Martha Lou (Hartsock) Smyser, crossed over to the Lord on Saturday April 15, 2023 to her forever home and reunited with her family and friends in heaven.
The daughter of Clarence David and Mary Virginia (Lewis) Hartsock, she was born on September 29, 1939 in Downing, Missouri. She was a graduate of Brashear High School in Brashear, Missouri where she excelled as a basketball player and was a great musician, playing any brass instrument, especially the trumpet. She was united in marriage to Everett Quinten Smyser in September of 1956 and to this union 5 children were born, Debbie, David, Mark, Kevin, and Aaron.
Martha is survived by her children, Deborah Lou Smyser, Kevin Lee Smyser (Millie), and Aaron Todd Smyser; 14 grandchildren, Travis Tucker, Tyler Tucker, Tracy Mathews (Adrian), Kelly Gray (Tracy Goodson), Jordan Berry (Shawn Kelliher), Irelan Smyser, Harley Smyser, Alexa Smyser (Dustin Schempp), Lincoln Smyser, Olivia Harris (Daniel), Joel Smyser, Brenden Smyser (Alexis Rogers), Abby Lugo, Timothy Owen Tucker (Erin); 16 great grandchildren, Cora, Gemma, and Eli Mathews, Emery Tucker, Banner and Sloane Harris, Rylan Cook, Jaetyn Walter, Brecken, Hudson, and Payton Schempp, Olivia and Opie Lugo, BentLee, OakLee, and HuxLee Smyser; one sister, Letitia (Tish) Jean Miller; and special friends Anita (Morris) Lauridsen and Sherry Sloop.
Martha is preceded in death by her significant other, Van Elan Jones; parents, Clarence David and Mary Virginia (Lewis) Hartsock; grandparents David Walter and Letitia Mae (Ginn) Hartsock, and Willard and Nellie Ivan (Jones) Lewis; 2 sons, David Kim Smyser and Mark Alan Smyser; 1 daughter-in-law, Ava Christine (Christy) Smyser; sister in infancy, Marjorie Lee and brother, Robert David “Butch” Hartsock; sister-in-law, Betty (Steen) Hartsock; brother-in-law, Dean Miller; infant nephews, Darrell Miller and Jeffrey Hartsock and infant niece, Tracy Hartsock.
Martha was a homemaker and worked as a clerk at Green’s Grocery Store, receptionist for James Jackson Insurance Company, a nurse’s aide/medical technician at the Schuyler County Nursing Home, assisted with the Schuyler County election polls, and a driver transporting the Amish where she made many friends.
Martha was a wonderful seamstress and a great cook. Martha’s father nicknamed her “Joker” because she enjoyed practical jokes and a good laugh.
Funeral services will be held on Friday, April 21, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. at the Norman Funeral Home in Lancaster, Missouri with Sonny Smyser Pastor of the Schuyler County Church of Faith in Lancaster, Missouri officiating.
Visitation will be held on Friday, April 21, 2023 at the Norman Funeral Home in Lancaster, Missouri between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Memorials have been established for Cystic Fibrosis or Schuyler County Cancer Relief Fund.
Online condolences may be expressed to the family by logging on to normanfh.com. Burial will be in the Brashear Cemetery in Brashear, Missouri.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Norman Funeral Home of Lancaster, Missouri.