Cynthia Ann Abell-Smiley

Cynthia Ann Wallace was born on July 11th, 1944 to James Wallace and Thelma Hester Wallace

in Indianapolis, Indiana. They lived near the center of town where her parents worked her father as a

newspaper editor and her mom managing a boarding house. Cindy had an older sister Earlene and a

younger sister Nancy. Cindy was 12 when her parents passed and her uncle Wilber and aunt Dorothy

moved into the house in Indianapolis to take care of her and Nancy until they finished high school.

Mom shared in a testimony that it was very lonely when she was an older teenager and that's when

she started attending church and accepted Christ and became a Christian. And from then on until just

this last year, Cindy was always faithful to church and usually volunteered to serve in some way.

She finished high school at the age of 16 and took a job in Indianapolis as a spell checker at the

Indianapolis Star Newspaper. When she was 19 years old, she went out on a blind date with James Abell

and they were soon married in 1964. Jim and Cindy lived in Indianapolis for just over a year before

moving to Solsberry, Indiana where they bought a farm and started growing Christmas trees. All three

of their children, Randy, Robbie, and Rhonda, were raised on that farm, with cattle, sometimes sheep,

dogs, a stocked fishing lake, and cats that were usually found in Rhonda's room without permission.

After the three kids were all teenagers, Cindy started taking classes at Indiana University where

she graduated in 1987 with a degree in Education and soon had a teaching job at Eastern Elementary

School. She eventually earned her Master's degree in Education as well. She also taught the

toddlers Sunday school class for over 40 years at Grace Baptist Temple in Bloomington, Indiana

where the entire family attended.

After her husband Jim passed away after 32 years of marriage, she began spending some of

the winters at her daughter Rhonda's home in Yuma, Arizona. After several years, she met Charles

Smiley there, whom she married and they spent many years traveling and teaching at a missionary school

in Chile, South America. After Charles passed, she still enjoyed a summer trip to Iowa to visit Randy

and Deanna where she helped with Vacation Bible School or a couple of weeks in Arizona with Rhonda

and Alfred. The rest of the year she went to church with Rob and Leslie and ate many lunch and dinners

at their house with an occasional treat at Chinese Star Buffet.

Cindy eventually moved into Jill's House on the north side of Bloomington where she made friends,

still made it to church, and took calls from kids and grandkids alike. Cindy went home to be with her Lord

on Sunday, February 15th. She is proceeded in death by her parents and two husbands and sister, Nancy.

She is survived by all three of her children: Randy and Deanna Abell of Ames, Iowa; Rob Abell of Bloominton,

Indiana; Rhonda and Alfred Maese of Yuma, Arizona; seven grandchildren: James Abell (Kayley) - Iowa,

Victoria Abell - Iowa, Darci Vine (Bradley) - Indiana, Dylan Abell (Zoie) - Indiana, Dakota Abell - Illinois,

Hudson Maese - Arizona, and Samantha Maese - Arizona and by three great grandchildren.

Her body will be laid to rest at Solsberry Cemetery on February 23, 2026 at 3:00 pm with Jeremy Vance officiating. Remembrance will take place at Grace Baptist Temple

following the graveside service.