Wilma Elmerlene (Brown) Smotherman, 83, passed away on October 18, 2019, in Mountain View, Missouri. She was born on May 29, 1936, to Elmer A. and Delsa M. (Thomas) (Spangler) Brown in Montier, Missouri. She and Raymond O. Smotherman eloped at the age of sixteen on November 17, 1952 in Sharp County, Arkansas and to this union four children were born.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Raymond; an infant daughter; an infant sister, Erma; two brothers, Emmett Spangler and Elbert “Buster” Brown; one sister, Hazel Smith; and one great-grandson, Kyle.
She is survived by children, Raymond D. Smotherman (Carol), Deborah Markham and Diana Cattell (Larry); sisters, Shirley Brown, Lillie Carr and Leveta Davis; eight grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
Wilma and Raymond were married for over 60 years before he passed away in 2013. She worked at Midwest Weaving later moving on to work for a billfold company. After her children were born, she attended beauty school and became a licensed beautician in 1963, and worked part-time in Ballwin, Missouri. In 1965, she and R.O. purchased the Drive-In in Birch Tree, Missouri and later ran her own beauty shop until she retired in 2002. She loved to bowl and to research her family history. She will be deeply missed by all that knew her.
Graveside services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Tuesday, October 22, 2019, at Oak Forest Cemetery, Birch Tree, Missouri with Bro. Darrell Derryberry officiating. Visitation will be held Monday evening from 6-8:00 p.m. at Yarber Mortuary Chapel, Mountain View, Missouri. Interment will be in Oak Forest Cemetery, Birch Tree, Missouri. Condolences may be expressed at www.yarbermortuary.com.
