SMITH, Betty L.

Arizona Daily Sun, Flagstaff, AZ Sunday, October 03, 2010 Betty L. Smith, 78, died Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2010, at the caring Olivia White Hospice Home in Flagstaff. She had been struggling with ALS complications for seven months. Mrs. Smith was born Nov. 28, 1931, near Roseland, Ark., to James and Yonnie Harris. She graduated from Manilla High School and attended Arkansas State University for one year. She married in 1951 and had two children, Cecelia Rae Newell in Peoria and Timothy Ferrell Lewis (Susan), now in Minneola, Texas. Mrs. Smith moved to Phoenix in 1972 and worked at the Christown First National Bank and later in the business office of Bill Johnson's Restaurants until her early retirement in 1989. She married Robert I. Smith on Christmas day on 1974 at Mount Calvary Lutheran Church in Phoenix. She was active in choir and hand bells there. She and Mr. Smith started spending summers in Flagstaff in 1989 and had a summer cabin in Kachina Village for many years before selling it and their home in Glendale and permanently retiring to Flagstaff in 2003. She enjoyed travel -- especially by Amtrak and car. She had great talents sewing doll dresses and making angels with wire. She was active in Flagstaff at Mount Calvary Lutheran Church as a part-time secretary, occasional organist, choir member and helped with children's activities. Mrs. Smith is a survived by her husband, children, as well as a brother, two sisters, four grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren, all living out of state. She also has three stepsons, Paul (Kris), Eric (Sharon) and Daniel Smith, who are all in Arizona. Her parents preceded her in death. A memorial service to celebrate her life will be Tuesday at 1 p.m. at Mount Calvary Lutheran Church, 2605 N. Fort Valley Road, with Pastor Jonathan Stern officiating. The family requests that any memorials be directed to the church. Condolences can be sent to her family at www.norvelowenmortuary.com. Norvel Owens Mortuary is handling arrangements.