Hurlean ("Rene") Smith

HURLEAN (MCCLENDON) SMITH was born the eldest of nine children on January 26, 1941 in Tupelo, Mississippi to James McClendon and Flora (Harvey) McClendon. She was affectionately known as Rene.

She grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and attended St. Louis Public Schools, and graduated from Hadley Technical High School. She had three beautiful children, Vicki, Frederick and Rodney. 

She held jobs in factories and had a short stint as a welder, but she spent the majority of her life as a waitress at various hotels including the Sheraton and The Chase Park Plaza. She had countless celebrity encounter stories to tell. 

Hurlean was an avid reader and music lover and instilled this hobby into her children. She was known to be fun-loving, outspoken and opinionated. She loved being around her grandchildren. Her quick wit and general personality endeared her to many. 

Hurlean finished the earthly chapter of her journey on Friday, March 13, 2020. She was preceded in death by her oldest two children, Vicki Smith and Frederick Smith as well as her siblings, James Oune) McClendon, Gloria McClendon and Debra McClendon. 

Hurlean leaves to cherish her memories: her son, Rodney and his wife Sharita Smith; sisters, Betty McClendon, Dorothy Coleman and Marguerite Whitman; brothers, Earl McClendon and Reginald McClendon; eleven grandchildren, twenty-one great­grandchildren, a host of family and friends, and her significant other, Terry Peppers. 

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