Carol L. Smith

Carol Smith, 86, passed away peacefully on May 2, 2025, with family by her side. She was born in Oneida, WI, on April 10, 1939, to the late Arthur Cornelius Sr. and Sadie Metoxen. She married the late Nathan Smith on October 16, 1982, at Oneida Methodist Church.
Carol lived most of her life on the Oneida reservation. She always remembered fondly spending a lot of time as a child with her grandparents, Mary and Bill Metoxen, in a little log cabin on Ray Rd. She also lived in California as a young woman and Milwaukee where she was a seamstress making formal drapes for an Italian woman named Amalia.
Back in Oneida, she raised her family. She had a tavern in downtown Oneida named Caroline's. She was also an EMT. One time, infamously, she was on a call and ended up picking up her own son who had been accidentally shot while hunting with a friend. He ended up being ok. She also worked at the Oneida Nursing Home, Oneida Health Center, and Oneida Bingo and Casino. She found her calling as the tour bus coordinator for the Bingo hall.
Carol loved her grandkids and never missed a family gathering. She would show up with a big kettle of homemade mostaccioli or bowl of potato salad. At one picnic on the 4th of July, errant fireworks sent everyone running, including Carol, who first stopped to grab her lawn chair, her purse, and her plate of food.
Carol lived a good life. She played Bingo and could move her dauber faster than lightning. She made great big breakfasts and pots of soup. She canned tomatoes and pickles. She went to as many rummage sales as possible. She enjoyed her birds, house plants, word searches, and puzzles. She became friends with Wayne Newton and Willie Nelson and saw them in concert many times. She never missed a Friday night fish fry or Sunday night at Sammy's Pizza.
She was feisty, and fierce, and loved her family.
Carol is survived by her children: Bonita (Ernie) Nicholas-Marlewski, Geraldine (Joseph) Danforth, and Denise (Michael) McVeigh, stepsons: Blake (CJ) Smith and Kent (Marie) Smith, sister Betty Stensloff and her brother Art (Beth) Cornelius. She is further survived by her grandchildren: Carla, Nick, Christa, Misty Dawn, Jayne, John, Rosa, Linda, Felicia, Miranda, Nicholas, Ashley, Thunder, Blaze, and Ryder, 28 great grandchildren, many nieces, nephews, and cousins.
She was preceded in death by her daughter Linda Nicholas, son Franklin Nicholas, brothers: Wendel and Robert Cornelius, and her sister Marlene O'Donnel.
Family and friends may call at Oneida Methodist Church from 9:00am to 11:00am on May 8, 2025. A funeral service will begin at 11:00am with Pastor Jeremiah Cottrell-Duebner presiding.
The family would like to extend a special thank you to Unity Hospice, Bristol Hospice, and Angela Smith (her live in caretaker) for their great care. Another special thank you is extended to John and Catrina Danforth and their family, for opening their home and providing extra special care to Carol in her final days.