Funeral services for Veora Burnside Smith, affectionately known as "Red", will be held 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30, 2010 at the New Haven M.B. Church in Helena-West Helena. Rev. Roy Lee Williams will officiate. Burial will be in Oak Grove No.1 Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. tonight in the Robert Lee Brown Memorial Chapel.
Veora was the fourth of 17 children born to the late Jim and Geneva Burnside. She confessed a hope in Christ at an early age and she stayed on the battlefield until God called her home. She was a faithful member of the Point Pleasant M.B. Church. She later moved her membership to Wofford Chapel M.B. where she remained a faithful member of the church until her health failed. She was a virtuous woman of God.
Her parents, a son Louis Burnside, six brothers, six sisters and a grandson, Teddy Jackson, preceded her in death.
Mother Veora Smith had a helping hand in the upbringing of numerous family and friends. The motherly love she gave will truly be missed. She was married to the late Bennie Smith who preceded her in death.
She leaves to cherish her memory, a daughter, Joyce (Michael) Keaton of Forrest City; a son, Teddy (Margaret) Cooper of Peoria, Ill.; stepdaughters, Bobbie Thomas, Shawndus (Philip) Gregory of Helena-West Helena, April, Chanel and Aretha Roddy of Little Rock and Beverly Alexander of Clarksdale, Miss.; stepsons, Andrea and Troy Roddy both of Little Rock, Donald (Brother) Alexander of West Memphis; two brothers, Rev. Jimmie (Connie) Burnside and Teddy (Ludia) Burnside of Peoria; two sisters, Sarah Pate of Peoria and Annette Phillips of Chicago; seven granddaughters, Lakeisha (Edward) Tate, Rabian (Rev. Chris) Briggs, Ashley Cunningham, all of Helena-West Helena, Carla (Eddie) Anthony of Peoria, Angela Thomas and Undrea Thomas of Detroit and Leslie (Leon) Hamilton of Batesville, Ill.; four grandsons, Calvin Burnside of Helena-West Helena, Damarius "Nick" Hancock  and Michael and Deon Jackson, all of Peoria; godchildren Joylynn and Matt Gregory, Albert "Pete" Berry, all of Helena-West Helena; 23 great grandchildren; her extended family Bud and Virginia Alexander of Clarksdale; the Byrd family, Wofford Chapel Church family and the staff at Helena Regional Medical Center.
Brown's Home for Funerals Inc. will direct services.
Friends and family may sign the online guestbook at www.brownshomefor funeralsinc.com.