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Charles W. Smallwood
Charles W. Smallwood, 95, of Charlotte died Monday, Nov. 3, 1997.
Mr. Smallwood was born Oct. 17, 1902, in Gladwin, the son of Els and Sophia (Strokirch) Smallwood. He married Dolores VanValkenburg Aug. 15, 1926. He owned and operated the Charlotte Hardware Store. He was the recipient of the Silver Beaver Award. He served two terms as mayor of Charlotte, and also the city manager and city engineer for many years. He was a member of the Lawrence Avenue United Methodist Church, serving as Sunday School Superintendent and teacher.
He is survived by his wife Dolores; two daughters, Phyllis Straight and Carolyn (Jack) Hazel, both of Charlotte; six grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and one sister, Alta (Richard) Lumby of Rockford, Ill.
Services are Monday, Nov. 10, at Pray Funeral Home, Charlotte, with the Rev. George Fleming officiating. Interment is in Maple Hill Cemetery, Charlotte.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Lawrence Avenue United Methodist Church.
Dorothy P. Smith
Dorothy Pauline Smith, 83, of Charlotte died March 21, 1997, at the Eaton County Medical Care Facility, where she had resided for the last 10 years.
Mrs. Smith was born Dec. 4, 1913, in Vermontville, the daughter of Lloyd and Glyda (Conley) Hitt. She was a life member of the Order of Eastern Star.
She is survived by one son, Jerry (Margaret) of Comstock; two daughters, Joy (Jerry) Mogg and Rosalie (Larry) Bazzett, both of Charlotte; 10 grandchildren, Bob Stroud, JoDean (Mike) Snyder, Jeff Mogg, Alan Smith, Don Smith, Kimberly (Mike) Harris, Amy Betts, Jayne (Kermit) Smith, Jim Smith, and Rob Betts; four great-grandchildren, Stephanie Stroud, Jordan Smith, Alyssa Brashaw, and Grant Snyder; one brother, Lloyd (Marie) Hitt of Lake Odessa; one sister, Helen Rickle of Charlotte; and special friend, Bertha Malcuit.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Don in 1975.
Services were March 24 at the Pray Funeral Home, Charlotte, with the Rev. Edna Fleming officiating. Interment was in the Gresham Cemetery, Eaton County.
Memorial contributions may be made to the family.
George E. Smith
George E. Smith, 76, of Narrow Lake, Springport, died Oct. 14, 1997, at his residence.
Mr. Smith was born Feb. 24, 1921, in Greenville, the son of Albert and Blanche (Fleming) Smith. He has been a lifelong Eaton County area resident. He was a 1940 graduate of Dansville High School, was a member and past president of the Fifty Plus Club in Lewiston, and the Red Oak Club of Red Oak. Also a former member of the Calvary Baptist Church of Charlotte. He had been employed as a heavy equipment operator for the city of Charlotte retiring in 1978, after 23 years of service. Prior to that, he had been employed by the Fowler Farms near Charlotte.
He is survived by two sons, Terry K. (Cindy) Smith of Narrow Lake and Gregory G. (Mistel) Smith of Columbia City, Ind.; 9 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; and two sisters, Leona Densmore and Alberta Noecker both of Charlotte.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Robert M. (Baker) Smith; son, Larry Smith; and sister, Jennie Baxter.
Services were Oct. 18 at the Burkhead-Green Funeral Chapel, Charlotte, with Minister John Coney officiating. Interment was in the Rosehill Cemetery, Eaton Rapids.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Eaton County Hospice.
Irene Hannah Smith
Irene Hannah (Fast) Smith, 87, died Dec. 22, 1996.
Irene was born Feb. 6, 1909, in Paxton, Illinois, the only daughter of Frank and Hannah (Swanson) Fast. Her family later moved to Michigan and purchased a farm on Stahl Road. She attended Charlotte High School, graduating in 1927. She married Murl Smith in 1929. Together they started a small grocery business on Prairie Street in 1941. In 1943, they built a new store on Henry Street which combined groceries and a lunch counter. The owned it until 1956. Murl went to work for the City Fire Department while Irene worked for the Charlotte School system in the cafeteria until her retirement in 1975. She was a member of The Clover Club, Eastern Star Chapter #218, the Rebecca Lodge #68, and has been a lifelong member of the Lawrence Avenue United Methodist Church in Charlotte.
She is survived by a daughter, Marilyn L. Smith of Battle Creek; a son, Lynn M. Smith of Frankfurt, Kentucky; four grandchildren, Valerie K. Campbell, Trent (Cheryl) L. Smith, Greg (LeeAnn) L. Smith, and Kermit (Jayne) L. Smith; and 7 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 58 years, Murl, in 1987; and 4 brothers, Kenneth Fast, 1912, Earl Fast, 1949, Wilbur Fast, 1982, and Albin Fast, 1987.
Services were Dec. 26 at Pray Funeral Home, Charlotte. Interment was in Maple Hill Cemetery, Charlotte.
Memorial contributions may be made in Irene’s name to Lawrence Avenue United Methodist Church.
Jack S. Smith
Jack Sterling Smith, 74, of Sunfield Township, Eaton County, died April 9, 1997, at a Lansing hospital. He was afflicted with a respiratory ailment.
Mr. Smith was born Oct. 18, 1921, in Lansing, the son of Arthur and Lola (DePue) Smith. His schooling carried him through Walter French Junior High, Lansing Eastern High School and formally concluded with a degree in agriculture from Michigan State College, now Michigan State University, in 1943. He had four years of reserve officer’s training corps while he was a M.S.C. He was immediately called into the United States Army, Calvalry Division, as a 2nd Lieutenant. He attended Fort Benning, near Columbus, Ga., for a concentrated refresher course before being assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Riley, Kansas, as a line officer. He soon became a 1st Lieutenant. He was recognized at that time as being the youngest company commander in the United States Army. His service in that unit continued to the ends of World War II, after being a participant in the lessening of battle action in the Philippine Islands. His final assignment was in Japan as part of the occupation force.
During his tour of duty, he met and married Dorothy Pierce of Upland, Kan., in 1944. To this union was born Jacqueline, Raymond and Phillip.
After leaving the Army in 1946, he and his father combined their efforts and farmed acreage near Sunfield on Round Lake and Sunfield roads. At the death of his father, and his son Phillip’s reaching adulthood, Jack and Dorothy continued to farm the acreage with Phil until shortly before Jack’s death. Just weeks earlier, both Jack and Phil decided to retire from farming, have a sale, and then to proceed – Jack to retirement and Phillip to other endeavors.
Mr. Smith’s life time community involvements and accomplishments included: teaching agriculture to returning World War II veterans through the Grand Ledge School system, member of the Sunfield School Board, Sunfield Township Treasurer, manager of Sunfield Farmer’s Elevator, driver’s training teacher for Sunfield High School, Justice of the Peace for Sunfield Township, president of Eaton County Township Association, member of the Eaton County Drain Commission, member of Eaton County Planning Commission, and chairman of the Eaton County Farm Bureau. He also spearheaded a project to construct the Veteran’s Memorial in the Sunfield Cemetery. At the time of his death, he was a member of the Eaton County Parks and Recreation Committee and had been Sunfield Township’s Supervisor and Assessor for 25 years. He was a member of the Sunfield United Methodist Church and served as board chairman, finance chairman, building chairman, choir director, and Sunday school teacher.
He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Dorothy; his children, Jackie (Kendall) Carr of Lake Odessa, Ray of Dallas, Texas and Phil (Sheryl) of Sunfield; grandchildren, Kendra, Sara, and Amanda Carr, Brandy Smith, Jeffrey Sterling Smith and Marlene Smith; one brother, Robert Smith of Hayward, Calif.; one sister, Mary Jane Huxtable of Lincoln, Neb.; and several nieces and nephews.
Interment was in the Sunfield Cemetery April 12 beside his father, mother, and nephew, Jeffrey Smith.
Jack A. Southern
Jack A. Southern, 83, of Phoenix died Sept. 2, 1997, at Sisters of Providence Hospital, Medford, Ore.
Mr. Southern was born March 4, 1914, in Vermontville. In 1933 he graduated from Charlotte High School. Before moving to Oregon in 1989, he retired as plumbing and heating supervisor of the Riverdale, California Unified School District. He was a member of the United Methodist Church, Talent. His Masonic affiliations included a 50-year membership in Riverside, California Order of the Eastern Star with dual membership at Adarel Chapter #3 Jacksonville, Ore. Mr. Southern was a member of the Knights Templar of California and an officer and charter member of White Shrine Lodge in Riverside.
He is survived by his wife, Shirley Mrozek Southern; daughter, Sarah Mudgett of Ashland; sister, Elizabeth Stowe of Ionia; brother, Samuel Southern of Charlotte; and granddaughter, Susan Mudgett of Eugene.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Ruth; two brothers, Shirley and William Southern.
Services were Sept. 6 at Hillcrest Chapel, with the Rev. Bill and Mary Ellen Hare officiating. Interment was in Hillcrest Memorial Park.
Dennis E. Spear
Dennis E. Spear, 77, of Lansing died Feb. 23, 1997, at Michigan Capital Medical Center, Greenlawn Campus, Lansing.
Mr. Spear was born in Backus, Minn., the son of Clyde and Mable Spear and had been a Lansing resident for 72 years, coming from Minnesota. He was a retired truck driver, having worked for Ellis Truck Lines, Navajo Freight Lines, and Symonds Brothers Grocers.
He is survived by his wife, Kathryn (Baird) Spear; one stepdaughter, Janet (Charles) Wright of Charlotte; one stepson, Clair Ferris Jr. of Lansing; six grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; one brother-in-law, Rex Whipple of Lansing; and several nieces and nephews.
Services were Feb. 25 at the Burkhead-Green Funeral Chapel, Charlotte, with George Blanche officiating. Interment was in the Gresham Cemetery, Charlotte.
Memorial contributions may be made to the charity of one’s choice.
June E. Spear
June E. Spear, 76, of Potterville died March 1, 1997, at Michigan Capital Medical Center, Greenlawn Campus, Lansing.
Mrs. Spear was born in East Liberty, Ohio, the daughter of Victor and Alto (Wood) Inskeep.
She is survived by one daughter, Patricia (Thomas) Ray of Wills Point, Texas; two sons, Arthur Ketchum of Indianapolis, Ind., and Gerald Ketchum of Denver, Colo.; 14 grandchildren; numerous great-grandchildren; and one sister, Joyce (John) Gunder of Jackson.
She was preceded in death by one daughter, Shirley LaFountain; her husband, Cecil Spear in 1973; and one sister, Jean Wiles.
Cremation has taken place. Arrangements were made by the Pray Funeral Home, Charlotte. Interment was in the East Lawn Cemetery, Saginaw.
