Barbara J. Scherm Smith

Funeral services, officiated by Father Babu Battula, for Barbara J. Scherm Smith, 86, of Mountain Home, Ark., will be 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 20, at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Stuttgart, Ark., with visitation one hour before. Burial will follow in Holy Rosary Cemetery.

Barbara passed peacefully on Oct. 12, 2023, at Hospice of the Ozarks in Mountain Home with family at her side. She was born Sept. 30, 1937, to Herman and Georgia Raab Scherm near Stuttgart where she helped on the family farm and attended Catholic schools, graduating in 1955 from Saint Scholastica Academy.

In 1956 she met and married Joseph “Larry” Smith, beginning a life of travel and “adventure” as an Air Force wife. Their military travels took them across the country several times, overseas to Italy for three years and finally back to Arkansas and to Jonesboro in 1973. After several more moves around the state and 14 years at the Boy Scout Camp in Viola, they retired to the Mountain Home area in 2003.

A loving and caring wife and mother, Barbara enjoyed traveling and attending weekly bingo games. She was a homemaker and devoted member of St. Peter the Fisherman Catholic Church. While in her early fifties, Barbara challenged herself and completed nursing school at Ozarka College and then went to work at the Fulton County hospital in Salem, just to “see if I could do it".

In addition to her parents, Barbara was preceded in death by her husband of 57 years Joe (Larry); her oldest daughter, Phyllis Cheshier; brothers, Charles (Tommy) and Robert (Bobby) Scherm; and a sister, Karen Owens.

She is survived by her son, Rick Smith (Reca) of Mountain Home; daughters, Becki Smith (Billy) of Claremore, Okla., and Amanda Worsham (Adam) of Viola; sisters, Sherry Hoffpauir and Janice Smith (Vernon “Bo”); brother, Eddie Scherm (Ann); nine grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; and many special in-laws, nieces and nephews.

The family would like to express their thanks and appreciation to the caring staff at Hospice of the Ozarks and requests that in lieu of flowers, memorials donations be made to Hospice of the Ozarks, 701 Burnett Dr., Mountain Home, Ark. 72653.