Gertrude Lanone Smith, 92, Adrian, MO, died Tuesday, January 15, 2008 at Bates County Memorial Hospital, Butler, MO. Services 11:00 AM Saturday, January 19 at the Atkinson Chapel, Adrian, MO. Visitation 10:00-11:00 AM Saturday at the chapel. Burial in Crescent Hill Cemetery, Adrian. Contributions may be made to the Adrian United Methodist Church Building Fund or the Adrian Library.

Gertrude was born July 28, 1915 in Holden, MO, the daughter of William Earl and Stella (Hodges) Ellington. She married George Nelson Smith on November 24, 1931 on Thanksgiving Day. To this union four children were born, Theodore Lee Smith, Nelson Earl Smith, Viola Ruth Smith and Dorothy Mae Smith.

Gertrude worked hard at being a mother and wife. She had a garden and raised chickens. She canned everything from her garden and anyone else's garden who gave it to her. There were big get-togethers to butcher hogs and chickens on the farm.

Gertrude was a great cook. She made the best chocolate pies in the whole world and made more Christmas cookies than 20 families could eat. She and her husband, George, did a lot of traveling in the old camper. They belonged to a camping club and went over most of the western states and some to the south. Gertrude enjoyed her gardens and was in the garden club in Adrian. She also loved the flower shows and always came home with ribbons.

Gertrude was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, George, one brother, Kenneth and three sisters, Helen, Wilma Mae and Lourene, one son, Nelson Earl (Bud) Smith, two grandsons, Michael George Durbin and Lloyd Smith and one great-granddaughter, Candace Dawn Durbin. She is survived by her oldest son, Ted Smith, Crescent City, CA; two daughters, Ruth DeVore and Dorothy Durbin, both of Adrian, MO; two sisters, Dorothy Bailey, Albuquerque, NM and Joanna Sivils and husband, Delbert, Sun City, CA; and a host of grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren, plus many nieces, nephews and friends.