Audrey Fern Smith

Audrey Fern (Gasperson) Smith of Vanzant, Missouri, passed from this life on June 22, 2022, at the Ozark Nursing and Care Center in Ozark, Missouri, at 85 years, 8 months, and 19 days of age. She was born October 3, 1936, in Vanzant, Missouri, the daughter of Elza and Ann (Strong) Gasperson.

Audrey grew up on her family farm and attended Clifty Hall School, in the Vanzant area. She married Roy Smith on April 9, 1955, in West Plains, Missouri, with whom she shared 66 years of marriage. Two sons were born to this union, Darrell and Rob. She and Roy were both saved at Victory Church, in 1949, with river baptisms following. Soon after they married, Roy and Audrey moved to Woodland, California, for work before returning to Vanzant in 1959 to purchase their farm from her parents.

Besides being a cattle farmer and managing the Smith & Sons Logging business, Audrey was also a dedicated member of her community. She was the Assistant Postmaster at the Vanzant Post Office, worked the local elections as a poll worker and clerk, and volunteered at the Vanzant Picnic. After they retired from the logging business, she and Roy continued to raise beef cattle on their farm. She loved being outdoors working with the cattle, watching wildlife, bottle feeding calves, and playing with her grandkids and great-grandkids. She was a loving, supportive wife to Roy and a devoted mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She enjoyed gardening and canning, was an amazing cook, and pretty famous in her community for her homemade pies. Her family brought her great joy. She loved their visits and always looked forward to their annual family reunions, where people were known to follow her from her truck to the tables making sure to get a piece of one of her delicious pies.

She is survived by her two sons, Darrell Smith, Vanzant, MO, and Rob (Tracy) Smith, Ozark, MO; five grandchildren, Jennifer (Jay) Riddle, Thomas (Cheyanne) Smith, Andrew (Chelsea) Smith, Alyssa (Tim) Wagaman, and Meagan Smith and her fiancé, Max Kolotyuk; twelve great-grandchildren; one sister, Frannie Wake, Willow Springs, MO; one brother, Gerald Gasperson, Mountain Grove, MO; two sisters-in-law, Christine Gasperson and Barbara Gasperson, both of Mountain Grove, MO; along with many other relatives and friends in the community who will miss her very much.

Besides her parents, Audrey was preceded in death by her husband, Roy; daughter-in-law, LaVonna Smith; two sisters, Barbara Blair and her husband, Frank, and Jean Wake and her husband, Vaude; two brothers, Paul Gasperson and Jerry Gasperson; and sister-in-law, Bernice Gasperson.

A funeral service will be held at 2:00 PM on Wednesday, June 29, 2022 at Craig-Hurtt Funeral Home, 315 N Main Street, Mountain Grove, MO, with Pastor Bud Scherer officiating. Burial will follow at Vanzant Cemetery, W Highway, Vanzant, MO. Visitation is planned from 1:00-2:00 PM just before the funeral service at Craig-Hurtt Funeral Home, Mountain Grove. A Viewing time is also scheduled for Tuesday evening from 4:00-6:00 PM at the funeral home, family may not be present during this time.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the following charities:
• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
• Mid America National Multiple Sclerosis Society
• American Bible Society