Margaret Ellen Smith

Margaret Ellen Smith passed away in her home on September 30, 2017. She was born Margaret Ellen Buford on March 15, 1925 to Leroy Frank Buford and Edna May Jones Buford in Harrisburg, PA. She attended William Penn High School in Harrisburg. After high school, Margaret worked for the Harrisburg Telephone Company. During this time she met Vern Gordon Smith, an Army soldier from Oklahoma. On July 6, 1946 Margaret and Gordon married in Harrisburg, PA and took the train to Oklahoma City, where they lived for many years. Their only child, Wayne Dennis Smith, was born on October 16, 1949.

Margaret lived with her family in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she worked for Shell Oil Company, and St. Louis, Missouri, before moving to Olathe, Kansas. When her husband retired, Margaret and Gordon enjoyed taking cruises and traveled to Europe several times. Margaret loved sharing her many memories of their travels in addition to their trips to watch their beloved Oklahoma Sooners play football in Norman, Oklahoma. Margaret's best friend for over 40 years, Sue Fears, was with her on many of those cruises and also sat with them at OU's Owen Field cheering on their Sooners for many, football seasons.

Margaret was a loving wife and wonderful mother. She loved to travel, and she also loved gardening. Margaret and Gordon's father used to have a competition to see who could grow the best tomatoes when they lived in Oklahoma City. She also loved decorating her beautiful home with each season and holiday.

Margaret wished to remain in her home after Gordon passed and asked her friends and neighbors, Jeff and Kathy Davis, to help her. Both Jeff and Kathy feel so blessed that they were able to do this for Margaret. She was always surrounded by her friends who loved and cared for her. During the last year of Margaret's life, several angels came into her home. These angels prepared her meals, kept her home neat and tidy, decorated her home for every holiday, and provided companionship and love. Kathy Sallee, Chyenne Vignili, Hope Davis, Regan Dowling, Amy Glattly and many others developed deep friendships with Margaret in addition to caring for her. These ladies made her laugh and comforted her when she wasn't feeling well. Margaret loved to hear the girls talk about their daily struggles with college life, boys, roommates, parties, and the bars. And they appreciated Margaret's perspective whenever they had issues. These ladies were indeed angels here on earth that came into Margaret's life, and they became family to Margaret when she was all alone. Margaret loved them all.

Margaret was preceded in death by her father Leroy Frank Buford when she was just 3 months old, her mother Edna May Buford Mowers when Margaret was just 15, her husband of 70 years Vern Gordon Smith, and son Wayne Dennis Smith.

A memorial service will be held at Penwell Gabel Funeral Home in Olathe, Kansas, at 6:00pm, October 2, 2017, with visitation following until 7:30pm. Burial will be at Chapel Hill Funeral Home in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.





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