Services for Aaron Clinton Smith of Jackson are 1 p.m.,Thursday, March 14, at Jackson Bible Church with graveside serviceat 3:30 p.m. in New Prospect Baptist Church Cemetery in Brookhaven.Wright & Ferguson Funeral Home is in charge ofarrangements.

Mr. Smith, 88, died March 12, 2002, at his residence. He wasborn in Lincoln County in 1913 to Rebecca Watts and Edward LeonSmith. He was a 1931 graduate of Brookhaven High School.

He managed A & P grocery stores in Hazlehurst and McCombbefore moving to Jackson in 1945, where he operated a grocery storein Leavell Woods which provided charge accounts and deliveryservice. He was associated for a brief time in business with WalterRobertson. In 1958 he became a Saladmaster stainless steel cookwaredealer, selling cookware primarily by referral and traveling widelyas a result of company promotions. He often said that after so manyyears in the grocery business, selling Saladmaster was like avacation.

He served as Sunday school superintendent at New Prospect(Brookhaven), First (Hazlehurst), and Daniel Memorial (Jackson)Baptist Churches. In 1952 he became a founding member of JacksonBible Church and served as an elder and supported the church’smissionary and evangelization efforts. He held devotional servicesat Manhattan Nursing Home for many years. At age 78, he began voicelessons to improve his singing ministry, and he enjoyed playingguitar. Until his eyesight failed, he learned the Hebrew and Greekorigins of many scriptures.

In 1936 he married Margaret Wroten of Brookhaven. Following herdeath in 1990, he married Mary Jane Payne Corkern in 1991.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by his children, Dr.James Clinton Smith and Jon David Smith, both of Jackson, and MaryFelder “Meddy” Smith of Brandon; his stepchildren, Brenda Darlingof Minneapolis, Minn., Cindy Franklin of Grenada, Christy Daughtryof Starkville, Mark Corkern and Ricky Corkern, both of Jackson, andKathy Ford of Madison; his brothers, Millard Smith of Brookhavenand James Smith of Hazlehurst; and 10 grandchildren, fourgreat-grandchildren, 14 step-grandchildren, and sevenstep-great-grandchildren.