Linda Smith Cross

Linda Smith Cross, 95, of North Little Rock, Arkansas passed away January 28, 2025. She was born November 24, 1929 in Gurdon, Arkansas to Sam and Eula Mae Smith during the Great Depression. One never heard her talk of it because it was just a part of her childhood that was part of American history. 

She grew up in Gurdon and during that time she contracted Scarlet Fever, which did great harm to her hearing which she suffered with lifelong though one wouldn't know it as she managed to deal with effectively. She went to Hendrix and graduated magna cum laude. Her parents moved to the Little Rock area during this time and when she graduated, she came to live with them attending Winfield United Methodist church playing the piano in Sunday School. On a trip to visit a friend in Fayetteville she caught the eye of Howard Cross who somehow found out who she was and where she lived and when he graduated started going to Winfield where his own parents attended. They started dating and got married on New Years Day in 1953. They moved to Tulsa Oklahoma when he started a new job there and they had two boys, Howard Jr. and four years later Sam. Shortly thereafter they moved to Norman, Oklahoma and started attending McFarlin UMC. During this time, she went back to school and got her Masters of Library Science and got a position as a librarian in the public school system. 

They developed good friends in the church and made many memories. After the boys were grown, they decided to move back to Little Rock where Dad started a new job and she found a librarian position at UAMS. Also, during this time, they made several trips to Europe traveling by car. They found a new church home eventually at St. James UMC and attended many years where she taught Sunday School. She made great effort to make the Bible lessons informative and enlightening. Both studied the Bible together every day. She had a very sharp mind working Jumbles and crossword puzzles. They celebrated 70 years of marriage. She is proceeded in death by her parents, her husband and sister Camille Reutz. Survivors are her two sons Howard Jr. and Samuel, grandson Garrett Cross, great grandson Elliott and granddaughter Vickie Cross. 

Visitation will be held at 1:00PM on Monday, February 3, 2025, at Smith North-Little Rock Funeral Home (1921 Main Street) with a funeral service following at 2:00PM.