HEDRICK —
Josefina M. “Josie” Smith, 80, of 102 W. Fifth St., died at 3:31 p.m. June 15, 2012 at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City due to complications of a stroke.
She was born Josefina Martinez Pineda on March 19, 1932 in Mexico City, Mexico to Jose and Juanita Martinez. She married Jerry E. Smith August 22, 1971.
A resident of Hedrick since 1971, had translated for John Deere and the Ottumwa PD. Josie also taught high school in Texas, elementary school in Mexico, and at a secretarial college – she was absolutely adored by all her students. She put on Mexican fashion shows at colleges & universities all around Iowa, donating 100% of the proceeds to college scholarships.
She was a member of Hedrick Christian Church and Ottumwa’s Dog Rescue helping her daughter save many pets and find homes for them.
Josie had a fascinating life and seemed to have eternal youth; she danced professionally on a TV show called ‘Max Factor of Hollywood’ on Televisa in Mexico City. She and Jerry traveled from Iowa to Columbia, S. America TWICE on motorcycle where she stood between dad and gunmen, saving their lives, and was the sole reason they escaped the devastating earthquake in Managua, Nicaragua on Dec. 23, 1972.
Josie was an absolute little lady: precious, delicate, a bit shy at first (then adorably talkative), kind to everyone she met, and sweet so so sweet…yet adventurous and extremely brave. As a family, Jerry, Josie, and Belinda scaled various sky-scraping pyramids and ruins. Traveling with her daughter, she and Belinda hung in a metal cage being propelled through a rainforest on the island of Dominica. She also went parasailing with Belinda and took a dangerous helicopter ride into a canyon. To be able to go they both had to sign a liability waiver acknowledging when a certain type of air current occurred and hit the helicopter, while in the rainforest canyon, they had never had survivors; Belinda said she would just go alone since it may be dangerous and Josie declared, “No, I’m going too because if you die I want to die with you!”
Surviving is her husband, Jerry; a daughter, Belinda (Andrew) Smith-Cicarella of Ottumwa; two brothers, Roberto (Eugenia) Martinez and Jose (Martha) Martinez; two sisters, Soledad (Antonio) Alpizar and Amar (Pedro) Lopez all of Mexico. She was preceded in death by her parents.
Funeral services will be 6 p.m. Tuesday at Reece Funeral Home with Rev. Carla Nelson and Rev. Wilda Morris officiating. Cremation will follow the service.
Visitation will begin at 11 a.m. Tuesday with the family present from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Josefina Smith Memorial Fund, Hedrick Christian Church, or the Doggie Distress Fund.
Obituaries
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Josefina Smith submitted
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June 18, 2012
Josefina Smith, 80, Hedrick
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