I really don't know for sure how the old process of deification worked on the inner side of things. It's simply the case that in a lot of polytheistic societies, somebody who did the kind of creative work Smith did would very likely have offerings made to her after her death, and if the people who made the offerings got good results, her cult would become more and more popular until finally she'd become a goddess of divination and creativity, with her own temples and priestesses.

As for Ruth Stout, have you considered making offerings to her?