| | | » About US | | | | | | BACKGROUND
BassGifts is an internet business specializing in gifts, home decor and accessories for the Bass angler. Our warehouse and offices are located in Atlanta, Georgia.
Our company was founded in 2000 by Madeline Smith of Hot Springs Village, Arkansas. She was an incredible woman; wife and mother who loved to share her passion of Bass Fishing.
Madeline was a longtime fan of professional bass fishing whether it is was an angler on the Women’s Bassmaster Tour (WBT) or watching other fisherman. She was a self-taught bass angler, and loved the challenge.
Madeline lost her battle with Cancer on June 22, 2008. The love for fishing and entrepreneurship has passed on to the next generation as Madeline’s daughter, Linda Rodgers proudly owns BassGifts.
In Memory of a Wonderful Lady
Madeline was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
She was a woman of unstoppable accomplishments. At age 17 she earned what was then Girl Scout's highest award, the “Curved Bar”.
Mrs. Smith graduated from nursing school and had three children, a son, Michael, and twin daughters Lori and Linda.
Later her career gave her the opportunity to become Director of Nurses for several large Louisiana hospitals, where she met, and married James L. Smith.
Mr. Smith's employment with the United States Air Force gave Madeline and her family the opportunity to travel throughout the world and live in exotic places as the islands of Crete, Greece, and Okinawa, Japan. While living in Greece, she led tours of Alexandria and Cairo, Egypt for military based personnel. In Japan, she studied Ikebana, the Japanese Art of Flower Arranging, and became one of only a handful of American Ikebana Master Instructors.
After returning to the United States, she opened two Flower Shops in Ohio. In 1994 Madeline sold the flower business and retired to Hot Springs Village, Arkansas with her husband.
Retirement had its perks as she finally had time to pursue her interests in Bass fishing and became the first Professional Angler in the Village. Madeline was always ready to step up and help her many friends in any way she could and volunteered her time and experience to many organizations: (B.A.S.S.; Arkansas Hawg Hunters; Arkansas BASS Federation Nation; FLW Outdoors; Arkansas TBF Federation; Spa City Bass Club; and the Hot Springs Village Anglers Club).
She also kept up with the computer age and started two online businesses related to Bass Fishing. BassGifts.com came out of the need to find interesting gifts, décor and apparel specific to Bass. You could find Trout and other fish species, but nothing featuring the Black Bass…So, her idea was born!
Madeline not only promoted the sport of bass fishing in a positive environment, but also created a website; LadyBassAngler for women of all ages and expertise a place to talk and share information on professional bass fishing for women.
She will be missed by all whose lives she touched. |
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