Norman, Oklahoma - Ida Jean Smith

August 4, 1926 - November 16, 2025

Ida Jean Smith, 99, of Norman, Oklahoma, formerly of Kansas City, Missouri, went home to be with her Lord on Sunday, November 16, 2025, at Brookdale Senior Living in Norman.

Ida Jean was born August 4, 1926, in the small farming community of Guernsey, Iowa, the youngest child of LeRoy Burgett "Lee" Cochran and Lydia Elizabeth (Marolf) Cochran.

On August 17, 1946, she married Charles Frederick Smith. For many years Ida Jean worked as a secretary, retiring with fond memories from the Farmland Industries Research Center in Kansas City. Her true passion, however, was serving Jesus at Tower View Baptist Church in Kansas City, Missouri. For decades she taught Sunday School to every age from preschool through college.

Ida Jean is survived by her three children: Charles Frederick Smith Jr. (and wife Susie), Joyce Ann Harwell (and husband Jeff), and Susan Kay Beyer (and husband Wayne); 17 grandchildren; a host of great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents and her sister Mary Lee Cochran McConnell.

Ida Jean's family is grateful for the loving caregivers at Brookdale Senior Living and for the many years she spent pouring her life into others. She will be remembered for her gentle smile, her unwavering faith, and the countless lives she touched with the love of Christ. Graveside services will be held in the Spring in Kansas City, Mo.