Audie Almeda Smith Dunn

March 23, 1916 - June 19, 2019
Audie Almeda Smith Dunn

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Audie Almeda Smith Dunn, 103 of Columbus, NC died early in the morning on June
19, 2019 of natural causes. Audie was born in Jack County, Texas on March 23,
1916. She was one of five children, three daughters and two sons, born to Wesley Cody
Smith and Fanny Mae White Smith. Born and raised on a farm in Texas, she and her family
grew all of their food, raised cattle, chickens, hogs and other animals for food and work, and
made all their soap, clothing, and bedding. She went to a small local school but had to go to
Dallas, Texas to an “accredited” high school to be able to go to college. She and her sisters
were unable to afford college, but one of their uncles offered to pay their entrance fees if they
could work their way through. They all attended Madison College near Nashville, Tennessee
where Mom floundered for a while as to the direction she wanted to go because they did not
offer a Journalism degree, which is what she had hoped to take. While there, she met a young
man by the name of Robert Dunn and their romance began to blossom.

Robert received his teaching certificate and decided to move back home to
Summertown, TN where he took a teaching position in a small school. After
corresponding long distance for a time, they decided they could not live without
each other and were married in a double wedding with Robert’s brother, Raymond
and his fiancé, Virginia, on February 27, 1937. After marrying, Robert and Audie
moved several times in order to get better jobs and continue with their education.
Audie taught for a while in a small school along with Robert. However, she had
various jobs as they moved to different locations. Their first son, “Jimmy,” James
Robert Dunn was born in Madison, TN after moving back for work and school.
Two years later their first and only daughter was born, Polly Jean Baker, also at
Madison. Audie became a housewife after her second child was born. After moving
various places again, they moved to Denver, Colorado and spent eight happy years there.
Their second son, Michael Edward Dunn, was born while they lived in Denver. From
there they moved to Nashville, TN where their third son was born, Stephen Kent
Dunn. As the years passed and their children grew, married and starting having families of
their own, there were a couple more moves, and then they retired in Loma Linda,
CA. During their later years, they were able to travel in the US and to Hawaii
several times, enjoying the benefits of retirement. After several years in Loma
Linda, they decided in 2001 to move to Fletcher Park Inn in Hendersonville, NC, a
retirement center near their daughter. Robert, her beloved husband of 67 years,
died on March 2, 2004. Audie continued to live at Fletcher Park Inn until October,
2017 when she moved to an Assisted Living Facility within walking distance of her
daughter in Columbus, NC.

Audie was a long-standing member of the Fletcher SDA Church. Her ready smile
and laughter and kind spirit made her loved by everyone who came in contact with
her. She will be greatly missed by her family and many friends,

She is survived by one brother, Dr. Herman Lewis (Jack) Smith of California; son,
James Robert Dunn and wife, Mary Janice, of California; daughter, Polly Jean Dunn
Baker and husband, Robert, of NC; son, Michael Edward Dunn and wife, Judy, of California;
son, Stephen Kent Dunn and spouse, Charles Larson, of California; six grandchildren
including Robert Derek Dunn of MA, David Todd Dunn of Texas, Mark Cody Dunn of
California, Jeffrey Kip Viar of NC, Joshua Truth Dunn of Utah, Nathanael Victor Dunn
of California; and eleven great grandchildren, along with many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert William Dunn; her father, Wesley Cody
Smith; her mother, Fannie Mae Smith; her sisters, Sibyl Iris Smith Gallager and Lenna Estalene
Smith Justus; and her brother, Weldon Jesse Smith.

A memorial service will be conducted at a later date.

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