Louise McDaniel Smith

Louise Smith, of Adamsville, TN, passed away peacefully on November 17, 2020, at the remarkable age of 104 years, 6 months, and 17 days. She was born in the New Hope community in Hardin County, TN, on April 30, 1916 to the late Chester and Mollie (Cochran) McDaniel.

Louise attended elementary school at the New Hope School and graduated high school from the Shiloh School in 1934. During these years, she spent much time helping her father tend his corn and cotton fields along the Tennessee River. She went on to attend West Tennessee Normal School (now University of Memphis) for two years to earn her teaching certificate.
While there, she was a member of the women’s basketball team. She returned to the Shiloh School where she taught grades 3-5, all at the same time in the same room, from 1936 to 1941. Among her students was a future governor of Tennessee (Ray Blanton). She then moved to Savannah, TN where she worked as a bookkeeper for Emmet Yeiser Chevrolet.

In September of 1946, she eloped to Alabama to marry Burl Smith of Adamsville. They were married for over 57 years until Burl’s death on May 31, 2004. Louise was a stay-at-home homemaker until about 1960 when she began spending more time helping Burl with his furniture and appliance business in Adamsville. Louise was an active member of the First United Methodist Church in Adamsville for more than 70 years and sang in
the choir well into her nineties. She had a reputation as an excellent cook and provided countless dishes for church potluck suppers. She was an avid walker and could be seen around Adamsville taking her afternoon stroll even after her 100th birthday.

After a serious illness in 2018, she moved into Riverwick Assisted Living in Savannah where she lived until her death. She loved the staff at Riverwick and she loved her private caretakers led by Gail Roberts and Peggy Lowery.

In addition to her parents and husband, Louise was preceded in death by her sisters Hazel Thrasher of Corinth, MS; Maurine Atkins of Savannah, TN, and Bertie Higgins of Savannah, TN. She also had a brother, Harold, who died as an infant.

She is survived by her son David, and his
wife Linda, of Denver, CO.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to one of Louise’s two favorite charities:
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (www.stjude.org), or
Smile Train (www.smiletrain.org).