| Obit For | Charles Marion Smith |
|---|---|
| Headline | SMITH FUNERAL RITES, Large Crowd Attended Beautiful Service. |
| Text | With his three sons, all ordained to the ministry, taking part, and with twenty Baptist ministers composing a choir and acting as pallbearers, active and honorary, the funeral of Rev. C. M. Smith was held at the Community Hall in Exeter thanksgiving afternoon. The service was beautiful and most appropriate as a final tribute to a useful and good man who had for more than forty years served the people of this county and Southwest Missouri as a minister of the Gospel. The crowd was the largest ever to attend a funeral service in Exeter. Friends of Rev. Smith and his family from every part of this and many adjoining counties attended. No church building in Exeter and Cassville would have accommodated one-third of those who came for the service. In the casket covered with beautiful flowers, the body lay in state at the community hall for two hours. ____ _____ the service that all who ____ wish to do so could have an opportunity to pass by the casket for a final look into the face of their former minister and good friend. As had been previously announced, Rev. Smith's three sons officiated in the service. Rev. J. Bert Smith of Liberty commented feelingly on his father's private life. He sketched interestingly the events of his early life, the establishment of a home and his struggles to overcome a defective education and start in preaching. He narrated a number of incidents of the hardships which his father had to undergo in getting about over the county and carrying the gospel message to communities which had no church buildings. Rev. W. Holt Smith now head of the department of history in William College at Liberty gave an acount of his father's public life. He spoke with deep feeling and his part in the service was especially impressive. Rev. C. Willard Smith, now superintendent of schools in North Kansas City, talked on "My Father's Philosophy of Life". Simplicity, courage of his convictions, and undaunted faith in God, as well as his sense of humor and practical viewpoint manifested by his father upon every important occasion, were pointed out as revealing his philosophy of life. A line from one of Rev. Smith's favorite poets, Eddie Guest, was quoted by Rev. Willard, as showing how cheerfully he viewed death. The line quoted was this: "Good-bye, old world, I have had a good time". Rev. Chas. F. Siler, pastor of the Baptist church in Cassville, presided and gave the scripture reading; Rev. Chas. Vanzandt, pastor of the Baptist church in Exeter, Rev. Smith's home, led in prayer; ministers of the Baptist church composed the choir; a quartet from Seligman where Rev. Smith was still pastor when he took seriously ill a short time ago, also sang. Burial was in the Maplewood cemetery in Exeter, The Koon Undertakers in charge. Research Note: Additional info from Missouri State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Death Cert. #40304 Cause of Death: Uremia, Rev. Smith was 76 yrs., 2 mos. and 9 days of age at death. |
| Parents Names | William Stark and Elizabeth (Bandy) Smith |
| Date Born | Sept. 15, 1860 |
| Place Born | Hamilton Co., TN |
| Date Died | Nov. 24, 1936 |
| Place Died | Exeter, Barry Co., MO |
| Cemetery | Maplewood, Exeter, Barry Co., MO |
| Newspaper | - |
| Date | - |
| Death Cert Link | Death Certificate |
| Resource | - |
| Submitted by | Frances |
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