Iva Brothers Smith Lauderdale

Iva Brothers Smith Lauderdale, a longtime resident of the Blytheville area, joined loved ones in Heaven on Saturday, May 29, 2021. Born Iva Mae Brothers to Artie Cecil Brothers and Tressie Byrnes Brothers in Danville, she was the third-eldest of fifteen; she had seven brothers and seven sisters. The family moved to a farm in the Dell Community when Iva was a child. She attended Burdette School and figuratively had to “walk a mile uphill in the snow” to catch the school bus.

On April 25,1944, Iva married Homer Lee Smith in Luxora. She worked for Wonder Bread Bakeries in Memphis, Tenn., while her husband served in the Army during World War II. On April 21, 1952 while living on a farm in Proctor, Homer was tragically killed, leaving Iva to raise her two young daughters, Shirley and Jean, alone. Determined to make a good life for the three of them, Iva “picked herself up by the bootstraps”, taught herself to drive a car, and they settled near her in-laws in the Cole Ridge Community. Later, Iva married Milton Lauderdale, who farmed acreage for Lorren Farms, where they lived until the girls graduated high school. Although the marriage ended in divorce, Milton remained an intermittent presence in their lives until his death in 1963.

Iva was a dedicated and hard worker and held two jobs for much of her life. She was employed by Meyers Bakery for 25 years and worked at American Greetings on the night shift for a time. When the bakery relocated, she chose to stay in Blytheville near family and was employed by Baptist Hospital for over 20 years.

Besides family, Iva was most passionate about gardening, and she absolutely loved that rich delta soil! She had both vegetable and flower gardens when she lived in Blytheville and was a proud three-time recipient of “Yard of the Month”. She also enjoyed visiting friends she had known for years, but often commented that she was outliving all of them. She was strong, fiercely independent, and plain-spoken; she did not mince words! We lovingly referred to her as our own “Maxine” (the Hallmark icon) as they were similar in appearance, attitude and actions.

Gran, as she is affectionately called, loved her grandchildren with all her heart. She always made efforts to attend their special functions while they were growing up. It was joyous to see her with her great-grandchildren; she beamed with pride upon hearing about their accomplishments. In addition to gardening, Gran loved fishing, traveling and exploring new places. Throughout the years, she visited family and friends from California to Oklahoma, South Dakota to Texas, Georgia to New York and Massachusetts, and many places in between. She famously outwalked those much younger during sight-seeing excursions. She was in terrific shape well into her nineties. Although she suffered with severe macular degeneration, she lived independently and cared for her garden in Pensacola, Fla., until the age of 92, when she moved in with Jean and Joe, where they lovingly cared for her for three years.

Her final days were spent at Sandy Ridge Nursing Home in Milton, Fla. In honor of her 95th birthday on May 23, 2021, Hospice Care sponsored a wonderful outdoor buffet and party. Several relatives came from out of state to celebrate her. We are so grateful that God’s timing allowed us to be with her and say our last goodbyes. Gran passed away just one week later.

Gran is survived by her daughters and sons-in-law, Jean and Joe Godwin (Pace, Fla.) and Shirley and Tommy Hall (Georgetown, Texas); three grandchildren and their spouses, Cindy and Terra Tucker (Lawrenceville, Ga.), Mark and Janey Hall (Edmond, Okla.), Melissa and Bert Foster (Georgetown, Texas), along with five teenage great-grandchildren, Lucy, Alice and George Hall and Allie and Brady Foster.

Of her 14 siblings, four are left to mourn her passing, Oreen Woods (Michigan), Dorothy Butterworth (Osceola), Floyd Brothers (Jacksonville), Shirley Metlow (St. Francis), as well as a host of beloved nieces and nephews and their families.

She also leaves extended grandchildren, Joel and Donna Godwin and Jena’ Jones; great-grands Deuce Godwin, Farrah Wilson and Lauren Siefert, Andrew and Matthew Weekley, as well as gg-grands Emelyn and James Siefert, Jackson Weekley and Annabella Muller. She also leaves her sweet and beloved Tommy-Dog, who has been her faithful, loving companion for over 13 years.

Burial will be Tuesday, July 6, at 10 a.m. in Memorial Park Cemetery. In accordance with her wishes, she will be cremated and services will be graveside with Joe Godwin officiating. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Covenant Hospice, 5401 N. 12th Avenue, Pensacola, Fla. 32504. We thank them for the loving care given to our Gran/Mom and will always remember their thoughtfulness and generosity. Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.cobbfuneralhome.com.