UNION

Funeral services for NF Smith will be held on Friday, November 22, 2024 at Milling Funeral Home of Union at 3:00PM.  Visitation will be from 1:00 PM until service time.   Burial will take place in Little Rock Baptist Church Cemetery in Little Rock, MS.  Rev. Nick Bullock will officiate and Mark Spence will sing two of his favorite songs.

NF Smith was born January 21, 1928 in Little Rock, MS and passed away on November 17, 2024 at the VA Nursing Home is Kosciusko, MS.

He is preceded in death by his wife of 65 years, Bessie (Bet) Spence Smith; parents, Erastus and Susie Smith; brothers, EO Smith Jr., Malcom Smith, Doc Smith, Kenneth Smith and Billy Smith; and sister Julia Winstead.

He is survived by his four daughters; Sandy Womble (Ken), Debbie Gibbs (Randy), Paula Buisson (Mike) and Becky White (Andy); seven grandchildren:  Justin Buisson (Ashley), Spencer Buisson, Valerie McDonald (Michael), Elise Bullock (Nick), Ellen Ward (Joseph), Rachel Thomae (Brian), and Matt Scoggin (April); nine great-grandchildren:  Chloe and Hailey Buisson, Haddon Benjamin, Owen and Margaret Bullock, Lily and Autumn McDonald, Joseph Ward Jr., and Levi Scoggin.

NF attended Beulah Hubbard School and after graduation he enlisted in the US Army in April 1946.  He served as a radio repairman in the Pacific Theater and was stationed in the Philippines and Guam.  He received WWII Victory Medal and was  discharged as a Sergeant in October 1947.  He married his high school sweetheart, Bet, one week after he returned home.

He was very proud of using the GI Bill to obtain his education. He attended East Central Jr. College and then Mississippi State University where he obtained his BS Degree in Vocational Agriculture.  He taught for 10 years in MS Public Schools and one year at East Central Jr. College.  He left teaching for a job in business for one year but returned to education to become the principal at Decatur High School for four years.  He obtained a Masters Degree and further graduate work from MSU in Educational Administration.  He was elected Superintendent of Education for Newton County in 1970 and served in that position for 12 years.  He left there to work at MS State Department of Education in Jackson as Assistant Superintendent of Education, Interim Superintendent of Education, then as Head of Finance.

While in Decatur he was an active member of Clarke Venable Baptist Church where he taught Sunday School and served as a Deacon. He was also active in the Jaycees.

He enjoyed hunting, fishing, and woodworking.  After retirement he spent many hours fishing with Bet and others at the Ross Barnett Reservoir where he and Bet lived.  They enjoyed travelling and spending time with family.  One of our best memories was the Saturday morning wake up calls to him singing, "Oh What a Beautiful Morning" and pillow fights.  He raised four girls in a home with one bathroom so you can imagine that.  He always insisted on having a male dog which we all happily agreed to.

Through the years he developed severe arthritis and was confined to a wheelchair.  He was diagnosed with Alzheimers, and Vascular Dementia 10 years ago.  He was blessed to stay at home with his family caring for him until four months ago when he was placed in the VA Nursing Home in Kosciusko.  We would like to thank them for their care and also Accent Care Hospice for those last few days.  We find comfort in knowing he is now at peace and free pain.  Prior to VA of Kosciusko, Dwan Wolf, NP from VA Jackson took wonderful care of him through numerous home visits and phone calls.  We would also like to thank all of you for your prayers for him and our family.

Pallbearers will be Ken Womble, Brian Thomae, Matt Scoggin, Kendall Stevens, Joseph Ward, and Mike Spence.

Honorary Pallbearers are Randy Gibbs and Andy White.