1933-2026
Barbara Ann Gould Smith, lifelong resident of McGehee and Desha County, died May 13, 2026 at Baptist Hospital in Little Rock. She was 92.
She was born on October 30, 1933, in Rohwer, Arkansas, and was the daughter of Joe Clayton Gould and Grace Morton Gould. She graduated from McGehee High School and attended the University of Arkansas at Monticello before her marriage to her beloved husband of 61 years, James Neill Smith.
Barbara’s true life’s work was her family. She provided constant and unconditional love and support to James Neill, her children and their families. Barbara was blessed with a unique combination of skillsets–devotion, patience and good judgment–and wonderful family-raising supporters (James Neill and her parents), which allowed her to happily and successfully raise three active sons and, later, to help them raise and support their families. A dose of hardheadedness did not go unnoticed from time to time, yet that trait added greatly to her family raising skills.
Barbara, along with her mother Grace Gould, taught her boys how to play golf, both spending countless summer days playing golf with Barbara’s youthful boys. Barbara and James Neill constantly attended baseball, football, golf, recitals, graduations and numerous other organized events their boys and grandchildren participated in. She was affectionately known as Granny to her six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
She was very proud of her family’s enduring farming heritage and long history of land stewardship in Desha County, attending with pride a ceremony in Little Rock where the family farm was recognized by the State of Arkansas as a “Century Farm” for its longevity. She served as an officer of her family’s farming corporation until her death.
Barbara was known for her prized Turkey and dressing, desserts and other “country cooking” favorites she learned to prepare from her early, rural upbringing. She excelled at crossword puzzles and in competing against television game show contestants from her living room. She loved Arkansas Razorback sports, the Dallas Cowboys and a friendly game of poker or black-jack with friends and family.
Barbara was a collector, electing to fill her house (to the brim, most would say) with Colonial and early American-themed furniture and decor. She and James Neill (ever obligingly) traveled extensively throughout the New England states, the Ohio Valley, Tennessee and Kentucky “antiquing”, always returning with assorted furniture, blue and white stoneware, quilts, hand carved Santas and many, many, other collectables. Barbara took great pride in her home and distinctly displayed her collections by season–Christmas,
Easter, Fourth of July, and Thanksgiving were her favorites, but she did not waste other seasonal opportunities to redecorate the home.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, James Neill Smith; and her brother, Joe Clayton Gould, Jr.
Survivors include her children, Mike (Glenda) Smith and Don (Cindy) Smith, both of McGehee, and David (Susie) Smith of Little Rock; sisters-in-law Rosalie Gould of McGehee, Nane Clem of Hot Springs, and Delma Smith of Pittsburgh KS in addition to many nephews and nieces.
Other survivors include her grandchildren, S. Kendall Smith MD (Steven Frankel), Elliot Smith (Trista Lipe), Natalie (Josh) Hite, Taylor (Kimmy) Smith, Madeline (Tim) Igo, and Matthew (Morgan) Smith; great-grandchildren, Olivia and James Hite, Bennett and Brooke Igo, and Emerson Frankel: and step-grandchildren Josh Cary and Justin Cary.
Visitation will be held May 20, 2026, at 10:15 a.m., followed by funeral services at 11:00 a.m., both at First Methodist Church of McGehee.
Memorials may be made to the McGehee Hospital, the FMC of McGehee, or a charity of the donor's choice.
