MUNN, EUGENIA ANN SMITH, March 19, 1913 – November 22, 2008
BILLINGS, MONTANA – Eugenia “Jean” Ann Smith Munn, 95, died on November 22, 2008 at Highgate Senior Living Center in Billings.
She was born March 19, 1913 in Muskogee, Oklahoma to Margaret King Smith Jones and William Smith. William passed away when Eugenia was a young child and she was raised by her loving stepfather, Jack A. Jones. Eugenia was one of three children. Eugenia graduated high school in Pocatello, ID in 1932.
She graduated from the University of Idaho Southern Branch at Pocatello, and later graduated with a B.S. degree in education from Eastern Montana College.
She married Alex N. Munn in 1934. They were later divorced. They had two children, John Arlen Munn, Sr. and C. Faustine Schaff.
Eugenia retired from Wilcox Elementary School in Pocatello. She taught grades one through eight at the “79” school in Big Coulee, Montana; Cushman School, Cushman; Cavil School south of Barber; and the Belmont School in Belmont, as well as elementary grades at the Ryegate School in Ryegate.
While attending the schools in Pocatello, Eugenia was an avid tennis and basketball player. She was a Gamma Delta Gamma, social sorority, and Sigma Delta, honorary educational fraternity. After retiring, Eugenia was a “Pink Lady” volunteer with the Bannock Hospital and Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello.
She was an active member in her 1932 high school graduating class, that has continued to meet for monthly luncheons at various eateries in Pocatello. Eugenia was able to attend a luncheon with classmates Helen Young, Bernice Murray and Sandra, a daughter of a deceased classmate, Shirley Lemmon, in June, 2008. It was great fun for her son to take her on trips to the various casinos in Nevada. She always came home with large jackpots of nickels and quarters. Eugenia returned home and stuck her winnings away in order to have coins to go gambling with later. She did not care for the ticket returns on the new slot machines. She liked to hear the tinkle of the coins falling and much time was spent trying to find the coin machines to make her happy.
Eugenia was an active senior citizen, she enjoyed walking in the cancer and heart walks held in Pocatello until she had her strokes.
She is survived by her son, John Munn of Billings; sister, Dorothy V. Lewis of Malad, ID, stepsister, Christine Jones Crawford of Rogers, Ark.; grandchildren, Marsha A. (Neal) Sullivan of Ryegate, John Arlen Munn, Jr. of Salem, Ore., C. Jolene Schaff of Payron, Ariz., Todd L. Munn of Hardin and Patrick S. Munn of Medoford, Ore.; eight great-grandchildren, Jessica, Jacqueline, Roseanne, Derrick, Katrina, Elizabeth, Alicia and Daniel; two great-grandchildren, Justin and Emma; nieces, Marilyn (Chris) Koomopin, Roxanne (Bill) Knickrehm, all of American Falls, ID; one great-niece, Courtney; three great-nephews, Dane, Morgan, Clint; and Eugenia’s three “daughters of the heart,” Ronnie, Sheri and Mickey, who were great friends of her deceased daughter, Faustine. They were friends from the time they were ten years of age.
They shared their mothers with one another through the years and Eugenia was the last to leave. Eugenia was mightily loved and cherished by family, friends and former students.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother, Gregory, who died as a young child, daughter, Faustine, passing away in March, 2008; and a great-grandson, Todd, who passed away in May, 2008.
Funeral services will be held December 3 at Smith’s Downtown Chapel. Cremation will follow services.