Purely Cremations

A Subsidiary of Starks Family Funeral Homes

Have Questions ? Call us: (269) 926-9440

  • Home
  • Get Started
    • Immediate Need
    • Advance Need
    • Online Arrangement Process Guide
  • About Us
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Testimonials
    • Contact Us
  • Cost Comparisons
  • Obituaries
  • Downloads
    • Cremation Planning Resource Kit
    • General Price List
    • Basic Cremation Package
    • Forms
  • Shop

Patricia Ann Russell

1 Condolence

After a long illness, Patricia Ann Russell, 81, passed away on Tuesday, August 24, 2021, at her home near Paw Paw Lake where she was cared for by family and Hospice, living out her final days on her own terms. No more restrictions. No more medications. As many Cokes as she could drink (which was a lot), and plenty of popsicles. 

Pat was born at St. Joseph, Michigan, on March 17, 1940, the second daughter of Donald and Ruth Mensinger.  As a child, she dreamed of running an orphanage, which came into being when her husband, Bill Smithers, died in 1961, leaving her widowed with four children under five. Although she eventually re-married four times, having surnames of Essig, Grabowski, Knapp, and Russell, Bill remained the love of her life and her last wish was to be buried with him.

Despite being married five times, she looked at the world with the simplicity of an 11-year-old and spoke with the honesty of a child. She made everyone around her laugh, whether it was falling and landing with her head in the laundry basket, waking up in the night and yelling at the “intruder” in the mirror or waving good-bye as the train she was supposed to get off left with her still on it, because she didn’t understand that in these times you have to move quickly. As she grew older and lost her hearing, what she “heard” was absurdly different from what was said, but much more fun. 

She was a garage sale shopping expert and also loved puzzles and Bingo. She moved to Texas in 1971 to escape the snow, then returned to Michigan in 1993 to care for her aging parents. 

She is survived by her two sisters, Sandra Krugh of Michigan and Mitzi (Willie) Jones of Colorado and by  three of her children–Teresa Smithers of Michigan, Donna (Henry) Stephens and Steve (Leia) Smithers, both of Texas, and son-in-law Mark Collins of England.  She will be missed by her 12 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren, and three great-great grandchildren, along with a host of friends and family.

 So many are waiting to meet her on the other side, including her parents, a grandson, two husbands, a niece, and one daughter, Rita Collins, of England.

Pat has requested that she be cremated and her ashes placed as close to Bill Smithers’ grave as possible. A memorial is  scheduled for Northshore Memory Gardens, north of St. Joseph, on Friday, September 17, 2021, at 2:00p.m

Offer Condolence for the family of Patricia Ann Russell

Print Obituary & Condolences Print Obituary & Condolences

Condolence Messages

  1. Mitzi jones

    August 30, 2021 at 3:25 pm

    My condolences to the family, I will miss her terribly, she played a big part in my life, after Bill died I helped care for the children while she worked and played, the children became like my own and I always felt like they were part mine, everywhere I went people thought they were mine. We had a lot of good time together. May God comfort you all during this time of grief. God be with you! I know she’s with God. All my love Aunt Mitzi

    Reply

Leave Your Condolence Cancel reply

Please share your message of condolence with the family, It will be visible to the public but your email address will not be published. Required fields

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

How do I send a condolence?

At the bottom of this page, you will find a condolence form. You will need to fill out some basic information prior to typing your message. (We will not share your e-mail address with anyone) Once you are finished, simply click the submit condolence button. The condolence will be approved before it is published to the web site. We also provide a Tell-A-Friend feature located directly below these instructions. this from allows you to send the obituary to a friend. This is particularly helpful to someone who may live out of town.

OBITUARY NOTIFICATION SERVICE

Enter your email address if you would like to be notified when a new obituary notice is posted

I agree to be emailed to confirm my subscription to this list

Share This Obituary

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Get Obits On Your Phone

Use your Smartphone to scan the QR Code below to access this page on your phone.

Copyright © 2022 Purely Cremations, 1997 Meadowbrook Road, Benton Harbor, MI 49022, United States - Phone: (269) 926-9440 Email: info@purelycremations.org

Contact | Directions | Obituaries | Site Map | Benton Harbor Cremation Services

A Subsidiary of Starks Family Funeral Homes. All Rights Reserved.Website by FRM Websites