Karen June Smith

Karen was born on July 4, 1939, in Wichita, Kansas. She was the second of three children to Lawrence and Edith Nighswonger. She met the love of her life, Clarence (Bud) Smith, when she was only 14 years old, and they married a few years later on June 30, 1956. In the early years of their marriage, she was by her husband’s side during his time as a Marine and lived off-base at Camp Lejeune with their infant daughter. They had two children and lived in Wichita where she worked at the Sedgwick County Courthouse for a short time before becoming a full-time homemaker. When their children were young, they settled on Crooked Creek Horse Farm, a 20-acre property in Potwin, Kansas, where she enjoyed riding and showing horses and ice skating on their pond. After their son and daughter were grown, they lived in the Wichita area for many years and spent summers at their lake house at Pomme de Terre, where their four granddaughters learned to fish and love the outdoors. In retirement, they first moved to that very lake house, where they finished raising their two oldest granddaughters before settling in the Kansas City, Missouri area in the early 2000s. Karen and Bud renewed their wedding vows in 2006 for their 50th wedding anniversary and shared 67 years together.

Karen was a natural-born caregiver, a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. She was very creative, a skilled painter, an avid gardener, and loved the outdoors. She enjoyed reading books and most recently discovered the cat mystery genre. Even in adversity and illness, she had a positive attitude and a strong and determined spirit that helped her maintain her independence.

Karen is preceded in death by her parents, Lawrence Nighswonger, and Edith (Hawkes) Nighswonger, her sister Judy Simmons, and her sister-in-law Sherry Nighswonger.

She is survived by her husband, Clarence (Bud) Smith, her daughter Deborah (Larry) Landwehr, her son Jeffrey (Debbie) Smith, her brother Larry Nighswonger, her brother-in-law Gene Simmons, her brother-in-law John L. (Lorraine) Smith, her granddaughters Brianne Edris, Brandi (Shawn) Miller, Megan Smith (Luke Hudgins), and Samantha (Cody) Hollingsworth, and her great-grandchildren, Jolee and Avery Coonts, and Brooklyn Miller and Corbin Heaton, as well as many loving extended family members.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The American Cancer Society or The Epilepsy Foundation. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.nolandroadchapel.com for the Smith family.