Letha C. Smith Keith passed away at her Perry, Oklahoma home on March 12, 2015.

She was born near Chandler, Oklahoma to Emmett and Imo Jean Smith on September 13, 1918.

She attended Stone country school in Lincoln County and later attended and graduated from Chandler High School. At the end of World War II, Letha married Russell Keith and together they raised their five children.

She received her bachelor's and master's degrees from Oklahoma State University in Language Arts. She taught in the public schools in Chandler, Agra, Pawnee, and Stillwater. Her favorite years were those at Stillwater Middle School where she taught sixth grade English. She was always interested in her students' activities and achievements and kept tabs on them for many years after she had them in her classroom. Education was very important to her and she loved teaching and tutoring students of all ages.

Letha was a member of AAUW, Delta Kappa Gamma teachers sorority, United Methodist Women, Stillwater Community Choir, a patron of Sigma Alpha Iota music sorority, and OSU's Friends of Music. An avid OSU Cowboys and Cowgirls fan, she attended football, men's and women's basketball, baseball and softball games regularly until her health prohibited her from going.

A wonderful seamstress, she sewed for hundreds of townspeople, OSU and Stillwater high school and middle school students. Her greatest joy was making beautiful wedding dresses and bridesmaid dresses. But she also enjoyed tailoring clothes and doing alterations. She made many, many costumes for Varsity Revue, Spring Sing, SHS cheerleader and choir uniforms, and various other items whenever called upon to do so.

A loving and caring mother, sister, grandmother, aunt, and friend, she will be deeply missed.

Letha was preceded in death by her parents; husband; sister, Maxine Burchfiel; brother, Eugene Smith; and grandson, Jeff Wilson.

She is survived by her brother, Bob Smith and wife, Virginia of Seattle, Washington; daughter, Linda Matheny and husband, Kevin of Aurora, Illinois; son, Bob Keith and wife, Sandy of Mooreland, Oklahoma; daughter, Marilyn Boynton of Irving, Texas; daughter, Sandy Wilson and husband Mike of Overland Park, Kansas; daughter, Ginny Cornelsen and husband Bill of Cleo Springs, Oklahoma; special friend, Bob McKinley of Stillwater; ten grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; three nephews; and two nieces.

Her funeral service will be held at 1:00 p.m. Monday, March 16 in the Strode Funeral Home Chapel, Stillwater.

Interment will follow at New Zion Cemetery, Chandler.

Strode Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

Condolences may be emailed to the family and an online obituary may be viewed by visiting www.strodefh.com.