Fern P. (Harrington) Smith, 95, of Parsons, died at 4:40 a.m., Tuesday, June 15, 2010, at Labette Health.
She was born June 30, 1914, near Seneca, Missouri, to Albert W. and Emma Lou (Stasell) Harrington. At the age of nine months, she came to Kansas in a covered wagon. She grew up and attended schools in Columbus where she graduated from Cherokee County Community High School.
She and Leslie Smith were married in 1930. While raising six children, she worked on their family farm that included discing, harrowing, riding a binder during harvest; gardening, canning, raising chickens and selling eggs. The couple later divorced.
While living in the Columbus area, she worked at an overall factory, and during World War II at the Kansas Ordnance Plant in Parsons. For a time, she lived in Arizona where she worked at an aluminum plant before returning to Kansas City where she graduated from Florence School of Nursing in 1954. After earning a nursing degree, she moved to Chanute where she worked at the Tuberculosis Hospital for 5 ½ years. She then moved to Parsons where she worked at Parsons Mercy Hospital and the Parsons State Hospital and Training Center for 35 years before retiring in 1979. Following retirement, she worked part-time at Parsons Presbyterian Manor until 1982.
She was a charter member of the Calvary Baptist Church in Parsons, the Home Demonstration Unit, was a Red Cross volunteer for many years, and had attended numerous LPN conventions. She loved working with flowers, crafts, and especially enjoyed quilting for her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. After retirement, she enjoyed traveling many places including Hawaii and Canada.
Fern was always eager to learn. At the age of 84, she learned to swim and enjoyed the Seniors Water Aerobics Program; and at the age of 90, purchased and learned how to use a computer.
Survivors include:
Four Daughters – June M. Edwards Louisburg, KS
Norma Meredith Olathe, KS
Amelia Peterson Cherryvale, KS
Pauline Dickens Shively, CA
Eleven Grandchildren
Sixteen Great-Grandchildren
Six Great-Great-Grandchildren
She was preceded in death by five brothers, Floyd, William, Phillip, Henry and Norman Harrington; three sisters, Ella Luellen, Mabell Birks, and Delphine Buchanan-Wicks; and two sons, Joe D. Smith and Gerald W. Smith.
Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m., Friday, June 18, 2010, at Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home in Parsons. Burial will be in Greenlawn Cemetery near Columbus. The family will receive friends from 9:00 a.m., until service time on Friday at the funeral home.
Memorials are suggested to Calvary Baptist Church. These may be left at or mailed to Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home, P.O. Box 374, Parsons, KS 67357.
Online condolences may be left at www.forbeshoffman.com. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Fern P. (Harrington) Smith, please visit our flower store.
She was born June 30, 1914, near Seneca, Missouri, to Albert W. and Emma Lou (Stasell) Harrington. At the age of nine months, she came to Kansas in a covered wagon. She grew up and attended schools in Columbus where she graduated from Cherokee County Community High School.
She and Leslie Smith were married in 1930. While raising six children, she worked on their family farm that included discing, harrowing, riding a binder during harvest; gardening, canning, raising chickens and selling eggs. The couple later divorced.
While living in the Columbus area, she worked at an overall factory, and during World War II at the Kansas Ordnance Plant in Parsons. For a time, she lived in Arizona where she worked at an aluminum plant before returning to Kansas City where she graduated from Florence School of Nursing in 1954. After earning a nursing degree, she moved to Chanute where she worked at the Tuberculosis Hospital for 5 ½ years. She then moved to Parsons where she worked at Parsons Mercy Hospital and the Parsons State Hospital and Training Center for 35 years before retiring in 1979. Following retirement, she worked part-time at Parsons Presbyterian Manor until 1982.
She was a charter member of the Calvary Baptist Church in Parsons, the Home Demonstration Unit, was a Red Cross volunteer for many years, and had attended numerous LPN conventions. She loved working with flowers, crafts, and especially enjoyed quilting for her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. After retirement, she enjoyed traveling many places including Hawaii and Canada.
Fern was always eager to learn. At the age of 84, she learned to swim and enjoyed the Seniors Water Aerobics Program; and at the age of 90, purchased and learned how to use a computer.
Survivors include:
Four Daughters – June M. Edwards Louisburg, KS
Norma Meredith Olathe, KS
Amelia Peterson Cherryvale, KS
Pauline Dickens Shively, CA
Eleven Grandchildren
Sixteen Great-Grandchildren
Six Great-Great-Grandchildren
She was preceded in death by five brothers, Floyd, William, Phillip, Henry and Norman Harrington; three sisters, Ella Luellen, Mabell Birks, and Delphine Buchanan-Wicks; and two sons, Joe D. Smith and Gerald W. Smith.
Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m., Friday, June 18, 2010, at Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home in Parsons. Burial will be in Greenlawn Cemetery near Columbus. The family will receive friends from 9:00 a.m., until service time on Friday at the funeral home.
Memorials are suggested to Calvary Baptist Church. These may be left at or mailed to Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home, P.O. Box 374, Parsons, KS 67357.
Online condolences may be left at www.forbeshoffman.com. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Fern P. (Harrington) Smith, please visit our flower store.
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