Funeral services were held Saturday, October 11, 2014, at New Jerusalem Apostolic Church for Mr. Walter Smith, 49, who died October 4 at Forrest General Hospital, Hattiesburg. Elder Melvin Hudson officiated with interment following in the Wheeler Cemetery Johnson Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Walter Smith was born to the late Jessie and Claudine Bass Smith. He joined St. Paul MB Church at an early age. He attended Bassfield High School. He was employed at Mississippi State Veteran Home in Collins, Mississippi, at the time of his death.
He was married to Leona Smith and to this union five children were added.
Mr. Smith was preceded in death by sister, Ruth Dale Smith; two brothers, Willie Hiblex and Emmit Smith; brother-in-law, Herd Mikell.
He is survived by wife, Leona Smith of Bassfield; three daughters, Donna Herring of Prentiss, Deborah Herring of Carson, Sharita Herring of Bassfield; two sons, Leon Herring of Bassfield and Isaac Herring of Gulfport; two sons that he raised as his own, Rodriquez Herring of Bassfield and Nicholas Herring of Bassfield; four sisters, Francis Mikell of Bassfield, Barbara (Charlie) Longino of Prentiss, Mary (Henry) Lott of Greenville, Josephine (Ronald) Bowman of Memphis, one brother, Jessie (Betty) Smith of Atlanta, GA; one aunt, Isabella Mikell of Bassfield; one uncle, Willie R. Bass of Bassfield; many other relatives and friends.