Lovella Joan Slangal was born on July 29, 1923 in Tonti, Illinois to Lawrence and Ruth (Dudley) Smith and passed away on June 17, 2012, in Seward, Nebraska at the age of 88 years, 10 months and 19 days. She lived in Marion County, Illinois until she was 5 years old when the family moved to Arkansas for her father's work. They later returned to Marion County where she attended country school and then High School in Salem, Illinois. After high school, she worked at Brown's Shoe Factory cutting leather. In the early 1950's, she then moved to St. Charles, Illinois where she was a book keeper. Lovella moved to Nebraska in 1961, to be closer to her parents and sister. She worked in a nursing home but then found her real love, working on a cattle ranch. She raised quarter horses and German Shepherd dog's that they sold to police academy's. She loved every animal that was associated with the ranch. Lovella also loved her art work. She would paint on anything available such as barn boards, rocks, toad stools, and even clothing. She won several ribbons for her paintings in county fairs and even the state level. Lovella also like to go to Blue Grass festivals and craft shows. At the age of 10 she sang the National Anthem at the old Soldiers and Sailors home in Salem, Illinois. She liked algebra and geometry in school and loved to dance. Lovella was preceded in death by her parents, two sisters, infant sister Shirley Rose and Jean Gray, two brothers, Dwayne and Darrell Smith and a grandson Joshua L. Jones Lovella is survived by her four children; Larry Hill and wife Dee of Green Cove Springs, FL; Vic Hill and wife Edith of Fuquay-Varina, NC; Carole Knoell and husband Don of Garland, NE; and Bruce Jones of Ignacio, CO; sister, Donna Johnson of Centrailia, IL; 13 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren. Memorials may be made to the donor's choice in care of the family. To this obituary we add our thoughts, prayers and memories of life shared with Lovella.