William Monroe Smith

William "Monroe" Smith, age 79, of Conway, formerly of Florence, entered into the Kingdom of Heaven on January 30, 2011 at Kingston Nursing Center after an extended illness. Mr. Smith leaves three children: Shannon Smith Erickson (Kendall), Norman Monroe Smith (Sue), and Miriam Smith Fulghum (Stephen); four grandchildren: Mariah Lauren Erickson, Joshua Kendall Erickson, Emily Catherine Fulghum and William Stephen Fulghum. The family will host a visitation from 6 – 8 in the evening on Wednesday, February 2, 2011 at Stoudenmire-Dowling Funeral Home with the funeral service to be held on Thursday, February 3, 2011 at 11:00 in the morning at All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Florence, SC with a private interment at the Florence National Cemetery.Mr. Smith was born on August 24, 1931 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina to Myrtle Novella Lambeth Smith and David Aaron Smith. Mr. Smith spent his youth in Winston-Salem, attending Calvary Baptist Church and graduating from R.J. Reynolds High School.He joined the United States Army and served in the Korean War, with the Indian Head Division Cavalry where he was awarded the Purple Heart.When he returned, he married his sweetheart, Jane, and attended Appalachian State Teacher’s College.Mr. Smith served as a police officer with the City of Raleigh but later entered sales with the K-Mart Corporation and the Eureka Corporation from which he retired in 1983.As a member of All Saints’ Episcopal for 43 years, Monroe faithfully sang in the choir and was known to reward parish children with bubble gum for learning bible verses.Monroe was a self-taught but accomplished artist. He enjoyed doing pastel portraits, still-life paintings, watercolor landscapes, and most recently colorful birdhouses which he shared far and wide.He was a member of the Order of the Purple Heart, was a Mason and a Shriner.For the past several years, he and Jane had shared a room in their health care facility where until 11 days ago, they daily lived their wedding vows of loving, comforting, honoring and keeping each other, in sickness and health.When Monroe said farewell to “his Jane” just a few short days ago, their loved ones knew it would be, as it is written in Ruth 1:16, “...Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.” Mr. Smith is preceded in death by his parents, his beloved wife, Martha Jane Hattaway Smith and a host of beloved aunts, uncles and cousins. In-lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to All Saints’ Episcopal Church, 1425 Cherokee Road, Florence, SC 29501-4598. Stoudenmire-Dowling Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.