Virginia Kathleen Smith

VIRGINIA KATHLEEN SMITH Funeral services for 20 year resident of Cortez, Virginia Kathleen Smith will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, March 23 at Ertel Memorial Chapel. Cremation will follow the funeral service. Virginia was born on May 31, 1924 in Black Diamond, Wash. to become the middle daughter of Paul and Isabel Besso. She passed away on Thursday, March 18, 2010 at Valley Inn Nursing Home at the age of 85. Even though Virginia was born with many health issues including becoming totally deaf at the age of six, she was a survivor. Virginia loved music, she could sing and play the harmonica. She also had a great sense of humor. Everyone that met Virginia loved her. She loved her children and grandchildren with all of her heart. She truly cared about people. Virginia was a life-long member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church who lived her life in service to God and others. Virginia was preceded in death by her parents; by two sisters, Dorothy and Eleanor; her former husband and the father of her children, Elbert Newell Smith of Pueblo, Colo. and formerly of Fowler, Colo.; and by her grandchildren, Evelyn Marie Smith in 1973 and Jeff Bigler in 1984. Surviving Virginia are her children, Kathleen Lutter and husband, A.J. of Brainerd, Minn., Peggy Jarmin of Kettle Falls, Wash., Lucy Smith of Canon City, Colo., JoAnne Folkestad and husband, James of Cortez, and Ted Smith of Albuquerque, N.M.; her grandchildren, Kristine Bigler, April Erfurth and husband, James, Ann Boviall and husband, Jason, Alice Stephenson, Makayla Ailts, Greg Bigler and wife, Vickie, Matthew Moris and wife, Sarah, Travis Smith, and Spencer Ailts; her adopted grandsons, Cody Melvin, and David O'Camb; her great-grandchildren, Alanna Bigler, Holly Dehlbom and husband, David, Cheyenne Boviall, Isabel Erfurth, Andrew Bigler, Billy Bigler, Nathan McNeil, Kyle McNeil, Keith McNeil, Brady Bigler, Brent McNeil, Ethan Erfurth, Luke Moris, Logan Moris, Donny Boviall, Preston Stephenson, and Abraham Erfurth; and her former son-in-law, David Ailts of Cortez. Perhaps they are not stars, but rather openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones shines down to let us know they are with us.