Eleanor Jo Smith

Jo graduated from Marlin High School and received her B.S. in Education from the University of North Texas in 1943. While attending a banquet for Perkins seminary students with her brother Emmitt, she met Wayne Smith, whom she married in August of 1944, after completing a year teaching 3rd grade in Midland, Texas. Jo and Wayne celebrated 63 years together before his passing in 2008.

Jo truly found her calling as a minister’s wife. Her passion was Christian education, and she received her Christian Education Certification from Perkins School of Theology in 1981. She taught every age of Sunday school from 3 year-olds to adults and worked with countless youth groups. At each church Wayne was appointed to, Jo filled whatever niche was needed, from dusting off her piano skills to accompany hymns in the Stockdale charge to calling on un-churched families in the Cedar Park community as she and Wayne started a new Methodist church there.

After a year of Wayne serving as associate pastor at First Methodist Church in San Angelo, Jo and Wayne moved to a five point circuit based in Stockdale, where their first child, Randy, was born in 1945. They were appointed to the Dilly Methodist Church where daughter Gwen was born in 1949. Then they moved to Yoakum where Cherry was born in 1953. In 1956, they were appointed to St. Luke’s Methodist Church in San Angelo, where their fourth child, Kendall was born. After appointments in Mercedes and Taft, the family moved back to San Angelo where Wayne was appointed to Angelo Heights Methodist, now Sierra Vista UMC. Jo & Wayne continued their ministry at First UMC, Boerne, and four Austin area churches: Asbury, Faith, Leander, and the church they started at Cedar Park.

Eleanor Jo was devoted to family, church, and the wider community. She was active in United Methodist Women, League of Women Voters, Church Women United, and the United Nations Association. She loved to read, and play tennis, ping pong and pool. Even into her eighties, when children and grand children visited her at the Renaissance-Austin assisted living center, she would have them take her in a wheelchair to the game room, where she proceeded to beat them in a game of pool.

Jo was preceded in death by her parents, husband, brother, Emmitt Barrow, and his wife Anne, and grandson Clark Smith.

Surviving Jo are son Randy; daughter Gwen Gabriel; daughter Cherry Crawford and husband Daniel; son Kendall and wife Laura; eight grandchildren: Jason Gabriel and wife Rebecca; Noel Gabriel and wife Alisha; Jade Garcia; Joshua Smith and wife Lexi; Genny Cornell and husband Smith; Tyler Moore; John Crawford; and Hannah Smith. She is also survived by ten great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

A visitation will be held from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, March 28, at Cook Walden Funeral Home, 6100 North Lamar. A celebration of Eleanor Jo’s life will be held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, March 29, at Memorial UMC, 6100 Berkman Drive, with interment to follow at Cook-Walden Forest Oaks Cemetery at 6300 West William Cannon.

The family would like to thank all of the wonderful caregivers at the Renaissance-Austin for their many years of loving care.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Memorial UMC or the League of Women Voters.

Condolences may be sent to www.cookwaldenfuneralhome.com.