Funeral services for Thelma Smith, 88, of Davenport, will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, December 2, 2011 at Faith United Church of Christ, 1630 West 38th Street, Davenport. Visitation will be Thursday evening from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at Cunnick-Collins Mortuary in Davenport. Interment will be at Davenport Memorial Park Cemetery. Mrs. Smith passed away on Sunday, November 27, 2011 at Manor Care –Utica Ridge, Davenport.Thelma Smith was born in Tripp, SD on January 12, 1923. She was the 2nd child of eight children of Peter and Bertha Schmidt. She started college in Yankton, SD just before the start of World War II. When the war started, she and 2 of her sisters moved to Los Angeles to work for North American Aviation building airplanes. She loved to dance and won several contests during the war. After the war, she returned to South Dakota and began teaching in a 1 room schoolhouse. She moved to Iowa with her family in 1952. She began teaching in Scott County in 1954 and joined the Davenport Community School System in 1959. She taught 1st grade until 1988 at several schools including Eisenhower, Jefferson, Monroe, and Blue Grass Elementary. She loved the children in her classes and loved teaching. Thelma was also a member of Faith United Church of Christ. She is survived by her 3 children: Sharon Swander of Austin, TX, Wanda Lott of San Jose, CA and Lyle Smith of Moline, IL; a brother: James Schmidt of South Dakota; a sister: Elizabeth Meyer of South Dakota; 7 grandchildren: Michelle Wells and Robert Swander of Texas, Kelley Hawkins and Joshua Lott of California, Jody Marquis, Julie Smith, and Kevin Smith of Illinois. She was also proud to have 10 great-grandchildren. Memorials may be directed to Faith United Church of Christ or to CASI.
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