Funeral services for Emily McLendon Smith, 88, will be at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, December 21, 2013 at First United Methodist Church, Indianola. She died Wednesday, December 18, 2013 at her home. Burial will be in Indianola City Cemetery under the direction of Boone-Card Funeral Home.
Emily McLendon Smith was born in Greenville, Mississippi, on May 12, 1925 to Alba Wilson McLendon and John Monroe McLendon. She lived most of her life in Indianola. She graduated from the University of Mississippi where she earned a degree in accounting and business administration and was a member of the Phi Mu Sorority. She was chief accountant of non-appropriated funds at Greenville Air Force Base from 1956 to 1965. In 1965 she purchased The Vogue of Indianola, Inc., a ladies specialty dress shop. She changed the name to Emily’s Vogue and continued her work there as owner/manager for 35 years at which time she retired. She was preceded in death by her brother, John Monroe McLendon. Jr., her sister Ann McLendon Howard, and her sister-in-law, Ann Burman.
Mrs. Smith was a member of the First United Methodist Church where she served on the Board of Trustees, Finance Committee, Administrative Board, and was a member of the Schwartz Ward Sunday School Class. She also served on the Advisory Board of the Planters Bank of Indianola and the Planning Board of the City of Indianola. She was the first woman to be elected as President of the Indianola Chamber of Commerce, and President of the Indianola Country Club. She also served as past President of the Downtown Indianola Merchants’ Association.
She was a charter member of the Pilot Club of Indianola and member of the David Holmes Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Thomas Welles Chapter of the Colonial Dames XVII Century.
She is survived by her daughter, Melanie Smith Steele and husband, Jackson Ninian Steele of Bluffton, South Carolina. She leaves her niece, Laurie Howard Gaston ( David), of Pensacola, Florida, and children, Blair, Bennett, Grant, Carlisle, and Brooke; her three nephews Blair Howard (Brenda) of Lake Mary, Florida, Jurey Howard (Laurie), of Memphis, Tennessee, and child Anne; and John McLendon (Cammie) of Mt. Pleasant, SC, and child, Julia; and her dear friends and caretakers, Marilyn Martin and Minnie Campbell of Indianola, MS.
Pallbearers are her cousins, Ken Wood, Denton Rogers, and Johnny Hatcher; Randy Randall, John Rogers Brasier, and Weldon Altman. Honorary pallbearers are Q Davis, John Maggio, Frank Tindall. Sr., Dr. Katherine Patterson and Bill Eastland.
The family will receive friends from 9:30- 11:00 a.m., Saturday, December 21, 2013 at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the First United Methodist Church; 205 2nd Street, P. O. Box 86, Indianola, Mississippi 38751.