Jan.
19, 1915 - Dec. 22, 2009SOUTH BEND - Gwendolyn "Gwen" Viola Smith, 94 years old, former resident of South Bend, Indiana, relocating to San Antonio, Texas, in 2003, passed away Tuesday, December 22, at Paramount Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in San Antonio, Texas. Gwen was born January 19, 1915, in Grand Rapids, MI, to the late Thurston and Goldie (Calloway) Rowan. Growing up, she lived in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Chicago, Illinois, and Ft. Wayne, Indiana, moving to South Bend as a teenager. Gwen was a 1935 graduate of South Bend Central High (sixty years later she returned to Central High School as the first tenant of Central High School Apartments). On August 12, 1936, in Elkhart, Indiana, she married Alfred "Red" Augustus Smith, a marriage that lasted 53 years prior to his death on July 3, 1990. Gwen was a longtime member of Olivet A.M.E. Church where she was a member of the Flower Guild and Willing Workers organizations. She loved her church and was a diligent member and worker as long as her health permitted. In the 90s, she was the recipient of the Kwanzaa Award, presented by the Indiana Heritage Foundation. She was an outstanding seamstress, homemaker, craft enthusiast and cook, enjoyed reading and keeping up with current events. Affectionately called "Gwen" by family and friends, she is survived by two sons, Bruce (Pamela) Smith of San Antonio, Texas, and Craig V. (Frances) Smith of St. Charles, Missouri; nine grandchildren, Kenneth Alexander, Christie (Darrin Sr.) Rice, Stacy (Bryan) Kelley, Paul (Kyshia) Smith, Kelli Moorer, Carlton Smith, Kyle (Denise) Smith, Quincy Smith and Collin (Stanka) Smith; nine great-grandchildren, Casey Alexander, Jodi Alexander, Darrin Rice Jr., Gehret Rice, Jordyn Rice, Courtney Kelley, Cameron Kelley, Andre Mitchell, Makayla Moorer; and one great-great-grandchild, Hallie Rice. Other family to mourn her passing are a sister-in-law, Wilma Sloan of Dayton, Ohio, and other nieces, nephews and cousins. Also mourning her passing is the Martin family of San Antonio, Texas, and special friends in South Bend, East Point, Georgia, St. Louis and Plainfield, IL. A daughter, Gwendolyn Patricia "Pat" Alexander, and a brother, Stanley Rowan, preceded her in death. Services are on Sunday, January 9, in Olivet A.M.E. Church, 719 N. Notre Dame Avenue, with visitation 10 a.m. and service at 11 a.m., Rev. Franklin Breckenridge officiating. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested memorial donations to the Shriners Hospital for Children-Chicago, 2211 N. Oak Park Avenue, Chicago, IL 60707, or online at www.shrinershq.org/Hospitals/Chicago. Arrangements are entrusted to Clark O'Neal Funeral Home, 2707 Lincoln Way West. Interment at Riverview Cemetery.