Reva Viola Smith Whaley, age 90, a previous longtime Walsh resident, passed away June 19, at the Lamar Estates Nursing Home in Lamar, Colorado.

Reva was born August 30, 1924, in Pushmataha County, Oklahoma, delivered by her Aunt Cora Willis in the family home. She was the fifth child of Robert and Etta Smith. Reva had 4 brothers; Homer, Lowell, and twins Cleo and Leo, 2 sisters Alta Day and Beula Rowe, all who have predeceased her.

In 1929 she moved with her family by covered wagon to Stevens County, Oklahoma in south central Oklahoma. Along the way a massive snow storm hit the area and the family spent 2 weeks in a wagon yard, her father had driven the wagon loaded with farm tools, and her mother had driven the wagon with the 6 children. On arrival they had only ½ box of oatmeal to feed the family. Robert was able to do work in the wagon yard in trade for food for the family and feed for the animals.

Life was definitely not easy for Reva as she grew up. She had to help plow fields; she was responsible for bringing in kindling the night before and for arising early each morning to build the fire in the wood cook stove and heating stove. She had to milk cows before walking 3 miles to school. Reva would talk about having only one pair of shoes, and having to save them for winter. On one particularly cold winter day, as she was walking to school it started to rain and the red dirt became as clay, and her shoe string broke. The mud was pulling at her shoe and she was having a hard time walking, so her brother, Lowell, cut a piece from the barb wire fence and laced her shoe with it to keep her shoe on.

At the age of 17, Reva quit school to marry Richard Whaley. She was helping her family make sausage after butchering pigs when Richard came to get her. She didn't tell her mother or father, she just left. Her mother later told her "you didn't fool me; I saw that envelope in Richard's pocket". Their marriage survived for 68 years until Richard's death. During these years 3 children were born, a son, Richard Dean, 2 daughters, Joyce and Regina.

Over the next several years Reva moved around from Oklahoma to California, back to Oklahoma, to Colorado, back to Oklahoma, to Texas and finally back to Walsh, Colorado in 1968 where she resided with her husband until 2008. Over the years Reva worked as a soda clerk, waitress, cook, grocery clerk, and at the elevators weighing beets during beet harvest. In her early 20's Reva started attending the Church of Christ and was baptized. She studied the Bible, and followed its teaching to the best of her ability. She rarely missed a church service and her daughter would say if it was time for church and the president came for a visit Mom would tell him he could go to church with her, or just wait until she returned if he wanted to visit with her. In June 1955, Reva and Ruth Higgins worked diligently to establish a Church of Christ in Walsh. With the aid of the Ulysses, Kansas, Church of Christ, this finally became a reality. The first meeting was held in one of the buildings near the theater on Main Street. Reva continued steadfast in her beliefs and was an example to her family and friends. She continued to attend church until May of 2015 when her health did not allow it.

Reva always assisted her husband in his interest in restoring antique cars. She helped in organizing and forming the Walsh Dust Bowl Antique Car Club in 1973. They attended parades and swap meets in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas and Colorado. Reva made huge batches of stew and chili for sale at the local meets, and helped organize and set up for these events.

In her spare time Reva loved to garden, canning the produce, and crocheting. She made most of her children and grandchildren beautiful afghans.

Along with her parents, siblings and her husband, Reva was preceded in death by 3 grandchildren, Jill Cheek, Cory Stapel, Luke Stapel, son-in-law Charles Stapel and daughter, Regina Cheek.

Reva is survived by her son, Richard (Kay) Whaley of Caldwell, Texas, daughter, Joyce (Eugene) McCorkle of Lamar, Colorado, 11 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren and 11 great, great-grandchildren, and a host of other family and friends.