John Edw. Smith

HOUSTON, Texas -- John Edw. Smith, son of the late Earl J. and Clara C. Halter Smith, was born Nov. 8, 1926, and passed away in Houston Thursday, March 11, 2021.

John served in the Merchant Marines and U.S. Air Force.

On Dec. 2, 1950, he married Clara Marie Stone. After her death in 2000, he married Jeanie Stroup on May 24, 2003.

John was a member of St. Ambrose Catholic Church in Chaffee, Missouri, the Elks Lodge, the Oran (Missouri) Chapter of the Knight of Columbus and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

John is survived by his daughter, Sarah Ann (Bas) de Haas; a sister, Doris (Clinton) Hodges; two grandchildren, Rhonda (Brian) Abernathy and Josh (Tara) Elfrink; three great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his two wives and his brother, Paul J. Smith.

A burial ceremony officiated by the Rev. Joseph Kelly will be at 11 a.m. July 2 at St. Ambrose Catholic Cemetery. A reception will be held at the Chaffee Elks Lodge immediately following the ceremony.