Severa L. Smith

Severa Lou “Rankin” Smith, 79, passed away after a brief illness on Saturday, January 26, 2013 in Joplin Mo. She is survived by her loving husband Rev. Syd Smith, 5 children and 2 step-children and their spouses, Michael E. White of Oakland, TN., Mark White of Faribault MN., Dale Mehl of Lakewood, MN., Faye Mehl of New Prague, MN., Kari Mitchell of Oklahoma City, Ok. and Katrina Kimball of Little Rock, AR., 10 grandchildren, 5 step-grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her youngest son Lee Mehl and her parents, Alice and Hershel Rankin. She was also known as Severa White, Mehl and Pecore. She was reared in Highland Heights, graduated from Treadwell High School in 1952. She was a homemaker for 5 children and then was a secretary for a headmaster at a private boy’s school in Faribault, MN. She moved back to Memphis and worked for Theater Memphis and the American Cancer Society until her retirement in 1999. She was also known for helping many ladies in quilting, sewing, crocheting, and knitting clubs. She married Rev. Syd and ministered to Presbyterians around the Midsouth, Southwest Missouri, Kansas and Arkansas for 14 years until health prevented her and her husband from serving. Donations can be made to the Presbyterian Association. Visitation will be held on Friday, February 1 from 12-2pm with a funeral starting at 2pm at Memphis Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens, 3700 N. Germantown Rd.