Madeline DeFrees Smiley passed into the loving arms of Jesus on May 23, 2021, in Shenandoah, Tx.

Agnes Madeline was born on September 17, 1923, in Moody, Tx., to parents Oddie Odell (Diddle) and Lat Taylor Nichols.  She grew up in Waco, Texas, with her mother Oddie and her Daddy, dearly loved James   Wilson Harper, Sr.

Madeline graduated from Waco High School and was employed in insurance for many years.

In Waco, she was a long-time member of Memorial Baptist Church, and later Emmanuel Baptist.  After relocating to Conroe, she joined River Pointe Baptist Church.

She dearly loved her two children, Barbara Jean Clements DeFrees Niemeyer, and John Ricely DeFrees III, her grandchildren, great-grandchildren, brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews.

Madeline was preceded in death by her parents Oddie Odell Harper, James Wilson Harper Sr., Lat Taylor Nichols, and step-mother LaDean Nichols;  husbands Bill Clements, John Ricely DeFrees Jr., and Buddy Smiley.

Also preceding her in death were brothers Jack Harvey Harper (June) and James Wilson Harper Jr., sister Joyce Ondrasek, son-in-law Robert "Bob" Odell Niemeyer,  bonus daughter-in-law Marian McMullen, nieces and nephew Patty Rawls, Dee Crump, Craig Harper, brothers-in-law Jim DeFrees (Myrtle), Bill DeFrees, Wiley Eaton, sisters-in-law Margaret Reynolds (Frank), Wanda Warren (Joe), numerous Clements and Smiley in-laws, and many friends.

Left to remember her in love are her children Barbara DeFrees Niemeyer and John Ricely DeFrees III (Natalie), grandchildren Kevin E. Niemeyer, Esq. (Janell), Keith Niemeyer (Jan Ivy), Taylor DeFrees, Allison Krause (Matt), sister Helen Wallace, brother Bobby Nichols (Brenda), sisters-in-law Yvonne Harper and Billie Faye DeFrees, five great-grandchildren, one great-great grandchild, and several nieces and nephews.  She is also lovingly remembered by her bonus children Jan Fullick (Pat), and Jim McMullen, Jan and Pat's daughers Amy Nicholson (Brandon) and Lindsay Johnson (Brent)  and five bonus great-grandchildren, as well as Jim and Marian McMullen's daughter Allison Krause (Matt). and her three sons.

A graveside service to honor Madeline's memory will be held on June 12, 2021, Saturday, at 1 p.m., Moody Cemetery, officiated by Dr. Tom Shelton of Moody Baptist Church.  Madeline will be laid to rest next to her late husband John R. DeFrees Jr.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to River Pointe Baptist Church, 700 Gladstell Rd., Conroe, Tx. 77304 (or) to Moody Cemetery Endowment Fund – Waco Foundation /  Moody Cemetery Association, 1217 N. Valley Mills Dr., #235, Waco, Tx. 76710.