 5:00 P.M. until 8:00 P.M. Saturday and until service time on Sunday at the funeral home.