Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Smith, Rachel Ann (Worthington) 1902 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Sandy Heintzelman sheintz@iserv.net August 21, 2011, 11:30 am Unidentified Publication, 1902 Her Sudden Death Last Evening a Shock to the Community The announcement, which became current about 6 o’clock last evening, of the death of Mrs. Vernon H. Smith, was a sad shock to very many of our citizens, although her health has been poor for two or three years, and from the serious character of her trouble, involving the heart, it has been at times considered probable that she might not long survive. Recently, however, she has been better, and up to noon of the day of her death, nothing alarming had been noted. She retired to her room about 1:30, to prepare to attend one or two social gatherings during the afternoon, and the domestic supposed she had gone out as intended. When the daughter, Miss Jessie, returned from school about five o’clock, she noticed her mother’s hand-bag and outside wraps in their usual places, and thinking she had returned, went to her room, where she saw her mother lying crossways of the bed, in such position that she was alarmed, and the help of friends and physicians was at once summoned. There was at first a faint hope that life might not be extinct, but this proved delusive. Mrs. Smith’s maiden name was Rachel Ann Worthington. She was the daughter of the Rev. Henry R. and Jane (Mills) Worthington. Her father was a well-known clergyman of the Methodist Episcopal church, and had held charges in several Michigan cities. Mrs. Smith was born in Calhoun county, Mich., February 23, 1843. In the fall of 1867 Mr. Worthington took charge of the Methodist Episcopal church of this city, and Mrs. Smith had been a resident of Ionia ever since that time, having resided at 364 Rich street for over 30 years. She was married to Vernon H. Smith on January 6, 1869. She had always been a devoted member of the Methodist church, and an active worker in it. For many years she sang in the church choir. She had taught a class of young ladies in the Sunday school for the past thirty years. For some years previous to her death she was the assistant superintendent. She had long been connected with the General Aid society of the church, the Women’s Home Missionary society, and the Women’s Foreign Missionary society; of the first and last of these organizations she held the position of treasurer at the time of her death. Of the Women’s Foreign Missionary society, she was corresponding secretary. She was a member and ex-president of the ladies’ Literary club, the second one to hold that position. She was also a member of the board of directors of the Ladies’ Library association. In the W.C.T.U., she had long been prominent, having held the office of secretary of the local organization and being vice president at the time of her death. She was one of the founders of the private kindergarten, which was conducted for a few years, recently, on Washington street, and was very actively interested in it. She possessed more than ordinary literary and artistic culture, and her social activities and usefulness in all the organizations for mental and moral benefit, will cause her loss to be most seriously felt by a large part of the community. The sweetness of her character and disposition and her willing and conscientious devotion to every duty, gave her a close place in the regard of many friends, who feel a deep sense of personal loss in her departure. But it is in her own household where the blow comes with crushing force. Besides her husband, ex-Judge Vernon H. Smith, she leaves a daughter, Jessie M. Smith, 18 years of age, and three sons: Hal. H. Smith, junior partner of the law firm of V.H. & H.H. Smith of this city; Arthur M. Smith of Ann Arbor, editor of The American Tyler; and Laurence W. Smith, now a junior in the literary department of the University of Michigan. Two brothers also survive: Melvin Worthington of Arkansas City, Kansas, and A.W. Worthington, an attorney, of Buchanan, this state. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/ionia/obits/s/smith16632nob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/mifiles/ File size: 4.4 Kb