Dorothea A. Smith, 74, of Nauvoo, Illinois, passed away Saturday, October 3, 2026, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, Missouri.

Visitation is 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. Friday, October 9, in the Horizon Room at Trimble Funeral Home at Trimble Pointe, 701 12th Street, Moline, immediately followed by a funeral service at 6:30 p.m. Burial is 10:00 a.m. Saturday, October 10, in Moline Memorial Park. Memorials may be made to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, in honor of Dorothea’s strong belief in the value of education.

Dorothea Arlene Schnepf was born February 6, 1952, one of nine children born to Carl and Maxine (Sutton) Schnepf.

Dorothea began her career at Motorola before marrying the love of her life, Marvin Smith, on April 8, 1972, in El Dara, Illinois. Following their marriage, the couple made their home in Liberty, and then Hamilton, Illinois, where she worked in the cafeteria at Hamilton Grade School. She later returned to school, earning her degree in early childhood development from Carl Sandburg College in Carthage, and spent many years teaching at Head Start in Keokuk, Iowa, a career that reflected her natural love for children.

Dorothea and Marvin were longtime members of Golden’s Point Church in Hamilton, where Dorothea served as a Deaconess and taught Sunday School and Vacation Bible School. The couple also shared a love of traveling and enjoyed many adventures together throughout their more than 54 years of marriage.

Dorothea will be remembered for her big heart and how much she cared for everyone around her. She always looked forward to family time at the holidays and loved making Christmas cookies and delicious desserts, as well as handmade dough art ornaments.

Dorothea was a gifted artist who especially enjoyed woodburning. She had a love for flowers and took great pleasure in sharing plant starts with friends. Above all, though, family was at the center of Dorothea’s life. She treasured doing arts and crafts and spending time with her beloved grandchildren, who were truly her pride and joy.

Dorothea is survived by her beloved husband, Marvin; her daughter and son-in-law, Emily and Chris Higgins of Walnut, Illinois; her son and daughter-in-law, Timothy Smith and Megan Miller-Smith of Iowa City, Iowa; grandchildren, Chelsea Higgins and T.J. Daniel of Vancouver, British Columbia, Braydon Higgins of New York City, and Waverly and Matilda Smith of Iowa City; along with two brothers and two sisters. She was preceded in death by her parents, three brothers, and one sister.

The family invites friends to share stories and condolences at TrimbleFuneralHomes.com.