William Smith

ALTON – William Edward Smith, 83, died at 12:15 p.m., Wednesday, February 17, 2016 at Anderson Hospital in Maryville. He was born in Nebo on September 9, 1932 to the late Claude E. & Cecil M. (Dyer) Smith. A lifelong resident of the Alton area, Ed was employed in the construction trade his entire life and was a member of both the Carpenters Local 377 and Central Laborer’s Local 218.  He spent his career serving in various supervisory roles with area companies, eventually retiring in 1995 as Superintendant with Georgewitz Contracting after 13 years of dedicated service. He married the former Joan L. East on December 9, 1948 in Greenville and together the two were blessed with 2 daughters and 46 years of marriage before her death on September 23, 1995. He later married Jessie (Gulley) Schulz on February 14, 1996 at the Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Jerseyville and the two recently celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary.Ed took great pride in his skills as a carpenter and enjoyed spending time outdoors tending to his yard. His greatest memories and stories, however, came from his times spent fishing – whether it be Beaver Dam, Florida or his personal favorite, the Lake of the Ozarks, he enjoyed every minute of it. Surviving are his wife, Jessie Smith of Alton; a daughter and son-in-law, Jody & Vern Hines Jr. of Alton; Jessie’s children, whom Ed loved as his very own, Jeffery & Carrie Schulz of St. Louis, MO; Michelle Rogers and Scott Schulz, both of Columbia, TN; and Robert Schulz of Pheonix, AZ; three grandchildren, Jonathon Majors and Graeme & Kyler Schulz. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his first wife, Joan Smith; a daughter, Vicki L. Smith on August 2, 2011 and a sister, Shirley Smith.Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until time of funeral services at 12 noon on Monday, February 22, 2016 at the Crawford Funeral Home in Jerseyville. Burial will take place at the Oak Grove Cemetery in Jerseyville. In lieu of any flowers or plants, memorials are encouraged to the American Heart Association, in care of the funeral home.

Obit Provided By:
Crawford Funeral Home