Neva Smith, 81

Neva Smith, 81, of Mountain Home died on Monday, June 23, 2003 at a Mountain Home care center. Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday, July 3, at Summers Funeral Homes, McMurtrey Chapel in Mountain Home. Private inurnment will be held at a later date.

Neva was born Oct. 14, 1921, in Mountain Home, to Thomas Potter and Edith Nicholson Potter at the Casey house on 10th Street. She attended schools in Mountain Home and as a child spent many summers at the Casey Ranch above Pine on the Boise River.

She married Murray Shaw in 1937, and they had three daughters. Murray died in a logging accident in 1951. In 1955, Neva and Bob Mertz were married and they lived on Highway 30, next to the drive-in theatre, where they operated Bob's Place for several years. Bob died in 1965.

She then married Raleigh Smith, an old schoolmate, in 1967. Raleigh worked for Railway Express and for a short time they lived in Green River, Wyo. When they returned to Mountain Home they lived at the home on the highway until Neva's mother, Edith Pierce, died in 1989. At that time they moved into town and she resided there until recently. They were together for almost 34 years when Raleigh died in January 2001.

She was a charter member of several organizations over the years. The Elmore County Historical Society, the Mountain Home Senior Center and the 4 Aces Pinochle Club are ones that she was particularly proud of.

She was also a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary.

Neva is survived by: three daughters: Pat Zaske of Mountain Home, Jan and her husband, Harry McNamer, of Boise, Marge and her husband, Jim Hering, of Boise, seven grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and one great- great-grandson. She was preceded in death by her parents, a half brother, Eugene Potter, three husbands and a grandson, Gordon Beam of Twin Falls.

In lieu of flowers the family request that memorials be made to the MountainHome Senior Center, 1000 N. 3rd East, Mountain Home, ID 83647 or the Elmore County Historical Society, 180 S. 3rd East, Mtn. Home, ID 83647.