[Funeral Program for Iola Smith Penson, June 8, 2004] Page: 3 of 8
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Obituary
Iola Smith Penson entered this life June 21, 1912, at Centerville, Texas, the
ninth of twelve children born to Jule and Emma Smith. After graduating
high school in Oakwood, Texas, she earned Bachelor's and Master's
degrees in Education from Prairie View A&M College—the first of her
family to achieve this distinction—and began a 38-year teaching career in
Wells, Texas in 1942 She later held long-term teaching positions in Alto,
Texas, and in San Antonio, and worked summers as assistant chef at Camp
Capers in Waring, Texas, along with her twin sister, Viola Walker She
ended her teaching career in 1980 and enjoyed 24 years of active
retirement Iola was preceded in death by her parents, Jule and Emma
Smith, and by her husband, Reverend George Penson, by her only child,
John Doris Washington; and by her siblings, Alvie, Jim, Clayton, Joseph,
Lois, Charlie and Julius Smith, Ethel Fortson, Rossie Burns, Emma Lee
McDaniel, and Bernice Jones Iola Smith Penson departed this life June 4,
2004.
A member of Tried Stone Baptist Church, her major interests included
church life, cooking, sewing, gardening, knitting, travel, sports, and family
Iola received numerous awards for excellence in teaching and in
community service. She richly and ceaselessly contributed to the
upbringing and education of her nieces and nephews, and was an inspiring
role model for succeeding generations of her family, many of whom also
have become teachers
She leaves to mourn her passing a sister, Viola Walker, of San Antonio, a
step-daughter, Shirley (Maurice) Jackson, of Amarillo; a step-grandson,
Glenn Johnson (Fiancee Natalie), of Childress, nieces and nephews Syble
(Howard) Rhoder, of San Antonio, Jacqueline Rodman of Madison,
Wisconsin, Mary Emma (James) Finnell, of Dallas, Gladys Faye
Richardson; Loretta Jones and R. Joseph (Joyce) Smith of San Antonio,
great nieces and nephews Carolyn Johnson of Brooklyn, New York,
Deborah Johnson (David Loppnow) and Charles Johnson of Madison,
David Finnell, Gregory Finnell, Jeffery Finnell, and Sharon Foster, of
Dallas, Patrick Finnell of Oklahoma City, Shirley Shepherd of Houston,
Julius Lamar Sheppard, Yvette Sheppard and Charlotte Tatum (Michael
Davis) of San Antonio, Darlene Nour and Lacie Smith of Los Angeles,
Minnie Walker and Robert Walker of San Antonio, great-great nieces and
nephews Alison, Erica, and Melanie Loppnow of Madison; Vanetta Ervin
of San Antonio, Tiffany and Jason Shepherd of Houston, Valerie,
LaMonica, Keisha, Gregorette, Gregory, Jr, LaCrystal, Corey, Andre and
Courtney Finnell, Kelli and Brandon Foster of Dallas; and a host of
cousins and distant relatives, hundreds of former students, and many loving
friends
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[Funeral Program for Iola Smith Penson, June 8, 2004], pamphlet, June 8, 2004; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth247588/m1/3/: accessed May 1, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting San Antonio Public Library.