Wanda Lorene (Lorene) Smith departed this earthly home on March 23, 2020. She was born on Dec. 30, 1930, to Chester (Chet) and Fern VanGilder. She was born in Oklahoma but lived with her parents for a while in Idaho where Chet worked in the mines. After returning to Oklahoma she attended local schools in the general Cushing area, married Ben Kautz (now deceased) of the local area, and graduated from Ripley High School in 1948. While married to Ben she had three sons and lived in the Watonga, Oklahoma area for 12 years. Lorene worked for many years as a bookkeeper for Meadowood Baptist Church in Midwest City, OK, and two Oklahoma City churches (St. Luke’s Methodist and Crown Heights Methodist). In 1979 she met Glenn O. Smith at a small church party. She was a widow and he was a widower. They very quickly found that their background, personalities, and interests were spot-on compatible and they were married on August 10, 1979. Lorene fully participated in the continuing raising of Russell, Glenn’s 10 year old son helping him integrate into church life. At the time of Lorene and Glenn’s meeting, Lorene had completed beginning square dance lessons and after marrying she prodded Glenn into taking the lessons which he did. That was the beginning of many years of a hobby that they both enjoyed, working their way up into the more difficult levels and going to dances locally, out of town, and out of state. Square dancing is a mental (not physical) activity and Lorene excelled at it. In addition to the dancing they both enjoyed many vacation trips by automobile around the 48 states seeing and doing things that were memorable, hitting all four corners of the country and innumerable points in between. In July 2016, because of diminishing physical ability, Lorene moved into Wellington Parke Assisted Living facility in Del City, Oklahoma, where she lived until she needed a higher level of care. After hospitalization and attempts at physical rehab she entered the Mid-Del Skilled Nursing facility in Del City on Jan. 9, 2020 where she passed away at age 89 on March 23, 2020. Lorene’s good humored zest for life and her love for her family will be sorely missed. She is survived by husband Glenn Smith of Del City and sons Bill (wife Trina), Gary (wife Rhonda), and Kenny (wife Gail) Kautz all of Yukon, Oklahoma. She is also survived by brother John VanGilder, sister Louise Kautz, sister Jayne Petty, sister LaVerne Saffle, and grandchildren Jeff Kautz, Julie Moore, Elly Horton, Tonya Hesser, Kendra Cope and Katie Kautz and 11 great grandchildren, 4 great-great grandchildren, step son Russ Smith (wife Jennifer) of Stillwater, OK, and step daughter Sylvia Baker (husband Gregg) of Owasso, OK. Because of the current worldwide pandemic, there will be no traditional funeral but will be limited to a graveside family service.
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