Rhea Elizabeth (Porter) Smith

Rhea Elizabeth (Porter) Smith of Kalamazoo, MI and formerly of Cressey, Prairieville Township, MI
a/k/a Granny Smith





"Her children rise up and call her blessed" Proverbs 31:28


Rhea, age 104, went home to be with the Lord Thursday morning, September 12, 2012 at Borgess Gardens, Kalamazoo, following a brief illness and was surrounded by many of her loving family members and the wonderful staff of Borgess Gardens.


Rhea was born in Paw Paw, Michigan on April 18, 1909, the daughter of George & Mina Porter. She attended Paw Paw Schools and the Methodist Episcopal Church. Upon moving to Kalamazoo, she attended The Calvary Church, where she sang on their Bible Hour on WKZO radio. Granny is a charter member of New Hope (Richland Covenant) Church, where she loved to teach Sunday School and sing in the choir (until she was 90+). She loved to crochet, work in the garden, sew, play the piano and violin, and go camping with her kids. Granny raised several foster children and cared for many other children until she was in her 80's. The greatest joy in her life was her family and all the other children that came thru her door – this was indeed her mission field.



On April 19, 1929, Rhea was united in marriage to Marion C. Smith. Marion preceded her in death as did her sisters, Frieda Cavanaugh and Velma Pease; her brothers, Corradon, Loren and James Porter; three sons-in-law, Robert C. Hammond, William Murphy, and Larry Zuiderveen and one grandson, Robert Hammond, Jr. Surviving are seven children, Ruth Hammond, Battle Creek, MI; Wallace M. (Alice) Smith, Portage, MI; Esther M. Murphy of Battle Creek; M. David (Nancy) Smith of Richland, MI; Alice Zuiderveen, Bettendorf, IA; Willard J. (Cathy) Smith and David P. (Martha) Smith, both of Delton, MI.; and a brother-in-law, Jesse Pease, Free Soil, MI. Granny is also survived by five generations of her ever growing family.


The Funeral Service to celebrate Rhea's life will be held on Wednesday, September 18th at 11:00 a.m. at New Hope Covenant Church, 9300 East D Avenue, Richland, MI 49083, with the Rev. Jan David DeWitt, Pastor, officiating. The family will receive friends on Wednesday from 9:00 a.m. until service time at the Church. Interment will follow at Cressey Cemetery, next to her beloved husband, Marion. Family and friends are invited to return to the Church immediately following the committal service to continue Rhea's life celebration with a time of fellowship and a luncheon. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Rhea's honor may be directed to the Church. The Farley-Estes & Dowdle Funeral Home, Richland Chapel (269-629-6022) is in charge of all the arrangements.