Josephine "Jo" Read Smith, age 97, of Springfield, passed away peacefully on June 6, 2023.

Born to John Hobart Read and Albertha Denny Read at Dale, Illinois, on March 22, 1926, Josephine was the third of seven children. Even in the last years of her life, she loved regaling her family with stories of the fun and hard work of growing up on a Southern Illinois sharecropper's farm in Hamilton County. From the age of 12, Josephine's duties included cooking and sewing for her family, and she became a skilled seamstress on a treadle machine as she made clothes for the newborn nieces and nephews of her older siblings.

Josephine started her working life as a telephone operator in Alton, Illinois, then met Harold Smith at Calvary Baptist Church in Alton.  Married on August 12, 1951, they became parents to Celeste and Barry and celebrated 69 years of marriage before Harold's passing in 2021.

As a young mother, Josephine earned a bachelor's degree in education from Southern Illinois University, then went on to teach kindergarten for 20 years in East Alton, Illinois, and North Kansas City, Missouri.  Teaching was her life, and she spent many hours inside and outside the classroom as an educator. Even after retirement, she volunteered as an adult literacy coach in Columbia, Missouri.

Josephine also served faithfully alongside Harold, assisting his pastoral ministry and sharing their dedication to the Lord together in American Baptist churches throughout Missouri and Illinois.  After retiring and moving to Springfield to be near family in 2003,  they served as lay leaders at University Heights Baptist Church in Springfield, Missouri, where Josephine enjoyed helping with Vacation Bible School. In later years, the two hosted a weekly neighborhood Bible study in their home.

One of Josephine's lifelong passions was birding, and no matter where she lived, she was always quick to point out which feathered visitors had perched on her feeders that day.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Hobart and Bertha Denny; her husband, Harold Smith; and her daughter, Celeste Johnsen.  She is survived by her son, Barry (Susan); former son-in-law, David Johnsen; four grandchildren, Molly, Walker (Maggie Sholes), and Henry Smith (Jess Shoman) and Nina Davis; and four great-grandchildren, Hunter, Avery, Kereli, and Ka'Heo.

Visitation will be Friday, June 9 at 10 a.m. with funeral services to follow at 11 at Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home, 1947 E. Seminole St., in Springfield.  Burial will follow at Maple Park Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Care To Learn, 1740 S. Glenstone Ave, Suite R, Springfield, 65804.