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Rosemary <I>Townley</I> Smathers

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Rosemary Townley Smathers

Birth
Indian Creek Village, Miami-Dade County, Florida, USA
Death
16 Sep 2002 (aged 88)
Vero Beach, Indian River County, Florida, USA
Burial
Versailles, Morgan County, Missouri, USA Add to Map
Memorial ID
View Source
The stone marker in the Versailles cemetery is most likely just a memorial, as it is stated in her obituary that she was buried in Vero Beach...

SMATHERS - Rosemary Townley Smathers, former wife of United States Senator George Smathers of Florida, a daughter of one of Miami's pioneer families and a former resident of Jacksonville, Florida, died on September 16, 2002, at the age of 88. Mrs. Smathers was born June 20, 1914, in Dallas Park in Miami, Florida, of John Madison Townley and Lillian Enloe Townley. Mr. Townley and his brother who arrived in South Florida in the early 1890s, opened the first pharmacy and one of the first movie houses in Dade County. The Townleys were early business and community leaders in the founding of the City of Miami. Because of her father's business travels, Mrs. Smathers spent her early childhood in Versailles, Missouri, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Colorado Springs, Colorado and Ashville, North Carolina. Her family moved to Atlanta, Georgia to be centrally located to the family's multistate investments when she was 10 years old. Mrs. Smathers attended North Avenue Presbyterian School and graduated from Washington Seminary in Atlanta. She attended the Ogontz School in Pennsylvania and the University of Wisconsin where she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. Mrs. Smathers made her debut in Atlanta at Piedmont Driving Club and was a member of the Junior League of Atlanta. She also had a brief career as a Powers Model in New York City. Mrs. Smathers remained in Atlanta until 1939, when she married George A. Smathers of Miami. During WWII, she served as a Servicemen's Pier hostess and Jr. League Treasurer (in Dade County). Upon her husbands election to Congress in 1946, she moved to Washington, D.C., where she stayed until his retirement from the United States Senate in 1968. Senator Smathers was one of Jack Kennedys closest personal friends and rose to a key leadership position as one Lyndon Johnsons inner circle. Mrs. Smathers was quietly active as a impeccable hostess to the Washington political scene during her 24 years in Washington and formed closed friendships with Katherine Graham, Lady Bird Johnson and Pat Nixon. She was a member treasurer of the Ladies of the U.S. Senate Red Cross and a member of the Chevy Chase Club. During Senator Smathers first reelection to the United Senate in 1956, Mrs. Smathers and her family moved to Jacksonville, Florida. She enrolled her children in the Bolles School and Lake Shore Junior High School. She was a member of the Florida Yacht Club and Timuquana Country Club and attended St. Marks Episcopal Church. After the election, Mrs. Smathers brought her children back to Jacksonville each summer until they graduated from high school. Mrs. Smathers moved to Johns Island, in Vero Beach, Florida, in 1971 from Washington, D.C. She is survived by her children, John Townley Smathers, married to Judith Weber Smathers, and Bruce Armistead Smathers (former State Senator from Jacksonville and Florida's Secretary of State), married to Susan Gamble Smathers as well as her grandchildren: Jennifer Townley Smathers, John Samuel Smathers and Bruce Armistead Smathers, Jr. Mrs. Smathers is remembered as a vivacious southern lady and a devoted and considerate friend by many of the nations leading men and women, as well as by a wide spectrum of friends in Atlanta, Miami, Jacksonville, Washington D.C., and Vero Beach. She was a devoted wife and loving mother and grandmother. Mrs. Smathers was buried in Vero Beach on September 21st. A Memorial Service will be held at Trinity Episcopal Church in Vero Beach at 3 pm on October 5th. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the VNA Hospice of Indian River County, 1111 36th Street, Vero Beach, Florida, 32960 in memory of Rosemary Townley Smathers.
The stone marker in the Versailles cemetery is most likely just a memorial, as it is stated in her obituary that she was buried in Vero Beach...

SMATHERS - Rosemary Townley Smathers, former wife of United States Senator George Smathers of Florida, a daughter of one of Miami's pioneer families and a former resident of Jacksonville, Florida, died on September 16, 2002, at the age of 88. Mrs. Smathers was born June 20, 1914, in Dallas Park in Miami, Florida, of John Madison Townley and Lillian Enloe Townley. Mr. Townley and his brother who arrived in South Florida in the early 1890s, opened the first pharmacy and one of the first movie houses in Dade County. The Townleys were early business and community leaders in the founding of the City of Miami. Because of her father's business travels, Mrs. Smathers spent her early childhood in Versailles, Missouri, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Colorado Springs, Colorado and Ashville, North Carolina. Her family moved to Atlanta, Georgia to be centrally located to the family's multistate investments when she was 10 years old. Mrs. Smathers attended North Avenue Presbyterian School and graduated from Washington Seminary in Atlanta. She attended the Ogontz School in Pennsylvania and the University of Wisconsin where she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. Mrs. Smathers made her debut in Atlanta at Piedmont Driving Club and was a member of the Junior League of Atlanta. She also had a brief career as a Powers Model in New York City. Mrs. Smathers remained in Atlanta until 1939, when she married George A. Smathers of Miami. During WWII, she served as a Servicemen's Pier hostess and Jr. League Treasurer (in Dade County). Upon her husbands election to Congress in 1946, she moved to Washington, D.C., where she stayed until his retirement from the United States Senate in 1968. Senator Smathers was one of Jack Kennedys closest personal friends and rose to a key leadership position as one Lyndon Johnsons inner circle. Mrs. Smathers was quietly active as a impeccable hostess to the Washington political scene during her 24 years in Washington and formed closed friendships with Katherine Graham, Lady Bird Johnson and Pat Nixon. She was a member treasurer of the Ladies of the U.S. Senate Red Cross and a member of the Chevy Chase Club. During Senator Smathers first reelection to the United Senate in 1956, Mrs. Smathers and her family moved to Jacksonville, Florida. She enrolled her children in the Bolles School and Lake Shore Junior High School. She was a member of the Florida Yacht Club and Timuquana Country Club and attended St. Marks Episcopal Church. After the election, Mrs. Smathers brought her children back to Jacksonville each summer until they graduated from high school. Mrs. Smathers moved to Johns Island, in Vero Beach, Florida, in 1971 from Washington, D.C. She is survived by her children, John Townley Smathers, married to Judith Weber Smathers, and Bruce Armistead Smathers (former State Senator from Jacksonville and Florida's Secretary of State), married to Susan Gamble Smathers as well as her grandchildren: Jennifer Townley Smathers, John Samuel Smathers and Bruce Armistead Smathers, Jr. Mrs. Smathers is remembered as a vivacious southern lady and a devoted and considerate friend by many of the nations leading men and women, as well as by a wide spectrum of friends in Atlanta, Miami, Jacksonville, Washington D.C., and Vero Beach. She was a devoted wife and loving mother and grandmother. Mrs. Smathers was buried in Vero Beach on September 21st. A Memorial Service will be held at Trinity Episcopal Church in Vero Beach at 3 pm on October 5th. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the VNA Hospice of Indian River County, 1111 36th Street, Vero Beach, Florida, 32960 in memory of Rosemary Townley Smathers.

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According to her obituary she is not buried here?



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