Jesse R. “Pete” Smith, 81, of Ball entered eternal rest on Friday, January 27, 2017, at Rapides Regional Hospital in Alexandria. Pete and his wife, Kathy, owned and operated Piggly Wiggly Grocery in Jena for many years.
Pete was a native of Pineville, born August 4, 1935, and a member of Hosanna Baptist Church, Ball.
During his working years, he was a grocery store owner; then, after many years, he worked as a Sales Rep. for Specialty Foods. Upon retirement he started part time work at Harvest Foods in Marksville, where he so much felt at home and loved his workers as his second family.
After graduating in the first graduating class at Pineville High School, of which he was proud to be a part, he moved to Muskegon, Michigan; while on vacation back in Pineville, he met his forever wife, Kathryn; they fell in love and married on July 30, 1955. God blessed this union with two sons, Randy and David.
Pete was a family man bringing so much love and joy to complete that family circle. We will always know we were truly blessed by his devotion and he always let his family know how much each one was loved by him.
Services were held at 1 p.m., Monday, Jan. 30, in the chapel of Hixson Brothers Funeral Home in Pineville with Rev. Dominick DiCarlo officiating.
Interment followed in Springhill Cemetery of Ball under direction of Hixson Brothers, Inc. of Pineville.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Sam and Olivia Smith; brothers, Sam Smith, Carl Smith, Ferrell Smith; sisters, Ida Borgeson, Ethelyn Langston, Lena Dudley and Pearly Sands.
Those left to cherish his memory and his life with great gratitude and thankfulness and love that he belonged to us include his wife of 61 years, Kathryn B. Smith; sons, Randy Smith and wife, Laura-Ellen and David Smith and wife Angela; grandchildren, Jessica Kramer and Sierra Smith; and great grandson, Noah Jessie Kramer.
Pallbearers were Mark Ayres, Edward Corley, Brad Deville, Herbert McKnight, Buddy Fountain, and Josh Hymel; Honorary pallbearers Ralph McManus, Kevin Smith, Roger Borgeson and Floyd Dudley.
Memorials may be made to Springhill Memorial Cemetery, P. O. Box 123, Tioga, LA 71477.