Saturday, February 13th, 1932 - Saturday, July 29th, 2023
A Celebration of Life service for Doris Nell Smith-Moody age 91 of Enid will be 10:00 am Saturday, August 5, 2023 at the Ladusau-Evans Chapel with Kateena Roberts and Gary Riffe speaking. Burial will follow in Memorial Park Cemetery under the direction of Ladusau-Evans Funeral Home and Crematory.
Doris was born on February 13, 1932 to Jason C. and Willie Jane Hales in Pinola, Mississippi, and passed away on July 29, 2023 in Enid, Oklahoma. After graduation from Pinola High School, Doris attended Copiah-Lincoln Jr. College in Wesson, MS., where she met her future husband, James Edwin (Jim) Smith, Sr. and Jim's best friend Robert H. Moody, as well as Robert's soon-to-be wife, Rose Ramelle Lane. There, their life-long friendships began. Jim and Robert both became Methodist ministers in Mississippi. Jim and Doris married on March 29, 1952 and began their lives together in ministry. After serving many charges in Mississippi, the Smith and Moody families migrated together to the Oklahoma Conference in 1964. Doris knew at an early age that God's plan for her was to be a preacher’s wife, so she developed piano playing skills, never great, but enough to fill the void if no one else showed up to play for services. She enjoyed Church socials, especially United Methodist Women (WSCS) activities. Her typing skills far surpassed Jim's so she willingly typed hundreds of church bulletins. Her favorite hobbies were cooking and knitting.
Doris also sold Tupperware and World Book Encyclopedias. She said she needed to supplement Jim's ministerial income, primarily to help pay their phone bills, as the Smith-Moody long-distance phone calls were frequent and lengthy! Jim and Doris served churches in Billings, Wilson, Turpin, Madill, Wakita, Anadarko, and Guymon. After moving to Guymon, Doris accepted a position with the Oklahoma State Employment Service, eventually becoming manager of the Guymon office. In 2002, Jim and Doris moved to Golden Oaks Village in Enid, OK, where they enjoyed their retirement.
After Jim passed away in 2005, and Ramelle in 2008, Robert and Doris continued their long friendship and married on March 21, 2009. After that date, her favorite saying was "I not only married one Methodist Minister, but two!" They enjoyed reminiscing and making new memories together, including trips to New Mexico, Colorado, Florida, Alaska, and of course, back to their roots in Mississippi. In 2017, Robert joined Ramelle and Jim at rest. And now, the four friends are together again.
Doris was preceded in death by her parents, Jason and Willie Jane Hales; her brother, Glen Hales; numerous sister- and brothers-in-law; and stepson Robert Lane Moody.
She is survived by her sons, James Edwin Smith, Jr. (Rosemary) of Amarillo, TX and Gary Allen Smith of Wakita, OK; step-children Marla Patterson, January Moody, Kerri Shiflett (Bill), and Andy Moody; grandchildren Samantha Clover, Lindsey Irlbeck, Tiffany York (Chris), Adam Patterson (Jennifer), Rob Patterson (Jade), Jentry Hamilton (Joshua), Nathan Moody (Ashley), and Courtney Simmons (Ryan); great-grandchildren Trae, Landon, Jordan, Rip, Riley, Hadley, Colum, Steven, and Miles; sisters-in-law Kay Hales and Ava Ann (Smith) Arinder, daughter-by-choice Jane Ulibarri, and numerous nieces and nephews.
Special thanks to Golden Oaks Village for 21 years of love and care, Elara Hospice for love, peace, and comfort, and to Dr. Richard Rivers for many years of God's blessings to Doris, as well as to Jim and Robert during their lives.
Condolences may be made to the family online at www.LadusauEvans.com. Ladusau-Evans has been serving the families of the Enid Community and surrounding areas for over 40 years with compassionate service and dedication. They provide families with an open door policy. Feel free to contact them 24 hours a day. Visitation Hours: 8:00 am – 9:00 pm daily, 2800 N. Van Buren, Enid, OK 73703. Call: (580) 233-1400.
Obituaries are posted, in part, due to the generosity of The Commons.
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