Betty Jo Smith, 94, a resident of Trenton, Missouri, died at 5:02 p.m., Tuesday, September 19, 2023, at Sunnyview Nursing Home in Trenton, Missouri.
Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, September 23, 2023, at The First Christian Church in Trenton, Missouri. Burial will follow in Harris Cemetery, Harris, Missouri.
Family visitation will be held from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m., Saturday, at the church.
Open visitation will be held on Friday at Slater-Neal Funeral Home in Trenton.
Memorials may be directed to Harris Cemetery and can be left with the funeral home.
Betty Jo Smith was born on January 26, 1929, to the late Loyd and Gussie Clark in Half Rock, Missouri. She graduated from Princeton High School in 1946. During her younger years, Betty and her family moved from Missouri to Arizona, where she had fond memories. Betty met the love of her life, Samuel (Jack) Smith, and they married in 1946. Together, they had five children. Jack preceded her in death in 1983. Betty was known as an excellent seamstress, a great cook, a wonderful gardener, and an expert cake maker. Her grandchildren loved her sugar cookies the most, and she loved her grandchildren endlessly. Betty worked as a cook at Newtown-Harris School, Putnam County Senior Center, and as a caregiver in Trenton before retiring.
Betty was preceded in death by her daughter, Peggy Michael; son, Larry Smith; and son-in-law, David Carman.
She is survived by her daughters Linda Dale (Wally), Connie Reed (Macky), and Debbie Carman; son-in-law, Tom Michael; daughter-in-law, Dian Smith; 15 grandchildren, 35 great-grandchildren, 17 great-great-grandchildren, and one great-great-great-grandchild. Betty’s sisters are Norma Purdy and Donna Conner.
