Mary Lou Smith

Tuesday, April 12, 2016 from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. at Waters Funeral Chapel in Vandalia.

Wednesday, April 13, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. at Waters Funeral Chapel.
Officiating: Rev. Joel Montgomery.
Music: selected favorite songs.
Interment: the Vandalia Cemetery.
Pallbearers: Lincoln Smith, Jarrett Smith, Brian Bybee, Cale Utterback, Josh Laird and Jacob Laird. Honorary pallbearers: Heather Lucas, Corrie Gaston and Dillion Minor.

Mary Lou (Winders) Smith passed away at 3:49 p.m. on Saturday, April 9, 2016 at Tri-County Care Center in Vandalia. She was a life-long Vandalia area resident and a 1945 graduate of Vandalia High School. After high school, she traveled during weekdays to St. Louis and worked at the ammunition factory there during the war. After her marriage to William Eugene Smith, Mary Lou worked at Dr. Howell's dentist office in town. She and her husband also owned and operated a couple school buses and a newspaper route. Mary Lou then worked at the Vandalia City Hall as a clerk for over 23 years, retiring in 1986. She was a member the First Presbyterian Church in Vandalia. Mary Lou was a regular at the Vandalia Drug Store for coffee, enjoyed outside yard work and working with her husband on several business ventures and traveling.

Born: March 1, 1927 in rural Vandalia, Missouri the daughter of Arthur Bryan and Joyce Marie (Jones) Winders.

Married: William Eugene Smith on January 5, 1949 in Vandalia; he preceded her in death on April 8, 1995.

Survivors include: one son, Douglas E. Smith of Boynton Beach, Florida; two daughters: Deana K. and husband, Dan Bybee of Vandalia; Denise and husband, Tony Laird of Vandalia; also survived by 12 grandchildren: Lincoln Smith of Ashland; Jarrett Smith of Lake Elsinore, Calif.; Heather Lucas of Vandalia; Brian Bybee of Farber; Wes Bybee and James Bybee both of Buffalo; Corrie Gaston of Vandalia; Cale Utterback of Farber; Josh Laird of Vandalia; Jacob Laird of Kansas City, Kansas; Beth Collins of Mexico and Jennifer Delozier of Mexico; also survived by 20 great-grandchildren.

Preceded in death by: parents; husband, William Eugene Smith; one sister, Helen Driscoll.

Memorials are encouraged to the Alzheimer's Association