Ernest Smith

Ernest M. Smith, age 97 of Ripley, Ohio died Friday, August 31, 2012 at his residence. He spent all of his adult life working in the shoe business, starting just out of high school working for the Sullivan Shoe Company. In 1940 he went to work for the Roth, Rauh and Heckle Shoe Company staying with them until 1951, except for the three year break when he was in the Armed Services. Ernie retired in 1981, after twenty-eight years of service from U.S. Shoe in Ripley, Ohio as a utility operator in the Finishing Department. Mr. Smith was a farmer, a United States WWII Navy Veteran, a life member of the Courts Fussnecker American Legion Post #367, former Brown County Rural Water board member, a member of the Ripley Church of Christ, VFW and the Ripley Heritage Inc. Ernest was born May 29, 1915 in Paris, Kentucky the son of the late Luther Calvin and Lyda (Jones) Smith. Besides his parents he was preceded in death by one brother a