MYRTLE SMITH

1917 - 2015

Barlow Smith December 19, 1917 - May 30, 2015 OKLAHOMA CITY Myrtle Stephens Barlow Smith died peacefully in her sleep at the age of 97 on Saturday, May 30, in Porter, Texas, a suburb of Houston. She was born in Keystone, OK on December 19, 1917, to Ira Stephens, Sr. and Lillis Leota Zickefoose Stephens. She was preceded in death by her parents, brothers, Ira, Jr. and Sam, and sisters, Lynette Sisson and Wanda Studebaker. Her first husband, Carl Barlow, died in 1949, leaving her at age 31 with two children and a thriving business, Barlow Lumber Co. in Bartlesville, OK. Her second husband, The Reverend Charles Hastings Smith, a Church of the Nazarene Evangelist and Poet Laureate of the Ozarks, died in 1997. Her beloved son, Ronald Stephen Barlow, M.D., died in 1996 and her precious daughter, Carol Anne Billeter, passed away in 2011. She is survived by daughter-in-law, Carolyn Clark Barlow of Yukon, OK; son-in-law, Paul Richard Billeter of Kingwood, TX; six grandchildren, Pam Beals (Kevin), Todd Barlow, M.D. (Robin), Jeremy Barlow, M.D. (Lori), Karen Burns (Tim), Michelle Leighton (Russ) and Kristin Alden (Scott); twenty-one great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandson. A longtime member of the Church of the Nazarene, she served many positions in her local churches and was a sweet and encouraging friend to all she knew. She remained strong and courageous in the face of adversity and through it all kept the faith in her Lord. ~Her children rise up and call her blessed~ Visitation will be Friday, 9am-9pm at Mercer-Adams. Services will be Saturday, June 6, at 2:00pm in Mercer-Adams Funeral Home Chapel with interment following in Bethany Cemetery. To share a memory or condolence, visit:www.mercer-adams.com www.mercer-adams.com