Jeanne Smith

Jeanne Frances Ruff Smith, 79, of Houston, Texas, passed away peacefully Saturday, Jan. 14, 2006, in Houston. She had been in ill health since November 2005.

Jeanne Frances was born Oct. 9, 1926, in Cape Girardeau, the only child of Dr. Jean Helm and Louise Bergmann Ruff.

She graduated from Central High School in 1944 and attended William Woods College in Fulton, Mo. During high school and college she exhibited an outstanding talent for the arts and writing, with many locally published poems and short stories during that time period.

Upon graduation she returned to Cape Girardeau and went to work for Dr. Edward D. Campbell. For most of the next 40 years she worked in the Medical Arts Building on Broadway as office administrator until Dr. Campbell retired in 1986. She then worked a brief time for Dr. Harold Ridings until retiring herself in 1988.

Remaining in Cape Girardeau until 1999, she moved to Houston to be close to her son and his family.

She is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, Jean "Rotie" and Jamie Spurrier Smith; and triplet grandsons, James Hunter, Spencer Douglas and Maxwell Taylor Smith.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Harold Gene Smith, whom she married in 1951.

Jeanne held many special memories and stories of her co-workers at the Medical Arts Building, the Smith family in-laws, and her Magill and Vogelsang cousins of Cape Girardeau, in addition to the Bergmann and Matthews aunts, uncles and cousins of Sikeston, Mo.

Over the years, very special friendships and antics developed among families of her East Cape Rock Drive neighborhood including J.W. and Thelma Lemonds, Ernie and Evelyn Walker, and Steve and Sue Strong, along with all their children.

Jeanne Frances will always be remembered by her friends and relatives as having a contagious and quirky sense of humor and written wit, and always in search of a fun time. She will be missed and always remembered.

A viewing for Jeanne Frances will be held at Ford and Sons Sprigg Street Funeral Home from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday.

A graveside service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at Lorimier Cemetery.