Muriel Smith

Funeral services for Muriel "Katy" Smith 87, Manhattan, KS will be 10 a.m., Thursday, July 31, 2008 at Penwell-Gabel Mass-Hinitt Chapel, 805 Caroline Avenue with Pastor Darel Boston officiating. Burial will follow in Highland Cemetery. Mrs. Smith passed away July 25, 2008 at Meadowlark Hills Retirement Center: Collins Landing, North in Manhattan KS, where she had resided for the past 5 years. Visitation will be one hour prior to service at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to Meadowlark Hills Retirement Center, 2125 Meadowlark Road, Manhattan, KS 66502 and/or Alzheimer's Association, 4125 SW Gage Center Drive., Stell-15, Topeka, KS 66604.

Mrs. Smith was born March 1, 1921, in rural Fairview, Kansas, the daughter of Charles Glenn and Rose (Dieker) Key. She attended St. Augustine's school, Fidelity, KS and graduated from 8th grade on May 18, 1934, she then moved on to Fairview Rural High School where she graduated May 18, 1938.

Her first employment was as a telegraph operator for Western Union Telegraph Company. Here she met Raymond (Smitty) Smith and they were married December 20, 1941 in Rolla, Missouri. After years as a homemaker and a move to Junction City, Katy returned to Western Union which eventually closed its local office. She worked in the Geary County Register of Deeds office and served two terms as Register of Deeds.

Mrs. Smith was a member of the First Christian Church, Pilot Club and the Geary County Republican Women. She and Smitty especially enjoyed square dancing with the Buckles and Bows club for many years.

She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law; Sylvia and Don Rice of Manhattan, KS, one son; Charles Smith of Salina, KS, one sister; Loretta Churchill of San Jose, CA, three grandchildren; Lori Wilson, Tim Rice and Jedidiah Smith and two great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Charles and Rose Key, her husband; Smitty, one brother; Bernard, one sister; Roseann Siebenmorgan, and daughter-in-law; Adrian Smith.