NOBLE LEE SMITH

NOBLE LEE SMITH, longtime Fayette Countian, Church of God Minister, U.S. Veteran, International Harvester retiree and husband of Nannie Smith died Monday evening, March 15, 2010 at the Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis where he had been a patient for fifteen days. He was 85 years of age and died following an extended illness.

Funeral Services with Military Honors were conducted for Mr. Noble at 2 P.M. Thursday, March 18th at the Peebles West Funeral Chapel at Oakland. The officiating ministers were: Pastor Rodney Vanwinkle, Pastor Ralph Blaylock, Pastor Marvin Woods and Pastor Willie Raines. Interment followed in the Forest Hill-East Cemetery at Memphis and arrangements were provided by Peebles Fayette County Funeral Homes-West Chapel of Oakland.

He was born December 3, 1924 in Trumann, Arkansas, the son of Robert Benton Smith and Lena Green Smith, both now deceased.

He attended schools in the Parkin, Arkansas Public School System after which he enlisted in the United States Army where he served overseas in World War II.

On August 12, 1973 he married the former Nannie Elizabeth Cannon, who survives.

Mr. Smith was employed with the International Harvester Corporation for thirty years, where he retired in 1980 as a Quality Service Control Repairman.

A Licensed Church of God Minister, he formerly served as Pastor for the Center Hill Church of God in Sarah, Mississippi as well as provided Ministerial services for the Methodist Hospital in Somerville. Mr. Smith served as a Council Member of the Pastor's Council of the Faith Church of God in Somerville where he attended.

A longtime resident of Fayette County, Mr. Smith had lived in the Somerville Community for twenty-six years before his death.

A loving and devoted patriarch to six generations, in addition to his wife of thirty-six years, Mr. Smith is survived by two daughters, May Bell White and Loraine King, both of Somerville; three sons: Stephen Michael Smith of Bartlett; Richard L. Smith of Memphis and Ronald K. Smith of Waynesboro, TN; twenty-three grandchildren, thirty-four great-grandchildren, thirty-five great-great grandchildren and two great-great-great-grandchildren.

Those honored to serve as casket bearers were Keith Bomar, Jr., Brandon King, Sr., James King, Sr., Jonathan Smith, Joshua J. Smith, John Paul White and Joseph White.

The family requests that memorials be directed to the Faith Church of God, 17890 Highway 64, Somerville, TN 38068; Phone: (901) 465-8077.