Cleda Doris Rambo McCullough-Smith, 89, Parsons, formerly of Erie, died Friday, Oct. 29, 2010 at the Elmhaven West Nursing Home at Parsons.

She was born Dec. 13, 1920 at Mulberry, a daughter of William Lester and Ethel L. Oberg Rambo. She lived most of her early life in southeast Kansas. She graduated from Paola High School in 1937 and then earned degrees from Kansas State University in Manhattan in 1941 with a Dietary Degree in Home Economics. She then obtained a Master’s degree in Counseling in 1951 from the former Kansas State Teacher’s College in Pittsburg. Later she received a Specialist degree in Counseling from Fort Hays University.

Cleda taught school in Walnut, Elk City, Belle Plains, Potwin and Winchester. She was a counselor in Lincoln, Neb., and Raytown and Independence, Mo. She also was employed as a counselor in the CUSD 101, working in Erie, St. Paul and Thayer.

Cleda and Lewis McCullough were married in 1947 in Lawrence. He was killed in a car accident in 1970. Dr. McCullough was a professor at Western State College in Gunnison, Colo., where he and Cleda lived at the time of his death. Cleda then went to Raytown, Mo., where she was a counselor. In 1978 she retired to Girard to take care of her aging mother. In 1980 she came out of retirement to serve as a counselor in the CUSD 101 schools. She also taught evening classes at Neosho County Community College in Chanute.

On April 17, 1982 she married Howard Smith of Erie. Cleda and Howard belonged to the Beantown Ramblers RV Club for 10 years and traveled extensively in the United States and abroad. Howard preceded her in death on April 28, 2008.

Cleda was a member of the Erie Federated Church. She served as Presbytery trustee for the church and served on the Board of Directors of the Presbyterian Manor in Parsons. She served for eight years on the Erie City Library Board and was president for two years. She played bridge with the Blue Bag Bridge Club and substituted for other clubs. She was also a member of the Erie Chapter 136 Order of Eastern Star. She was a donor of a life insurance policy to the scholarship fund at Pittsburg State University.

Survivors include three stepdaughters, Nancy Gretencord, and her husband, Larry, Wellsville, Gloria Henggeler, and her husband, Mike, Columbus, Neb., Sandra Donhauser, Wichita; 10 stepgrandchildren; 10 stepgreat-grandchildren; three nephews and six nieces.

Funeral will be 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 3 at the Erie Federated Church, the Rev. Larry Jordan officiating. Burial will be in the Rosebank Cemetery in Mulberry Wednesday afternoon. The family will receive friends from 10 until service time Wednesday at the church. Friends may call at the Pierce-Carson-Wall Funeral Home after 9 a.m. Tuesday. Memorials are suggested to the Federated Church Capital Campaign or to the Erie Library. These may be left at or mailed to the funeral home, P.O. Box 182, Erie, KS 66733. Online condolences may be left at www.wallfuneralservices.com.