SMITHVILLE - Esther Elizabeth Stephens, 89, passed away Sunday, July 5, 2026, at Sanctuary Hospice House in Tupelo. A lifelong resident of Monroe County, she was born November 24, 1936, in Smithville to Lance and Cleo Forrister Stephens. She was a 1956 graduate of Smithville High School, a 1959 graduate of Itawamba Community College, a 1970 LPN graduate and a member of the first registered nurse class in 1976 at ICC in Fulton. She was a member of Smithville Baptist Church.  Her hobbies included music, sewing, reading, and gardening.

Per Miss Esther's request, no services will be held.  Burial will be in the New Hope Cemetery in the Parham community of Monroe County.  Arrangements are entrusted to the care of McNeece-Morris Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the New Hope Cemetery Fund or a charity of the donor's choice.