Edward L. “Bus” Smothers was born on March 9, 1924, in Townley, Missouri (Malden) to Marion “Jack” Smothers and Gretia Parker Smothers.  He passed away at the Obion County Nursing Home in Union City, Tennessee, on Thursday, February 22, 2018, just shy of his 94th birthday.

Bus grew up in Bernie and attended Dickerson School.  Afterwards he joined the army, serving in Japan, where he developed lifelong friendships with several of his fellow veterans.  Catching up with these “army buddies” was an important part of his life.

Bus married Virginia Lee Rhodes on June 1, 1948.  They raised their four children in Florissant, Missouri.  Bus  worked for General Motors until 1979.  They returned to southeast Missouri after retirement, where Bus enjoyed gardening and driving a school bus for the Dexter school district.  They also enjoyed traveling, with their favorite destinations being western United States and Alaska.  Virginia passed away in 2007, and Bus joined his daughter Jody in Dyersburg, Tennessee.

Bus was a member of the church of Christ, with church families in Florissant and Dexter, Missouri, and the Phillips Street congregation in Dyersburg, TN.

Other than his parents and wife, he was preceded in death by 3 brothers: Eldon Smothers, Leon Smothers, and Bill Smothers, and 4 sisters: Madge Smothers, Adele Crabtree, Mary Ruth Christ, and Helen “Tudy” Smothers, and a son-in-law, Donald Garner.

He is survived by 1 sister, Lucille Quinn of Aurora, MO; his children: Lonnie Edward Smothers of St. Louis, MO; Regina Johnson-Cook of Boulder, CO; Louida (George) Anton of Cahokia, IL; and Jody Garner of Dyersburg, TN; 6 grandchildren and their families: Andy (Brooke McKinley) Johnson, Anna & Sam of Boulder, CO; Steven (Dolores Foster) Anton, Maddie, Zoe, Cooper, Sophia & Ella (coming in April) of Dupo, IL; Katie (Josh) Watford, Tate, Brynlee & Reed of Dyersburg, TN; Jenny (Aaron) Dodson, Molly, Maisy & Cora of Martin, TN; John (Erin) Garner, Lyla Bell & Rice of Dexter, MO; and Megan Cook of Brooklyn, NY.

Visitation will be Sunday, February 25, 2018 beginning at noon at Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter, Missouri, with a funeral service at 2.  Interment will take place at Caroline Dowdy Cemetery.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Bootheel Youth Camp (201 Adams Drive, Dexter, MO 63841)  or Children’s Homes, Inc (5515 Walcott Rd., Paragould, AR 72450).