SMITH, ABNER J., JR.

Funeral services for Joe Smith Jr., 73, were at 11 a.m. Friday in First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Jesse Hodge, pastor, officiating. Burial was in Rose Hill Cemetery by Wallace Funeral Home.

Mr. Smith died at 9:20 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 20, 1996, at his residence.

He was born on Sept. 23, 1922, in Swisher County. He lived in Tulia until the first grade when he moved to Florida where he lived two years. He moved to Bailey Burro near Muleshoe and lived there until he joined the Marines in 1942.

He served with the Marine Raiders, 6th Division, in the South Pacific. He received the Purple Heart Medal two times, in 1944 in Guam and 1945 in Okinawa. After his discharge he moved to Clovis, N.M., and worked as a policeman. He moved to Plainview in 1949 and worked for Reuel Nash Chevrolet and started the Frontier Body Shop in 1960. He moved to Tulia in 1964 and operated Frontier Body Shop, until retiring in 1985. He then was a custom cowboy and farmer.

He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, and the U.S. Marine Raider Association.

He married Pauline Block on July 28, 1946 in Clovis.

Survivors include his wife; one daughter, Barty Grant of Tulia; two sons, Jimmy Joe Smith of Tulia and Gary Don Smith of Fritch; five sisters, Florabell Williams of Fritch, Mary Swayne of Chula Vista, Calif., Ruth Wilson of Levelland, Ethelee Mullis of Amarillo and Margaret Fabian of Conroe; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Pallbearers were members of the Tulia VFW. Honorary pallbearers were Dan Tucker, Dwayne Love, Calvin Galyen, Tommy Hewlitt, Slim Sorrenson, Billy Paul Preston, Delbert Morris, Ron Wilfong and A.B. Jones.

The family suggests memorials to Crown of Texas Hospice.