With permission from:
The Okemah News Leader -- June 1, 2006

Funeral services for Ethel Smyth will be held Friday, June 2, at 2 p.m., at the First Christian Church in Okemah. Interment will follow at Highland Cemetery.
Ethel (Freeman) Smith was born January 12, 1911, in Lawton, Oklahoma area to James Freeman and Margaret Davis Freeman. She passed on to her heavenly life Friday, May 26, in Shawnee, at the age of 95.
Ethel and Jack W. Smyth were married March 22, 1930, in Shawnee; he later preceded her in death in 1960. Ethel was postmaster in Okemah for 28 years and was very active in postal training programs in various regional offices and was the State Secretary of the National Association of Postmasters in 1963 to 1965. She was honored by the postal service as outstanding Postmaster of the Year in 1975. She was also librarian in Okemah from 1952 to 1961 and served in numerous civic committees and boards during her career. She was made Honorary Oklahoma Lt. Governor in 1971 for outstanding service to her community. She was also a longtime member of the First Christian Church of Okemah. She will be fondly remembered by many people for her wonderful sense of humor and her caring for others.
Preceding her in death were her parents, her husband Jack W. Smyth, and 10 brothers and sisters.
She is survived by her son Mark Smyth and wife Victoria of Okemah; two grandchildren, Carter Smyth of San Francisco, California, and Stephanie Phillips and husband Dick of Branson, Missouri; three great-grandchildren, Hannah, Aaron, and Reed Phillips.
Serving as active pallbearers will be Pat Martin, Buddy Chaffin, Orville Wilson, Dallas Groves, Bill Morris, Steve Wedel, Allen Mackey, and Graig McMahan.
Honorary pallbearers will be Bill Carroll, Jerry Smith, Johns Franks, James Copeland, Dean Moline, and Mack Thompson.
Services are under the direction of Parks Brothers Funeral Home and officiated by Rev. Jeannie McMahan.
Ethel Loved to read and was seen often at the library in Okemah. In Lieu of flowers, family and friends are encouraged to make donations to large print book fund at the Okemah Public Library, 301 S. 2nd Street.