On May 16, 1922, Quinton Smith was born to John Floyd Smith and Jennie Belle Hallum Smith in Stidham Oklahoma. At age 11, Quinton dropped out of school to make the family crop when his father passed away. Quinton was the only boy with eight sisters. Times were tough and life was a "hard row to hoe", but Jennie and the girls worked as hard as any man. The Smith farm never went under and thrived as the girls worked before and after school, with Quinton working as the man of the family all day. Quinton never returned to school and farmed the home place until he was drafted at the outset of World War II. Assigned to General Patton's tank battalion, Quinton was the main gunner in one of the spearhead tanks moving across Europe. He survived the loss of three tanks, but was severely injured when his tank was blown up and as a result evacuated to England, earning the Purple Heart. His mother and unmarried sisters had re-located to Arvin, so Quinton traveled to join them in Arvin after his discharge from the Army. He met and married Wilma Marie Stalcup in 1945 and had five children: Diana, June, Mike, Vicky, and Kay. Quinton was always a farm boy at heart and over the next 30 years, worked for Glen Herring as foreman over the farm on Rancho Road. Quinton was extremely proud of his Cherokee heritage, Meridian School involvement with his children, coaching boys' and girls' summer league baseball teams, his sisters, cousins, and children, grand and great grandchildren. Family was always very important to him. Quinton is preceded in death by his parents, his beloved wife of over fifty years, sisters Ibra Henley, Leona Counts, and Hildred Barrett. He is survived by his children and spouses: Diana and Kevin Davey, June and Jeff Bardwell, Mike and Darlene Smith, Vicky and Mitchell True, Kay and John McElwee; sisters and spouses: Lucille and Jimmy Downum, Mildred and Doyle Barrett, Flora Henley, Nola Torrix, Sybil and Robert Davis; 11 grandchildren and 21 great grandchildren. A funeral service under the direction of Arvin Funeral Home will be held at First Assembly of God Church on 4901 California Ave. Bakersfield, Ca. 93309 on January 15, at 11am for Quinton Smith, age 84, of Bakersfield, who passed away January 9, in Bakersfield. Pastor Chaplin Bob Winter of First Assembly of God Church will officiate with interment following at Arvin Cemetery. A visitation will be held at Arvin Funeral Home on January 14, from 2pm -8pm.