Doris Eileen Smith

CARBONDALE - With profound sadness, we announce the passing of Doris Eileen Smith, our loving mother, devoted grandmother, and friend to all whose lives she touched, on August 17, 2021. She was 91 years old.



Doris was born July 20, 1930 in Grassy Township to Thomas Cleveland and Esther Starling Monroe, where she lived until her marriage on June 24, 1950 to Floyd. W Smith, who preceded her in death after 56 years together. She is survived by her siblings, Thomas Monroe, Lela (Roger) Spurlock and Jesse (Ardel) Tucker.



A lifelong Carbondale native, Doris was well-loved in her communities -- both in her years living on South County Line Road and in her years living in Liberty Village, where she developed cherished friendships. She was a life-long parishioner of South County Line Church, and her faith and her love of the Bible sustained her throughout her life.



She leaves behind a family that she was very proud of. Doris was world-renowned for her lack of patience, not holding back her opinion and a knack for telling it like it is. She was genuine to a fault, loved to cook, read, crochet and to sew anything and everything for her grandchildren. A country girl at heart, her favorite moments were always when family and friends would gather around the table, especially her yearly birthday celebration.



Doris was steadfast in her work ethic, serving as a cook at Glendale Grade School as well as the Carbondale Bowling Alley, a clerk at the local fabric store on Illinois Avenue, a clerk at the Bening Square Pharmacy and a billing clerk for Southern Illinois Healthcare -- all the while performing the work being a farmer’s wife entails and raising three children.



She will be sorely missed and survived by her family: Her daughter Donna Jo (Lou) Butcher of Carbondale, IL, their daughters Jacee and Jennifer, and her beloved George. Her son Jeff (Candy) Smith of Carbondale, IL, and their children Clayton, Benji and Samantha. Her daughter Althea (Bill) Rhodes of Anna, IL, and their daughters Elise and Eroica.



In total, Doris is survived by seven grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren.



For those of us who loved her dearly, we will never forget her tenacity, wit, charm, grace (when pertinent) and undying love and caring for us.



A graveside “Celebration of Life” will be held in her memory on Wednesday, August 25th 2021 at 10:00 a.m., at Pleasant Grove Memorial Park, 31 Memorial Dr, Murphysboro, IL 62966, presided by Reverend Tommy Monroe, her brother. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to South County Line Church in Carbondale or to Anne West Lindsey Library in Carterville.

Meredith funeral home is in charge of arrangements. To share a memory or story visit www.meredithfh.com