Emily Merle Smith was born on October 20, 1948 to Bonnie and Martin Goodyear in Fairbanks, Alaska, where Martin was stationed at Ladd Air Force Base. She grew up in New Albany, Indiana and graduated from Our Lady of Providence High School. After completing one semester at Catherine Spalding College, she transferred to Purdue University where she majored in Nursery School and Kindergarten Teaching. While at Purdue, she fell in love with a farm boy from Scottsburg, IN named Roy Smith. Eager to begin their life together, Emily worked hard and graduated a semester early, receiving multiple recognitions for academic excellence.

The couple married on August 1, 1970 and moved to Portland, IN. Emily taught kindergarten for two years before leaving the workplace to start her family. Shortly after their first baby was born, Roy took a job with Monsanto and was transferred to South Dakota. They fell in love with the Mt. Rushmore State and eventually settled down in Crooks, SD where they would raise their four children.

Emily’s lifelong dream was to be a wife and a mother. Whether she was making home-cooked meals, sewing matching family outfits, or driving kids to various activities, she put her heart and soul into each task. She was a tireless advocate for her children’s education, seeking out innovative learning opportunities for them both inside and outside of the classroom. She faithfully encouraged each of them to explore their interests and work hard to reach their goals. As her children grew up and began to leave the nest, her love and support followed them. She was always ready with a listening ear or a helping hand. She would travel anywhere to celebrate each graduation and grandchild’s birth, or just to help with housework for a couple weeks when someone was injured. No matter the distance, if her family needed her, she would be there.

In addition to serving her family, Emily used her many skills and talents to benefit her community as well. Roy and Emily were members of First Christian Church of Sioux Falls for 36 years, during which time Emily served in many positions, including Sunday School superintendent and deaconess. As a La Leche League leader, she spent countless hours supporting and encouraging other women in their motherhood journeys. She was a Girl Scout troop leader for many years and a Cub Scout den leader for several more. She participated with Roy in the local Optimist Club and was an avid supporter of public libraries and community theater. She volunteered with Lutheran Social Services helping refugee families and worked as a supervisor and bookkeeper for Glory House, a ministry for people transitioning out of the correctional system. In her limited free time, she enjoyed bowling, reading, traveling, and square dancing.

When her mother began showing signs of Alzheimer’s, Emily took on the difficult role of being her primary caregiver, a job that she performed with seemingly infinite kindness, patience, and grace. Only a few short years after her mother passed away, Emily began to develop early signs of this cruel disease. Wanting to spend as much time as possible with her family, she and Roy moved first to Tennessee and then to Maine to be closer to their kids and grandkids during retirement.

Emily is preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by her husband, Roy, two sons, Joshua (Sandra) Smith of Auburn, ME and Adam Smith of Odense, Denmark, two daughters, Bonnie (AJ) Miller of Foley, MN and Amanda (Alec) Miller of Nashville, TN, one sister, Martine Brizius of Silver Springs, MD, and two brothers John (BJ) Goodyear of Salem, OR and David (Nancy) Goodyear of Coloma, MI, along with 12 grandchildren, and many nephews, nieces and cousins.

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