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bituaries
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Jeanne Smith 1928-2020
Descendant of Portuguese settlers by way of the Azores, born Minnie January Souza, on Dec. 7, 1928, in the U.S. territory of Honolulu, Hawaii, Winifred Jeanne Smith passed away in her Seal Beach, California, home from natural causes on Sept. 19. As a 12-year-old prodigy of Duke Kahanamoku’s elite swimming squad, Jeanne’s characteristic steadfast iron will would be put to the ultimate test when she locked eyes with a Japanese airman moments before he bombed her neighbor’s home. Having to care for three young girls for three sunless, smokefilled days and horrible, long, pitch-black nights, Jeanne’s extraordinary civilian accounts of Pearl Harbor were detailed in the documentary “Memories of Pearl Harbor: The Jeanne Smith Story.” She lived an interesting life. She was lead singer of the early 50s County and Western band Jeanne Smith Trio, a staple at the Hollywood on the Pike, which had the 19-year-old future Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Bobby Bare as a member.
She was the owner of several beauty salons in Long Beach and Stanton. She married future Long Beach Police Department Captain Forrest Smith, whom she lovingly called “honey” and would share pillow talk at night in their Mazatlan, Mexico, and California homes for 58 years.
In 1976, the then recently retired couple travelled via motor home to 48 states. She was an enthusiastic cruise line traveler, and she painted dozens of large oil paintings. An avid lover of animals, she wrote a book titled, “7 Kitties and One.” Jeanne had three daughters and one son and cooked amazing dishes, such as Portuguese chicken and long rice, as well as beer-battered shrimp.
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Glen Wesley Morris 1919-2020
Our great friend Glen Morris left us at the age of 99 on Sunday, Sept. 20. He was a member of the El Dorado Dance Group; a friend to all, and everyone loved him.
He resided in Mutual 17 for the past several years. Being a true sports fan, he often invited friends to his unit to watch a great game or sports-event special on TV. Thisalwaysbecameaparty, and Glen knew how to throw one. You can see the glass in the photo, so I don’t have to mention his love for martinis.
–Glenn Brazeal and the El Dorado Dance Group
•••• Karen McCreary 67 Billie Enterline 93 John Burks 81 Mildred Nelson 90 Billy Phipps 58 Edward Bobic 73 Katherine DeLong 90 Mathew Hak 50 Jay Greco 74 HughOsmera 85 Linda Skinner 78 Ismael Pachejo 69 Families assisted by McKenzie Mortuary, 961-9301 —paid obituary
•••• Space is available for obituaries of residents and former residents.
• An “In Memoriam” column is available free of charge. Limited to name, mutual number and date of death.
• An obituary with or without photo is available free of charge for the first 250 words. Additional words will be charged at the rate of 25 cents per word. Notices written by the news staff will be free and no more than 250 words.
• Notices from mortuaries and non-GRF members will be printed exactly as submitted and charged at the non-member classified advertising rate, $12 for the first 12 words and 25 cents for each additional word.
• Bordered, decorative obituaries and eulogies are available in any size at the prevailing display advertising rate.
• Obituaries may be published as news articles when the person has been a member of the GRF Board of Directors or when, in the opinion of the managing editor, the passing of a person is newsworthy to a sufficiently large number of GRF members.
• A “Card of Thanks” section is available in the classified section of LW Weekly at the member classified advertising rate, $8 for the first 12 words and 25¢ per word thereafter, for persons wanting to express their thanks for help during bereavement, sickness, etc.
