MENDOTA - Phyliss Carol Smith, 78, of Mendota, died peacefully June 6, 2017 at the Mendota Lutheran Home.

Funeral services will be held at noon on Saturday, June 10 at the Merritt Funeral Home, Mendota. Burial will be on Monday, June 12 at the family plot in Mt. Hope Cemetery, Chicago. Visitation will be for one hour prior to the funeral service on Saturday.

Phyliss was born July 21, 1938 in Chicago to Roderick and Laverne (Nelson) Hughes. She married Tom Smith on Sept. 28, 1958 at the First Congregational Church in LaGrange.

Survivors include her husband of Mendota; one son, Thomas Smith, Jr. of Minneapolis, Minn.; two daughters, Jana (Pat) Trainer and Pamela (Craig) Sears of Charles City, Iowa; six grandchildren, Bradley, Diana, Taylor, Samantha, Amanda and Nicholas; seven great-grandchildren Joe, Leah, Oliver, Elijah, Liam, Adelyn and Delilah; and also many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; one sister, Penelope Roberts; and one brother, Roderick Hughes, Jr.

Soon after her marriage, the couple relocated to Princeton, then back to LaGrange and then to Charles City, Iowa. They finally settled in Mendota where Tom based his company, ENP Inc. Tom and Phyliss jointly owned and operated Smith Flowers and Greenhouse. Phyliss’ biggest focus and happiness in her life came from being a caring wife and mother, not only to her immediate family but also as a surrogate “mom” to her children’s friends because she was known in the neighborhood as the “cool” mom and everyone always wanted to hang out at the Smith house.

Memorials may be directed to the Mendota Lutheran Home.