Obituary of Josephine Marie Smith

Josephine Marie Smith, age 94, of Wisconsin Rapids, passed away Tuesday morning, July 26, 2016 at Edgewater Haven Nursing Home in Port Edwards. Services will be 12:00 P.M. on Monday, August 1, 2016 at the United Methodist Church in Port Edwards. Rev. David Guse will officiate. Visitation will be held from 1:00-4:00 P.M. on Sunday at Herman-Taylor Funeral Home in Wisconsin Rapids and from 11:00 A.M. until the time of services on Monday at the church. Josephine was born September 9, 1921 in Rochelle, Illinois to Rosel and Ethel (Arbogast) Coe. She married Wilbur Smith on August 15, 1942 in Illinois. He preceded her in death on August 17, 2002. Josephine worked as a bookkeeper in her husband's business and later as a respiratory therapist at Riverview Hospital in Wisconsin Rapids. Josephine was a talented artist whose greatest passion was painting and being able to capture her visions on canvas to live on throughout time. She was an avid reader and a skilled seamstress. Josephine loved dancing, traveling and having family parties. She was a huge Jimmy Buffett and Elvis fan. Josephine was an active member of the United Methodist Church in Port Edwards where she sang in the choir. She was also a member of the Red Hat Society and enjoyed volunteering at the Lowell Senior Center and singing in the Belles and Beaus Choir. Josephine is survived by seven children: Scott Smith, Ben (Jane) Smith, Stuart Smith and Jo Marie Timmerman all of Wisconsin Rapids, Wilbur Smith, Mark (Marie) Smith of Advance, Missouri and Cynthia LaBarge of Eau Claire; thirteen grandchildren; sixteen great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; and sister, Ruth Coe of Port Ritchey, Florida. She is preceded in death by her parents, husband Wilbur, son James Smith and sisters, Helen and Francis.