Loretta Mae Smith

Loretta Isbell was born January 28, 1933, in Houlka, Mississippi to the union of John and Arzola Buggs Isbell. She was preceded in death by her mother, her father and 8 of her 11 sisters and brothers. She accepted Christ as her savior when she was 11 years old.

Loretta relocated to St. Louis in 1949, when she was 16 years old. She worked at Barnes Jewish from 1953, until her retirement in 1981. She had a keen sense of humor and enjoyed a good laugh.

In 1958, she married Sylvester Smith. They made their home in North St. Louis City. Together they raised two sons, Melvin Isbell and Sylvester Smith, Jr. They remained dedicated to each other until his death on July 8, 2007.

Loretta was the proud grandmother of eight grandchildren, Preracio, Kimberly, Thomas, Melvin Eugene (Denise), Shantae, LaTonya, and Michael all of St. Louis, and Patricia (LaMar) of Birmingham, Alabama. For the most part, she was intimately involved in their lives and loved to have them around her. Loretta also had 16 great-grandchildren.

Loretta passed quietly away on August 4, 2021. She leaves to mourn her passing, her sisters, Dorothy Jean Tunstall (St. Louis, MO), Irene Penton (Oakland, CA); her two sons, Melvin (Janet) and Sylvester; her grandchildren and her great-grandchildren; a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.alexanderstlouis.com for the SMITH family.