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Marcella Ann Rafferty

July 21, 1935 - May 17, 2019

Marcella Ann Rafferty Smith, age 83, left her earthly home, family and friends, to go to her heavenly home to be with the Lord God on Friday, May 17, 2019. She was born July 21, 1935 to the late Walter A. Rafferty Sr. and the late Ida May Harder Rafferty. She was the sixth generation and last Rafferty that was born on land acquired from President James and Dolly Madison’s Land Grant.

She went to the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church and became a Christian and member at the age of 9. She went to school at Sorgho, Daviess County High School, Georgetown College, Brescia College, and North Carolina University in Greensboro.

In 1955, she married the late William Ellis Smith. She worked at General Electric until her sons were born. The sons are William Scott Smith and Walter Duke Smith, she then became a mother, wife and homemaker. She loved God and lived life to the fullest. She never saw a stranger and always had a contagious smile. When her sons enrolled in school, she taught Kindergarten at West Louisville School for seven years. Then she worked in the family business.

Marcella loved music and sang in many churches and other places. She saw God and beauty in all things. Her love of children, music, art, gardening, sewing, flowers and all nature stayed with her through life. She always felt blessed to have been born to Christian parents that loved her and taught her to be caring and loving to everyone.

She became involved with the Daviess County Fish and Game Association, Daviess County Lion’s Club, National Wildlife, National Rifle Association, and school and church activities. She was so blessed to be able to travel with her husband, Bill, to these functions in many states. As their sons got older, she was able to travel and wintered many years in Florida. She loved her Kentucky home and her Florida home as well, where she enjoyed the ocean, fishing, boating, painting, music, garden club, and her family and friends visiting.

Marcella loved her church in Kentucky and also loved her church in Marathon, Florida. She was so blessed to worship with many people from many states and countries. She loved helping people in so many ways and expressing God’s love for all. She stayed active with her family, church, friends, flowers, her cat, Sweetie, and nature waiting for the Lord to call her to her heavenly home.

Marcella was survived by her sons, William Scott Smith (Sherri) and Walter Duke Smith (Susan); grandchildren, Nathan Smith, William Smith (Michelle), Rachel Smith, Jon Smith, Ashley H. Bartley (Travis), Whitney Harder, Aslynn Gasser; several great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

In addition to her parents and husband, she was also preceded in death by her brother, Walter A. Rafferty Jr. and his wife, Adrian; and sisters, Mary Gertrude A. Peacock and Mary Eugene R. Hedrick.

Graveside services will be at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 20, 2019 at Pleasant Grove Cemetery. Visitation is from 4 to 7 p.m. on Sunday at James H. Davis Funeral Home.

The Smith family request that expressions of sympathy be taken in the form of donations to the Hospice of Western Kentucky or the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church Building Fund. Envelopes will be available at the funeral home.