VIRGIL SMITHEY

THEBES, Ill. -- Virgil V. Smithey, 84, of Route 1, Thebes, died Tuesday, March 25, 1997, at Union County Hospital in Anna.

He was born Nov. 27, 1912, at Elco, Ill., son of the late Dan and Bertha Allen Smithey.

He married Clara Dover at Mounds in March of 1937.

He was an Army veteran of World War II and a member of the Baptist faith. He was a retired farmer.

Survivors include his wife; four sons, Royal Smithey of Sutherlin, Ore.; Charles and Paul Smithey, both of Olive Branch and Dale Smithey of Beloit, Ill.; five daughters, Marilyn Mason of Harvard, Ill., Janice Tatum of Tamms, Doris Smithey of Olive Branch, Cathy Meggs of Cape Girardeau, Mo., and Alberta Knorr of Shirland, Ill.; one sister, Maxine Stonecipher of Bedford, Texas, 22 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren.

Funeral service will be Friday at 11 a.m. at Jones Funeral Home in Tamms. Interment will follow at Sims Cemetery north of Elco. Carroll P. Foster VFW Post 3455 of Anna will perform full military honors.

Visitation will be after 5 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.