KEVIN RAY SMITH

MINDENMINES- A Celebration of Life will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at Thiebaud Auditorium (105 E. 11th St., Lamar) for Kevin Ray Smith, 60, Mindenmines, who died at 3 p.m. Monday, April 24, 2023, at his home. Rev. Dan Moss will officiate. Private family interment will take place at a later date in the Nashville Cemetery, Nashville, Mo.

Arrangements are under the direction of Brenner Mortuary, Pittsburg, Kan.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests expressions of sympathy be given to the Kevin Smith Scholarship Fund and/or the Joplin Humane Society. These may be mailed to the mortuary at 114 E. 4th St., Pittsburg, Kan. 66762.

In addition to his wife Nancy, of the home, he is survived by a son, Thomas Smith and Jamie Robinson, Joplin; two daughters, Amanda Janssen and husband Samuel, Friendswood, Texas and Callista Smith, of the home; a brother, Gary Smith and wife Sondra, Mindenmines; a sister, Joan Cantrell and husband Clint, Mindenmines; a sister-in-law, Sally Smith, Carl Junction and his five fur babies, Teddy, Lola, Chimmy, Lyra, Echo and a grandpuppy, Joules.

He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Jerry Smith.

Mr. Smith was born Dec. 17, 1962, in Pittsburg, Kan., to Wallace and Margie N. (Stevens) Smith. He was a 1981 graduate of Liberal High School. He graduated from Missouri Southern State College in 1988 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Education.

He married Nancy Willis on Aug. 12, 1988, in Joplin.

He taught music for 30 years in the elementary and high school, teaching at East Newton, Hume and Lamar R-1 School District.

He attended Wellspring Church in Webb City and previously attended College Heights Christian Church in Joplin. He loved to play golf. He enjoyed trapping as a kid. He and his wife Nancy played in the band “RUKAS”.