Jane Ellen Smitherman

Jane Ellen (Wallace) Smitherman was born in Lone Wolf, Oklahoma to Roy and Idell (Schofield) Wallace on August 21, 1931, and died on June 8, 2021, in Oklahoma City surrounded by her family. Jane grew up in Lone Wolf, Oklahoma, the youngest of four children, where she excelled in music and chorus in high school and went on to attend Texas Women’s College in Fort Worth Texas in 1949 to study music. It was there, Jane met her future husband Bill Smitherman, and they were married on July 26, 1952. After moving around west Texas and eastern New Mexico for several years, due to Bill’s Petroleum Geologist profession, they settled in Midland, Texas, where they began raising their family of five children. After a brief move to Abilene, Texas for two and one-half years, the family moved to Oklahoma City in early 1969.

In the 70’s and early 80’s, Jane and Bill were great supporters of their boy’s high school sports at Putnam City High School as staunch members of the Pirate Booster Club. Jane was a loyal booster, cheerleader and counselor for her sons and daughters and their friends and always there, in good and bad times. She loved her PC sports.

As empty nesters in the 80’s, Bill and Jane enjoyed trips to Greece and Belize with family members, which gave them a hefty supply of amusing stories of their adventures. In addition to travel, they loved spending time at their condo in Angel Fire, New Mexico, where they enjoyed fishing in the summer and skiing in the winter. The many fun trips to Angel Fire solidified a love for the area and has become a yearly vacation destination for Jane’s grown grandchildren and their kids today.

After the passing of her husband of 36 years in 1988, Jane moved to live in the family condo in Angel Fire. In 1992, she moved back to her beloved Lone Wolf to be close to her sisters and brother and a host of family and hometown friends. She lived on the lake outside Lone Wolf and became quite a fisherman and boat captain. “Grandma’s lake house” became the destination for many family gatherings and the source of many great memories.

In 2007, Jane returned to Oklahoma City where she could be closer to her children and grandchildren and her OSU Cowboys. She was a true OSU fanatic. She went to every football game in Stillwater and bowl games, basketball games and then began watching the OSU women’s softball team. She became passionate about the OSU women’s softball team and missed very few games. She lived orange!

Jane was preceded in death by her husband Bill, two sisters, Frances Ahrendsen and Mary Lazenby: and one brother, Lloyd (Bud) Wallace. She is survived by her five children, Rex Smitherman and his wife Paula of Oklahoma City, Sudie Johnson of Oklahoma City, Deirdre Nixon and her husband Randy Nixon of Medford, Oregon, Jason Smitherman of Loveland, Colorado, and Quintin Smitherman and his wife Cindy of Chickasha; eleven grandchildren, Caroline Kyger, Janie Taylor, Sarah Smitherman, Steven Johnson, Emily Willett, Luke Smitherman, Lizzie Smitherman, Baylie Nixon, Erin Smitherman, Evyn Smitherman and Sam Smitherman; and eight great-grandchildren, Kate Taylor, Brayden Austin, Harrison Taylor, Preston Austin, Christopher Kyger, Lanie Kyger, Anna Taylor and Claire Willett.

Jane was a loving and caring mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and aunt and made a difference in the lives of all her family. We will miss her and never forget her.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider a donation to Jane’s favorite charity for the past 40 years, Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch near Amarillo, Texas.