OBITUARY: Lola V. Smith

Lola V. Smith, 94, Bloomington died Thursday, Oct. 3, 2013, at Leroy Manor in Leroy.

She was born in Dorrisville (now Harrisburg) to R.R. Randolph former Speaker of the House in the Illinois legislature and Ethel Hart Randolph in 1919, the youngest of four children. She married Wayne L. Smith of Harrisburg in 1937. They moved to St. Louis, Mo., where Wayne was assistant manager of the Woolworth store. They returned to Harrisburg where they owned two different restaurants.

In 1947, they moved to Bloomington where Lola was a housewife and devoted mother of Virginia Lee Owen, Bloomington, and Wayne Lee (Bernice Sutherland) Smith of Omaha, Neb.

Lola was a member of North Bridge Baptist Church, the Baptist Church of Normal and earlier the First Baptist Church of Bloomington where she served on various boards and committees. She sang in the choirs at both churches and was a member of the Bloomington Passion Play Choir for over a decade as well as the choir for the Christmas Carol productions during that period.

After retirement she and Wayne spent a decade living on a small farm in Pope County while retaining their home in Bloomington. Lola took up oil painting at this time. She studied with local artists and faculty at Southern Illinois University and Milliken University, and in person with TV artists Alexander and Jenkins. She won blue and red ribbons at various festivals and art shows. Her works are in private collections in Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri and Nebraska.

She is survived by her two children, five grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and several nephews and nieces. She was preceded in death by her husband in 1983; her parents; her sisters, Vivian Reeves of Eldorado, Pauline Batonie of Bloomington; and her brother, Verdun Randolph of Springfield.

A celebration of life service will be held at North Bridge Baptist Church, Normal at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2013. Inurnment will be in the Lindale Cemetery in Eldorado at a future date. In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to the North Bridge Baptist Church, Normal, or a charity of the donor's chic.

Online condolences may be made to the family at kiblerbradyruestman.com