Effie Emilyn Smith, 89, of Ona, WV, passed away October 1, 2026. Funeral services will be conducted at 1:00 p.m. Tuesday, October 6, 2026 at Wallace Funeral Home, Milton, by Rev. David Richards and Rev. Barbara Accord. Entombment will be in Forest Memorial Park, Milton. She was born September 26, 1937 in Atlanta, GA, a daughter of the late George Walter and Ida Virginia Crittenden Adams. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Rachel Crittenden Smith, Dec. 19, 2020. She is survived by her loving husband of 63 years, Joseph Ernest Smith; daughter, Amanda Smith Craig (Jeff) of Buckhannon, WV; son, Samuel Adams Smith (Lora) of Charlestown, IN: grandchild, Benjamin Garner Smith of Winston-Salem, NC.
Effie graduated from Roswell High School in 1955, then Tift College in Shelman, GA. She later completed her master’s degree at Marshall University in Education in August 1990. She taught for over 25 years for Cabell County Schools; specifically, Ona Jr. High and Milton Middle School. She was a member of Milton Presbyterian Church where she was active in the Women of the Church, and several other church related activities.
Effie enjoyed traveling, spending time with her family and was competitive in board games. Many family gatherings included a boisterous game of Scrabble and Dominoes where she was not so quiet in her strategy, frequently coming slowly from behind to win. This precious time with family marked holidays and celebration with loving appreciation of her wisdom and humor. She was the guiding force that held our family together and exemplified the importance of supporting and loving one another. She was a loving, compassionate, caring and beautiful mother, wife and grandmother. Her guidance and unconditional love kept and will continue to keep our family connected. Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. on Monday, October 5, 2026, at Wallace Funeral Home, Milton. Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.timeformemory.com/wallace.
