Jewell Smithson

Jewell Emerson Smithson, 91, died Friday, February 08, 2013 in Durango, Colorado. A memorial service will be held on March 30 in Fresno, Calif. Jewell died as a result of her battle with both pneumonia and kidney failure. Mrs. Smithson was born September 16, 1921 in Corona, New Mexico, the daughter of Waldo and Effie Lott. She was the oldest of 14 children. At age 12, she and her family moved to McAlester, Okla., where she married Stanford Holman Butler on September 9, 1938 in McAlester. Together they had 6 boys. Following the death of her mother, they moved back to her father’s farm so she could help raise her younger siblings along with her own children. Stan died in 1956 at age 42. She married Charles Heskett and he died 2 years later. Jewell then married Roy Smithson on August 24, 1962; they had one daughter. Roy and Jewell moved to central California in 1964 where they raised the boys that were still in the household along with their daughter. They were active in the Moose Lodge, bowling leagues and later she developed a love of Bingo. But her all-time favorite activity was fishing, even though she didn’t like to eat fish. They retired to Dolan Springs, Ariz. in the mid 1980’s. Roy passed away in August , 1992. Jewell remained in Dolan Springs where she was active in her church and community. She moved to Durango in 2010 to be close to her daughter. Family was paramount in Jewell’s life and she was blessed that during her lifetime she never had an offspring precede her in death. One of her favorite Durango activities was watching the wildlife outside her room at Sunshine Gardens and going on mountain drives with her daughter to see the aspens change color. She always called them ‘mountains of gold’. And she continued playing Bingo until a week before her death. She is survived by six sons: Stanford Gene Butler of Fresno, Calif., Joe Butler of Kingman, Ariz., Jim Butler of McAlester, Okla., Larry Butler of Sanger, Calif., Darrell Butler of Clovis, Calif., and Roger Butler of Fort Smith, Ark., a daughter: Tracy Cornutt, of Durango, Colo.; three step-daughters all of Oklahoma: Carolyn Conner, Linda Sims and Vicki Mixon; three brothers all of McAlester, Okla.: George, Roy and Jessie Lott; 25 grandchildren and numerous great and great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her 3 prior husbands, her parents and ten of her siblings. In lieu of flowers and in honor of the coaching, mentoring and support she freely provided to her children, grandchildren and so many others, donations can be made to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Colorado, PO Box 2154, Durango, CO 81302 or to a charity of your choice.