Leland Arthur Smith

Leland Arthur Smith, a 95-year-old resident of Princeton, died on Monday, July 6, 2015 at Pearl’s II Eden for Elders in Princeton.
Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 11, 2015 at the Modena Baptist Church with Pastor Richard Rogers officiating. Burial will be in the Goshen Cemetery, west of Princeton
Open visitation and viewing will begin at 11 a.m. on Saturday, at the church, where the family visitation will be from noon until service time. Greenlee-Middleton Funeral Chapel of Princeton is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Smith was born on July 16, 1919 on a farm southwest of Princeton, the son of Chester A. and Lovie Mable McHargue Smith. He was raised in the Union Church area of Mercer County and became a member of that church at an early age. In later years, he became a member of the Modena Baptist Church, where he enjoyed assisting with all activities and served as a Sunday school teacher and deacon.
A lifelong Mercer County resident, he received his education starting at the Maple Grove rural school and was a graduate of Princeton High School. He enjoyed farming and raising cattle and for many years was also a carpenter. He was employed for two years by U.S. Homes of Des Moines, IA and for the next 12 years was the head carpenter for many homes in this area.
Mr. Smith was married on Oct 5, 1940 to Thelma Gertrude Moore, who preceded him in death on Oct. 19, 2012.
He is survived by his daughter, Joan Kay Talkington and her husband, Paul of Des Moines; a son, Daniel Morgan Smith of Princeton; two grandchildren, Heath Smith and his wife, Laura of East Windsor, NJ and Dione Talkington Fletcher and her husband, Richard of Orlando, FL; three great-grandchildren, Darius Fletcher and R. Chandler Talkington Fletcher, both of Orlando, and Hannah Morgan Smith of East Windsor; two nephews, Lewis and Russell Rogers; and other relatives and friends.
In addition to his wife, he preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Etta Rogers.