Barbara Jean Smola

Barbara Jean Smola was born August 11, 1941, in Kingfisher, OK to Dona Jean Brown and Cecil Nicholas Schoelen. Beloved grandparents were Charles and Anna Brown and Jacob and Elizabeth Schoelen, all of Kingfisher.  Barbara passed away in her home with her family present on October 8th, 2025, after a long battle with breast cancer.

Growing up on a family farm northeast of Kingfisher, she and her sisters were integral to the success of the family farm, having a huge impact on the journey of her life.  She was the oldest of six daughters in her family. Sisters include Cecila, Betty, Lillian Kaye, Ruth and Janice.

Barbara attended Saints Peter and Paul Catholic School and Kingfisher High School. She graduated in 1959 and was celebrated as the second only student to receive all three outstanding honors for scholarship and citizenship. After high school, she enrolled in St Anthony School of Nursing in Oklahoma City and graduated with honors in 1962.

On September 1, 1962, she married S. Steven Smola in Kingfisher. They established their family in Watonga, Oklahoma and raised six children: Brenda, Marilyn, Shelly, Christopher, Angela, and Michael. While raising a large active family, she worked as an RN at the Watonga Hospital and director of the local nursing home.

In 1979 she opened her first clothing retail shop, which she continued to operate for the next 40+ years. She had shops in Watonga, Kingfisher, Mustang and later in Oklahoma City. Her last location being Barbara's in North Park Mall which closed in August 2025.

During her years in Watonga, she made history as the first woman elected to the City Council. In that role, she served on the Police and Hospital Committees and took a leading hand in city beautification and park development projects. Beyond her civic work, she founded the March of Dimes effort in western Oklahoma and remained deeply engaged in community building throughout her life.  She contributed to the Watonga Main Street Initiative. In Northwestern Oklahoma, she also assisted in the building of the Youth for Understanding Exchange Program, coordinating student exchange hosting that connected young people across cultures and communities. She continued this work later in life as well through the Oklahoma City University, English as Second Language Learning Program, hosting over 45 exchange students.

Upon retirement, she and her husband moved to Oklahoma City in 2001.   She completed her Master Gardner's certificate that fueled her passion for plants and flowers.  In her high-spirited style, Barbara maintained that her main "claim to fame" was her fabulous children and their families, her many friends, --and that she hunted and killed a bear and got her license to fly a plane.

Preceding her in death are her grandparents, parents, sisters Lillian Kaye Fife and Cecilia Massey, and son, Christopher Smola.

She is survived by her children: Brenda Smola-Foti and husband Frank Foti, Marilyn Greene and husband Colin Greene, Shelly Smola-Scudder and husband Perrin Scudder, Dr. Angie Shepardson and husband Jason Shepardson, Michael Smola and wife Julie Smola.  Her ten grandchildren: Daniel Harper, Katherine Harper, Brennan Shepardson, Colby Shepardson, Nathan Foti, Ben Smola, Grace Smola, Caroline Smola, Tess Greene and Eva Greene.

A Rosary service will be held at 9:30 a.m., Thursday, October 16, 2025, followed by Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 a.m., at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Oklahoma City, OK. A private interment will be held at the Kingfisher Cemetery, Kingfisher, OK.

Memorial donations may be made St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church at stcharlesokc.org. Please select from the many categories listed where the donation is to be directed.