Neva Elaine Smith Pointer

Neva Elaine Smith Pointer, age 87, passed away peacefully on March 3, 2024, at St. Catherine Hospital in Garden City, Kansas. Neva was born on July 20, 1936, in Montezuma, Kansas, to John and Katie Jantz Smith.

Neva attended grades one through seven in Montezuma, Kansas; the eighth grade at Norton County Country School and graduated from Elkhart High School.

Neva was married to Dean Pointer on March 18, 1955, in Syracuse, Kansas. They were married for 62 years prior to Dean passing away. To this union, five children were born. As Dean’s work required it, their family moved to several different homes. Eventually, Ulysses became their permanent resident.

The task of caring for five children kept Neva busy, yet she created and found ways to bring extra income into the household. Amongst those things were ironing for others, cleaning houses, painting and wallpapering, selling Avon, and pouring and painting plastercraft. Neva was active in the local bowling teams, holding the secretary position of bowling leagues for over 30 years.

Teaching her children how to create things of beauty from everyday things that were around the house and yard seemed to come natural to Neva. The year that the large puff ball dandelions were gathered from ditches, hair-sprayed and then painted gold will always remind her children and perhaps those elementary teachers who received them that beauty can be found in the simplest of things that seem to have no purpose.

Neva started and ran her own business, “Pointer Ceramics” for over 40 years. She spent countless hours standing at the slip-held pouring table banding, pouring and unbanding new pieces of ceramics. Neva was a 4-H Ceramic leader helping the youth of the Ulysses and surrounding communities create ceramic pieces of their own. Many county fairs had exhibits of pieces created at Pointer’s Ceramics. One of Neva’s nurses in the last week of her life was one of those young painters. Neva’s touch on others is countless.

In Neva’s own written words, “Life is such a precious gift and I have tried to enjoy it…taking care of myself and not being a burden to anyone.” Neva lived her life that way daily. In those same final words written in her handwriting “I will miss my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. My wish for them is to stay healthy and enjoy life.”

Family mealtimes were a must in Neva and Dean’s home. Each evening meal preparation and clean-up was shared by everyone. The expectation to be at the dinner table on time was enforced. Creative ways to make the groceries stretch through to the end of each month happened daily. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy and corn were amongst the favorite meals enjoyed on a Sunday afternoon.

Neva didn’t attend church a whole lot but believed in God. She lived her life always trying to do for others, sometimes at a cost to herself. She valued the spiritual heritage passed down to her from her parents and grandparents. She shared her belief with her children by sending them to Sunday School and summer Bible schools. Bibles were always present in the household. Neva was baptized at the Western Prairie Care home by Shirley Williams in the fall of 2023.

Neva was preceded in death by her husband, Dean; her grandparents, Henry and Minnie Smith and Tobias and Caroline Jantz; her parents, John and Katie Smith; her sisters, Doris Amirt and Dolores Burton; her brothers, Donald Smith, Lawrence Smith and Lester Smith; and her granddaughter; Lacey Diane Case.

Neva is survived by her sister, Neoma Keith; brothers, Keller Smith and wife, Harriet, and Allen Smith and wife, Pat; children, Doris and husband, Jerry Greene, Debra Case, son-in-law, Jimmy Case, Rodney Pointer, Denise and her husband, Len Sisk, and Deanna Pointer; her grandchildren, Michael and Tashina Case, Ed and Amy Lenherr, Cory and Stacy Brown, Chris and Andrea Greene, Curtis and Charity Greene, Nici Jewell, and Derek and Amber Jewell; and 14 great-grandchildren.

Public visitation will be on Friday, March 8, 2024, from 2:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Garnand Funeral Home in Ulysses, Kansas. Graveside service will be on Saturday, March 9, 2024, at 2:00 PM at the Ulysses Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be given to Rodney and Deanna Pointer in care of the Garnand Funeral Home, 405 W. Grant Ave, Ulysses, KS 67880. Condolences may be posted at www.garnandfuneralhomes.com.