On the 25th of December 2023 Jaunita Smith passed in her sleep with family at her bedside. Jaunita was on hospice from battling COPD and congestive heart failure. Jaunita contracted COVID in 2021 and never quite recovered. Jaunita had been sick before covid and rarely left the house. In her last days, she told her grandson she was going to get in her wheelchair and go to church.

Jaunita was born in Corydon, Iowa, on the 1st day of August 1941, to her parents, Mabel Marie Clark and Samuel Newton. Jaunita had one sibling, her brother Russell Clark Newton. He proceeded Jaunita in death. After Samuel died when she was nine years old and she was raised by her mother and stepfather Earl Trost of South Haven, KS. She grew up in Hunnewell, KS, and attended South Haven High School. In her high school yearbook, it read under her name, "easier to like than to dislike." Jaunita was voted Miss South Haven and was Arkalah queen in Arkansas City. She married her high school sweetheart, Stephen Michael Smith, who passed away in 2003. They were married for 46 years. Her father-in-law was Stephen Allison Smith, who is deceased, and Leatice Smith, who is living and resides in Wellington, Kansas. Jaunita had 2 children, Brenda Marie Smith and Teresa May Smith. Teresa proceeded her in death 8 years ago. Jaunita was her father's caretaker for 8 years before his passing. Jaunita, pregnant with Brenda, moved to California when her husband was in the Marine Corps. He went to sea during the Cuban missile crisis. She lived pregnant with their first child "Brenda". Jaunita used to listen and cry to Elvis Presley's song "Are you lonesome tonight" while he was abroad. Jaunita moved back to Kansas when Brenda was 3 months old.

Jaunita worked as a telephone operator while the girls were small. She also worked at a grocery store in Belle Plaine, KS, and was the office manager at the Hunnewell Grain Elevator. She also worked as a bank teller at the Bank of Commerce in Wellington, KS, for ten years. Jaunita enjoyed sewing, reading, and camping when she was younger. Besides being a child of God, her greatest joy in her life was being a mother and
grandmother. Jaunita loved all her family and made it the center of her life. She was known by many to be a sweet and selfless woman.

After the passing of her daughter Teresa, Jaunita continued to nurture and take care of Teresa's 3 boys, Shay Michael Smith, Gianni Stephen Smith, and Gentry Sterling Smith. Jaunita's other 2 grandchildren were Joshua Michael Olson and Adrian Levi Olson. Jaunita was called grandma by many people that were not related by blood. She helped many children and young people in Wichita with her wisdom; some even stayed with her.

Jaunita moved to Wichita approximately 30 years ago to be closer to her children and to be closer to the Church. Juanita received the Holy Ghost and was baptized on the 3rd day of May 1987. Jaunita worked in the Care Ministry for many years for the church. Jaunita has living: 1 mother-in-law, 1 daughter, 5 grandsons, 4 granddaughter-in-law, 6 great-grandchildren, 1 great-granddaughter to be born in March 6 step-great grandchildren, 3 sisters-in-law and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Celebration of Life service will be held at First Pentecostal Church, 1755 E. MacArthur Rd, Wichita, KS, on the 11 th of January, 2024, at 11:00 a.m.