Zee attended grade school in Westminster, Adams County, Colorado. She attended junior high school in Broomfield, Colorado prior to moving to a farm in extreme western Weld County, Colorado. At Longmont Junior High School Language Arts teacher, Mr. Warren Goosen (1935 to 2003), gave Zeina her first nickname "Sam" in 1966. Her maternal Grand-dad, Frank Guy Smith (Find A Grave memorial number 67423702), served as Zee's father figure throughout the 1960s. Zeina used her step-father's surname "Sprague" while attending secondary schools: Longmont Junior High and Longmont Senior High School. She participated in Civil Air Patrol. Zee graduated from Longmont Senior High School in 1971, shortly after marrying Warren K. Smith. Zee, like her mother, had an excellent work ethic. She excelled at sewing and singing. Her second husband lived in the house next to the farm where she lived from 1966 to 1971. She enjoyed spending time with family, including relatives in/from Bridgeport, Nebraska; her mother, Grandparents and their spouses in Colorado, her younger brother, half siblings, a step-cousin who exceeded her in age by 367 days, her two children and their offspring. It is uncertain if her first name "Norma", was derived from her father (Find A Grave memorial 200868036) or from her maternal grandmother, Norma Wood Smith Kellar (affectionally known as "Mumo") Find A Grave memorial number 3354581. Mumo was consistently and actively involved in Zee's life. "Zeina", the middle name given to her at birth, for which she was better known, came from Zeina Elizabeth Bredwell Wood, Find A Grave memorial number 83458530. Zee was predeceased by her father Norman Carroll Lanter (Find A Grave 200868036), aunt Shirley Mae Smith Boman Buffington (Find A Grave 180468903), grandparents, half sister Tami Sprague (Find A Grave 154269645), and half-niece Angel Sprague (Find A Grave 42388194)