Yolo County CA Obituary Project Obituaries.....SMITH , Helen Elizabeth  May 24 2002
**********************************************************
Copyright. All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/obits/ca/obitsca.htm
**********************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Peggy B. Perazzo pbperazzo@comcast.net August 31, 2004, 7:14 pm

"The Davis Enterprise," Thursday, May 30, 2002
Helen Elizabeth SMITH (1917-2002) (obit.)

Helen E. Smith

Helen Elizabeth Smith of Davis died May 24, 2002, at the Sierra Health Care
Convalescent Hospital in Davis. She was 85.

She was born Helen Claghorn on April 11, 1917, and was raised in Boston and
lived there through early adulthood.

As a young woman, she was an accomplished horsewoman and pianist. In 1944, at
age 27, she joined Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service, underwent
military training at Stillwater, Okla., and was later stationed at Sanford,
Maine, where she was yeoman second class and troop bugler. She left the
emergency service organization in 1946.

While in Maine, she met her future husband, Byers Granville Smith, who at the
time was a lieutenant in the Navy. He later retired as a lieutenant commander.

The two lived a military family life, residing in Indiana; Chula Vista; Long
Island; Boston; Washington, D.C.; and Monterey. After his retirement, they
settled in Thousand Oaks.

She also raised four children: Stephen Granville of Victorville, Victoria Ann of
Davis, Diana Elizabeth of Santa Rosa and Carl Roger of Hawaii. She was employed
as an executive secretary throughout the years she raised her children.

Her husband died unexpectedly in 1969, and left her with two young children
still at home. She then moved the family to Pebble Beach, where she volunteered
as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Sea Cadet Corps, working with girls who hoped
to join the military.

She decided to finish her college education and received her bachelor's degree
in history from UC Santa Cruz at age 66. She later moved to Tacoma, Wash., where
she was actively involved in Parkland United Methodist Church. She became a
minister at that church in 1984.

When her health declined in 2000 she moved to Davis to be near her children.

She is survived by all her children; by her brother, William Claghorn of
Princeton, Mass.; grandchildren Molly, Crystal and Casey; and step-grandchildren
Travis and Joel.

She is further survived by son-in-law Steve McMahon of Davis; and
daughters-in-law Judi Smith of Victorville and Christina Smith of Hawaii.

The family extends deep gratitude to the nursing staff (especially in the
E-wing) and the administration of Sierra, which is unparalleled in its
compassion and the quality of their care, and to the members of the United
Methodist Church of Davis, who welcomed Helen into their community and provided
sustenance to her until her death.

A memorial service will begin at 3 p.m. Saturday at United Methodist Church of
Davis, 1620 Anderson Road, Davis.


Additional Comments:
Submitted with the permission of the "The Davis Enterprise," 315 G Street,
Davis, CA 95616.

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/yolo/obits/gob1420smith.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/caobfiles/

File size: 3.3 Kb