Doris Jeanne Smiley

Doris Jeanne Powell Smiley, 66, of Newton, died Monday, May 3, 2010, at her home in Newton.

Jeanne was born on July 14, 1943, to Walter Conger Powell and Mary Marietta Frazee Powell, in Tulsa, Okla. She was raised and attended school in Muskogee, Okla. While she was in school she always went by her first name of Doris. She graduated from Muskogee Central High School in 1961. While in high school she was involved in the marching band and the drum majorettes. When she was about eight years old she contracted polio and was hospitalized for some time in Tulsa. She survived. She was a fighter. She was our own “Okie from Muskogee”.

Joe and Jeanne met in 1961 on the shores of Fort Gibson Lake near Wagoner, Okla. Their first date was to go water skiing. From there it escalated into monthly or even weekly visits. Mostly Joe was driving to Muskogee. Joe states that he wore out several Chevy’s running back and forth to Oklahoma on the rough roads. Jeanne attended Oklahoma State University in Stillwater and the trips from Newton to Oklahoma continued. In the year 1964, all concerned deemed it was cost effective for Joe and Jeanne to get married and live in Newton, Kan.

On April 26, 1964, Joe and Jeanne were married in the First Methodist Church in Muskogee, Okla., which by the way, Joe’s grandparents had been married in the same church many years before. Joe and Jeanne made their home on West Ninth Street in Newton. Jeanne went to work for Full Vision Company as a Human Resource and payroll supervisor. She worked there until son Scott was born in 1971. After Scott was a couple of years old, she started a 26-year career with Newton School District #373. She was the Payroll Supervisor and Human resource officer. It has been stated that she was the “Go To” gal, as she had the right answers for all the employees’ questions. She took this job very seriously. She worked with some very good people and cared about each and every one of them.

She was the kind of mother who could juggle work, soccer games, P.T.A., basketball games, baseball games, social events and home life and still keep things in order. During the early years, Jeanne was very much involved with the First Christian Church of Newton. She served as the church secretary and taught Sunday school. She was always a Christian lady.

After retirement, she and Joe had a new house built in the Autumn Glen addition in Newton. She continued to give of her time. She volunteered at the Newton Public Library in the enlite program, which delivers books to the care homes and the elderly. She also served on the finance committee of the Harvey County Historical Society, and was secretary for the Ladies Reading Circle in Newton. After retirement, they did quite a bit of traveling, from a big cruise to bus trips to week long trips and day trips. They were accompanied by good friends, Jane and Lanny Jones and Evan and Carolyn Johnson. She and Joe spent about 25 summers in Tincup, Colo., where they along with many friends built a cabin in the early 80’s. Jeanne loved for friends and family to come to Colorado to stay with them and show them the sights around Tincup. Jeanne was a wonderful southern cook, taking many lessons from her grandmother. The one thing she was well remembered for was her southern fried chicken. What a perfectionist she was.

Jeanne is survived by her husband Joe, of the home; and her son, Dt. Scott Smiley, of Emporia. She was preceded in death by her parents and one sister, Anita Powell.

Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 8, 2010, at First Christian Church, Newton. There will be no visitation.

A memorial has been established with the American Cancer Society and the Harvey County Historical Society, contribution may be sent to Broadway Colonial Funeral Home, 120 E. Broadway, Newton, KS 67114.