JIMMY SMITH

June 22, 2017

LIBERAL- Services will be held at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Konantz Warden Funeral Home in Lamar for Jimmy Wayne Smith, 79, Liberal, who died Wednesday, June 21, 2017. Burial will be in Nashville Cemetery.

Visitation will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, at the funeral home.

The obituary may be viewed and condolences sent online at www.konantzwarden.com.

Survivors include his wife, Margaret and their seven children, Jimmy Wayne, Jr. and wife Sharon, Liberal, Douglas and wife Randi, Oronogo, Mark and wife Amy, Liberal, Kathy Miller and husband Keith, Liberal, David and wife Lynn, Liberal, Greg and wife Melissa, Galena, Kan. and Brian and wife Sabra, Liberal; 29 grandchildren; 48 great-grandchildren; six great-great-grandchildren and his siblings, Bill, Fenton, Mich., Peg, Panama City Beach Fla. and Dan Smith, Phoenix, Ariz.

He was preceded in death by his siblings, Harold Smith, Eloise, Helen and Shirley.

Mr. Smith was born on Christmas morning, 1937, in Ripley, Miss., to Wallace and Marietta (Benefield) Smith. His sister Helen often told him that he was the Christmas present that year and they loved him.

He married Margaret Whitledge on Aug. 20, 1954 and often reminded everyone of how he had to borrow a car to get married.

He was a strong Christian man and he and his wife Margaret accepted Jesus as their savior on Easter morning in 1971, changing their lives and the lives of their children forever. He loved to sing and had an amazing voice; a loud, powerful voice that when one heard him sing, they could feel his love for his Lord all through them. His favorite song “said” grace fought this battle and sin died here.

He passed peacefully, surrounded by 70 members of his family. He was loved and will be missed by many. He surrendered to the ministry in 1977 and pastored several area churches.