Olga Smith Obituary

As the sun was setting on the day, Olga Finney Smith, beloved wife of the late A. Richard Smith, passed away peacefully at her home, with family nearby, on Wednesday, July 2, 2025.
She arrived right when she should on Friday, August 19, 1927– the fourth of six children born to William H. and Olga Dauscha Finney. The rhyme says, "Friday's child is loving and giving," and Olga truly lived up to that description.
What a treat to take a minute to share "Mama" and "Nana" with you. She never sought the spotlight, choosing instead to be a supportive partner to "Daddy" (A. Richard) and his ministry.
Her beautiful face, with a kind smile, and her sweet spirit made every child who crossed her path wish their mothers were so calm. With three children in tow, she had surely practiced that calm demeanor many times before leaving the car.
Olga grew up in Nashville, where she loved to draw and create with a variety of mediums. She enjoyed needlework and often sewed her own formal dresses. She also had the spirit of a cheerleader-literally-while attending West High School, where she met the love of her life, who played on the football team. When she chose to join the A. Richard Smith team, she set aside her dreams of formal art education to work-first at Caterpillar and later at Wittenberg University while A. Richard attended seminary.
They married in June 1951 and soon moved to Tullahoma, where their focus was a mission development he wanted to get started, Trinity Lutheran Church. He didn't leave that ministry for 42 years!
A mother first to Paula, then Eric, and finally Terese, Olga maintained a warm and welcoming home. When Pastor Smith was away on church duties, Olga covered all the bases at home with creativity and care. She welcomed the neighborhood children with open arms and snacks at the ready, creating a place that felt safe and inviting, not to mention just plain ol' fun to play in the ball field out back. A roast on Sundays, dinner for her family each day, and beautiful Christmas cookies to be shared, Olga might not have been seen by as many people as Pastor Smith, but she surely spent a lot of time and effort sharing her creations freely.
A little something you might not have known – Olga loved music! She loved singing in the choir, and she loved singing along to the music playing in the house. And another favorite? The beach. She definitely loved traveling with A. Richard to the Holy Land, but relaxing on a beach in Charleston was a joy too seldom enjoyed.
Being a pastor's wife often meant managing life at home solo, and while she certainly did that, Olga never lost her cheerleader spirit-for her husband, her children, and her grandchildren. She was also a faithful fan of the Atlanta Braves, cheering them on with the same quiet enthusiasm.
While she might have felt at times that she lived in the shadows of everyone's favorite pastor, she had strength that emerged at the times it was needed the most, providing a strong and graceful anchor in life's storms.
In these last years of life, Olga continued to be a protector of those she loved, shielding them from any pain she might and sacrificing, as she always had, any convenience for herself in that effort. She might have told one or two people looking to visit that it just wasn't a good time, and most of us can appreciate what an understatement that might have been. Her children and grandchildren brought her more joy than the birds at the feeders, though they certainly held a high place, too. Olga truly had a servant's heart, and it is the greatest wish of her family that she finally rest.
Olga was preceded in death by her husband of 69 years, The Reverend Dr. A. Richard Smith, grandson W. Shane Carnahan, sister Ann Seale (John), sister Sue Grimes (Tom), brother Bill Finney (Maxine), and brother Carl Finney (Neve). She is survived by her sister Dorothy J. Finney, children Paula (Clint) Carnahan - York, SC, R. Eric Smith - Winchester, TN, and Terese (Bill – deceased) Burns - Conifer, CO. Ten grandchildren, eleven great-grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild.
It would be a great honor to Olga if, in lieu of flowers, you would make a donation to Trinity Lutheran Church (Tullahoma) in memory of "Pastor and Olga Smith," or to a charity of your choice. The children will announce a celebration of life to honor both their mama and their daddy in the near future.
Thank you for allowing us this time and space to share a little about a woman whose 98 years of life were lived in an effort to support the ministry of her husband and to cheer her husband, children, and grandchildren.
"I am so very tired," she said. "Well, then, just relax and go to sleep, Mama." "I think I will." And she did.
Moore-Cortner Funeral Home, 300 First Ave NW, Winchester, TN 37398, (931)-967-2222, www.moorecortner.com.