BUTLER WAYMON SMITH

BUTLER WAYMON SMITH Butler Waymon Smith passed from this life on July 29, 2024, in Randolph County Nursing Home, Pocahontas, Arkansas. He was born on November 3, 1926, in Ravenden Springs, Arkansas to Thomas Madison and Lula Mae (Brown) Smith. He was the seventh of ten children. Butler grew up hunting, fishing and farming in the wooded hills of Randolph County, where he met the love of his life, Velma Charlene Rice. They married on August 1, 1944. He was inducted into the U.S. Army in March of 1945 and was trained in artillery as part of preparation for the invasion of Japan. After the surrender, in October of 1945, he sailed on a troop transport ship as a Quartermaster Supply Clerk in the occupation of Japan, where he served for one year. On his return from the service, Butler and Velma continued farming in the Ravenden Springs area. They began their family with Tommy Lee in 1948, followed in 1951 by Daniel Ray. They were briefly drawn to factory work in St. Louis but soon returned and Gerald Kenneth was born in 1954, back in Arkansas. Soon after, to support their growing family, Butler and Velma made the hard decision to move to Wink, in West Texas, where jobs at the nearby Cabot carbon black plant in Kermit were available. They moved to Wickett, Texas after he was transferred to the Cabot plant there in the early 60s, where Terry Glenn completed their family in 1961. Also, while living in Wickett, Butler answered the Lord's call to preach at the Baptist Mission, in Orla, Texas. During Butler's tenure, the Mission became a full Baptist Church. In 1963, they moved to Pecos, Texas and Butler became the Pastor of North Temple Baptist Church. When injury from a plant accident prohibited him from continuing at Cabot, Butler broke the news to the congregation that he might have to move. One of the members jokingly told him that he heard the city was looking for a dog catcher. He applied for and got the job of Humane Officer, from which he worked his way up to Sargent in the Pecos Police Department. With his pastoral background he was called many times to diffuse difficult situations. In 1977, the First Baptist Church at Ravenden Springs, Arkansas called, and Butler, Velma and Terry moved back to Arkansas. While they had dear friends in Texas, the move brought them back to their family and the church Butler grew up in. He served as the Ravenden Springs Church Pastor until he and Velma retired to Pocahontas in the early 90s. He occasionally filled vacancies for area Baptist Churches. Later in life this led him to hold his final Pastoral position, as Pastor of Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church in Supply, Arkansas. Butler is being welcomed in Heaven by his loving wife Velma, his son Kenneth, his parents, brothers Jacob, Dempsie, Jasper (Jap) and sisters, Nancy Emmons, Georgian Marriott, Sylvia Mangrum, Ruby Hartness, Ruth Griffin and Lena Mae Ready. He will be missed by all who have known him but most especially by his family, including sons Tommy, Danny (Denise), Ken's wife Regena and Terry (Barbara), grandchildren Laura (Brian) Lanaghan, Adam (Jackie), Robyn (Michael Hunter), Eric, Cassandra Bindea, Jeffrey (Amanda) and Maggie, and great-grandchildren Ellie and Henry Lanaghan, Austin, Cole and Cora Smith, Caroline, Charlotte and Rosemary Bindea, and Norah and Peyton Smith. All services will be held in the chapel of McNabb Funeral Home. Visitation will be Wednesday, July 31, 2024 from 5-7 PM. Funeral service will be Thursday, August 1, 2024 at 10 AM. Burial will be in Bellah Cemetery at Ravenden Springs. Military honors will be presented at the graveside by Promberger-Traw VFW Post 4556 Honor Guard.