RURAL HALL - Mr. Wendell Lincoln "Smiley" Byrd, went home to be with our Lord, Monday, November 2, 2009.

He was born October 23, 1932 to Albert Montague Byrd and Mary Belle Porter Byrd, and was raised in the Brush Creek Community in Grayson County, VA.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

In 1954, he served our country in the US Army, and was stationed in Germany during the Korean War. Upon his return from overseas, he worked at the Fries Cotton Mill, and a year later he and his wife left for Chicago where he attended Diesel Mechanic School. In 1958 he went to work for Hennis Freight Lines (Spector Red Ball) in Winston-Salem, N.C., as a mechanic and switcher. He retired after 24 years of service. At Hennis, he developed friendships that would last a lifetime and those relationships took the place of siblings he never had. After retirement, he enjoyed fishing, family, communicating via the CB radio, Hennis retirees functions, and late night coffee with old friends.

He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Geneva Lavada Jackson Byrd; two daughters and sons-in-law, Mary and Mark White of Germanton, NC, Sarah and Tom Tran of Winston-Salem, NC; a granddaughter, Savanna and Justin Yount of Walnut Cove, NC; and a grandson, Matthew Kyle White of Germanton, NC.

The family will receive friends from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, November 5, 2009 at Vaughan-Guynn Funeral Home in Galax, VA. A Funeral Service will be held at Cold Springs United Methodist Church at 2 p.m., Friday, November 6, with the Rev. Ted Anders and the Rev. Ken Blevins officiating. Burial will follow in the Cold Springs Cemetery, where he will be laid to rest. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials may be made to Cold Springs United Methodist Church Cemetery Fund. The family would like to extend a special thanks to ED nurses, Dana and Jennifer, and staff of the Palliative care unit at Forsyth Medical Center. A guestbook is available online at www.waughan guynn.com.

Published in the Winston-Salem Journal on 11/5/2009