Vina Iona (Emmons) Smith Mains (2020)

BARTLETT, EGEMO, EMMONS, HANDLY, KLINESMITH, MAINS, NELSON-EGEMO, PUTNEY, SLAUSON, SMITH, SMITH-SPEAR-NOLAN, SYKES, THORNBURG, WALTZ

Posted By: Shirley Keating
Date: 11/8/2023 at 18:04:38

Johnson Family Funeral Home
Earlham, Iowa
July 2020

Vina Iona Smith-Mains

Vina Iona (Emmons) Smith Mains, 97 of Earlham passed away peacefully on July 6, 2020 at the Community Care Center in Stuart. Visitation will be held from 5-7 P.M. on Friday, July 10th at the Johnson Family Funeral Home in Earlham. Graveside memorial service will be held at a later date at Penn Center Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be directed to Every Step Hospice, Stuart Community Care Center Foundation and/or the Earlham United Methodist Church.

Vina was born on March 10, 1923 to Laiten and Minnie (Thornburg) Emmons on a farm south of Menlo, Iowa. She was the youngest of six children, being 15 minutes younger than her twin sister, Sadie.

Vina married Willard Smith on November 16, 1942 in Bethany, Missouri. They enjoyed 52 years together. They farmed in the Pitzer & Redfield areas. In the mid-60’s they moved to the town of Earlham, Iowa and ran Smith’s By-Lo grocery for 10 years. To this union 4 children were born. Willard & Vina enjoyed taking trips with friends/family, playing cards/games & and the 10 winters as snowbirds in Apache Junction, AZ.

Vina remarried on July 8, 2001 to William (Dick) Mains and moved back to the country in Casey, Iowa until health issues forced them to move to assisted living and then the nursing home in Stuart, Iowa. They enjoyed 12 years together.

Before Vina’s 1st marriage Vina worked in other people’s homes. She was a homemaker, a gardener/farmer’s wife, an Avon lady and a factory worker (the last one being Parker Games in Des Moines. She loved being around people, was always involved in her church, belonged to several card clubs, played bingo and occasionally visited the casinos. Vina was a spunky lady and always had a smile on her face!

Vina is survived by her daughters, Joyce (Larry) Nelson-Egemo of Story City, Iowa ; Connie (Paul Russell) Bartlett of Liberty, Missouri; daughter-in-law Shelia (Michael) Waltz of Winterset, Iowa; Stepson David (Mary) Mains and Stepdaughters Patty Klinesmith ; and Cindy (Okey) Sykes. Also Grandchildren, Joe & Tim Bartlett, Beth (Egemo) Handly, Martin Egemo, Eric Waltz, Nathan Waltz & Sarah Waltz, plus a growing number of great grandchildren and loved by many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband Willard, infant daughter Sandra, son Richard, and infant grandson (Richard Shawn), her parents, Brothers Gail (Leona), Dwight (Ruth), Calvin (in WWII) and sister Fern (Clarence) Putney and twin sister Sadie (Lewis) Slauson, Brother-in-law Dale (Mary) Smith and Sister-in-law Mabel Smith-Spear-Nolan & several beloved nieces and nephews.

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