Frances Brunkhorst Smith, who supplied music to the ministry of longtime Mississippi United Methodist minister R. Stewart Smith, died Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020, at St. Catherine's Village in Ridgeland, where she lived following his death in 2003. Recently, Mrs. Smith celebrated her 100th birthday.

Services are Saturday at Broadmeadow United Methodist Church in Jackson.

Mrs. Smith lived in the Jackson area since 1990 when Rev. Smith retired from the ministry. After moving from parsonage to parsonage across central and southern Mississippi, they settled in Jackson a few blocks from Broadmeadow United Methodist Church, where Rev. Smith had served. That's where Mrs. Smith attended faithfully, even after moving to St. Catherine's Village. She helped with youth choirs and children's programming until her mobility and health declined. Even then, she would catch a ride with her friend Ann Heidke nearly every Sunday.

Frances Marie Brunkhorst was born in Sedalia, Mo., on May 9, 1920, the second of five daughters who grew up in a household headed by a Missouri railroad man and his wife who had grown up on a farm in Kansas.

Frances' talent lay in music. She loved it and enthusiastically joined choral groups at church and music classes in school. No slouch on the piano, her forte was singing. As a teenager, she won a voice competition at the Missouri State Fair and later majored in music at Central College, now Central Methodist University, in Fayette, Mo.

After undergraduate school, she studied and taught at the Kansas City Conservatory, and took classes at Columbia University and The Juilliard School in New York City. This education enriched her career and enabled her to teach voice at Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania and the Gulf Park College girls' prep school on the Mississippi Coast.

While at Gulf Park, she took a student to sing at Mississippi City United Methodist Church and she caught the preacher's eye. He not only appreciated her student's contribution to the worship service, but he found himself smitten by Miss Brunkhorst, calling a few days later to see if she might be interested in a date. When she accepted, he borrowed a car from a church member to squire Frances up and down the Coast and treating her to meals at The Friendship House restaurant.

They married in Sedalia in 1954 and embarked on a life and ministry together at Methodist Churches in Port Gibson, Moss Point, Jackson, Gulfport, Vicksburg and Hattiesburg. At every church appointment, Frances would dive into music ministry, singing in adult choirs and helping teach music to youth groups. She also raised and refereed three rambunctious sons. Having grown up with only sisters, she had only boys of her own – four, Joseph, who died in infancy, Stewart Jr., Gene and David.

She continued to share her faith, love of music and lovely voice, even well into her advancing years. Despite saying her voice wasn't what it used to be, hers was one of the clearest to lift up hymns during church services, and she played piano during weekly Methodist services at St. Catherine's Village.

Perhaps by virtue of being surrounded by a husband and sons who were sports-obsessed, Frances developed an interest in football, baseball, basketball, or anything her sons and grandchildren played. She could often be seen in the bleachers trying to spot them.

Survivors include her sons and their families, Randolph Stewart Smith Jr. of Jackson and his two children, Olivia and Jas; Amy and Gene Smith of Hattiesburg and their three sons, Kyle, Sean and Clay; and Holly and David Smith of Houston, Texas. She is also survived by two of her sisters, Ruth Moss of Kansas City, Mo., and Willa Brunkhorst of Denver, Colo., and scores of nieces and nephews and their families across the country.

The family appreciates the staff of St. Catherine's Village and Kindred Hospice, whose loving care sustained her, enhanced her longevity, and enriched the quality of her later life.

Memorial gifts may be made to Broadmeadow United Methodist Church, or to a charitable organization of the donor's choice.