Rose Marie Smith

Born in Johnson City, Tennessee to the parents of Andrew M. and Paralee Curtis. She was one of 14 children in the family. She came to know Jesus Christ as her Savior at a Grace Brethren church in Johnson City, Tennessee. After graduating from High School, she worked as a telephone operator in Johnson City, and then went off to Grace College in Winona Lake, Indiana where she met a man who became her husband. She was a waitress in the dining hall and this fellow was a dishwasher in the kitchen. After finishing her chores as a waitress, she would go back into the kitchen to help this fellow dry dishes. After graduation they got married in Johnson City, TN, on June 8, 1958. The next 3 years of her life consisted of helping her husband through seminary and having her first child. She and her family then moved to Lima, Peru to begin their missionary service for the Lord. The first term of service was spent in the Peruvian Bible Institute and Evangelical Seminary in Lima where her husband taught. 6 weeks after arriving in Peru, she had her second son. Her responsibilities at the Bible Institute were to make up the menus and order the food for the students. She also taught Bible classes at a British boy's school in Lima.
In succeeding terms she helped train Sunday school teachers and vacation Bible School teachers along with her husband. In her last term in Peru she served as a pastor's wife.
When they could not return to Peru, they moved to New Mexico and started a Spanish speaking church. She again served as a pastor's wife and taught Sunday school classes and also began a ministry at Bible Studies by Mail correcting lessons in English and Spanish. About half the lessons at Bible Studies by Mail were sent to prisoners, many of whom came to know the Lord. She is survived by her husband, Leonard D. Smith, 5 children, a son David Smith and wife Debra, a son Dennis Smith and wife Betsy, a daughter Debra Smith, a daughter Diana Eicher and husband Jerry, a daughter Dee and husband Moses, and 9 grandchildren, Troy and Tiphani Smith, David, Levi and Carliana Hatch, Christine Smith, Moses Jr, Mia and Moenisa Flores and 8 great grandchildren.