ERNEST SMITH

ERNEST SMITH 01/27/1936 - 04/02/2025 Ernest E. "Smitty" Smith, 89, of Arrow Rock, died Wednesday, April 2, 2025 in Liberty. Graveside services will be Friday, April 11, 2025 at 2:00 P.M. at Arrow Rock Cemetery, with Rev. Dr. Michael Kateman officiating. Memorials are suggested to the Friends of Arrow Rock, or the Arrow Rock Federated Church in care of Weiker Funeral Home in Slater. Born January 27, 1936 in Wellsville, Missouri, he was the son of the late Virgil and Jewell Logan Smith. On May 23, 1964 at the United Methodist Church in Polo, Missouri, he married Judith Mason, and they celebrated sixty years of marriage in May, 2024. In addition to his wife, he is survived by two daughters, Bethany Smith Harris and her husband Jeff of Marshall, and Jennifer Smith Funston and her husband Doug of Liberty; four grandchildren, Drew Harris and his wife Betsy of Marshalltown, Iowa, Logan Harris and his wife Nicole of Lee's Summit, Missouri, Olivia Funston of Kansas City, Missouri, and Amelia Funston of Shawnee, Kansas; two great-grandchildren, Henry Judah Harris of Marshalltown, Iowa, and Thomas Michael Harris of Lee's Summit; a brother, Donald Smith of Montgomery City, Missouri; a sister, Eunice Littleton of Smithville, Missouri; nieces and nephews, Mark Smith and his wife Tina, Kevin Smith and his wife Ramona, Jeff Littleton and his wife Elsa; great-nephews, Logan Littleton, Conor Littleton, and Terrell Littleton; a great-niece, Madeleine Hahn and her husband Eric; and a great-great-nephew, Ian Hahn. Mr. Smith was a member of the Arrow Rock Federated Church. He was a 1954 graduate of Montgomery City High School, and earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and a master's degree from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He joined the Missouri Air National Guard in 1959, serving until 1964. He was deployed to Toul-Rosières Air Base with his brother and several boyhood friends during the Berlin Crisis in France. He was a teacher and coach in various Missouri communities, finishing his education career at St. Charles High School in St. Charles, Missouri as Assistant Principal. Following his teaching career, he began a career in business, by purchasing the Western Auto store in Slater, which he and his wife operated from 1979 until 1989. He then joined his brother-in-law in car sales for the next several years, retiring to Arrow Rock in 1996. In his retirement, he enjoyed MIZZOU sports with his childhood friends, Don Arens, Jack Rodgers, and Dick Sublette. He was a lifelong Cardinals baseball fan, and he passed along his love of that team to his grandchildren. One of Smitty's greatest joys in life was when all the generations gathered at the family home in Arrow Rock.