ARVEL C. "Smitty" SMITH

HEACOCK, SMITH, MCCARTHY, SOPPE, MAHE, WHEELOCK, BOWERS, REUTER, SPOERL

Posted By: Mary Durr (email)
Date: 2/10/2003 at 11:57:45

ARVEL C. "Smitty" SMITH

Telegraph Herald - Sunday, February 2, 2003

GRAF, Iowa - Arvel C. "Smitty" Smith, 75, of 481 Graf Road, Graf, died at 2:14 a.m. Friday, Jan. 31, 2003, at home, surrounded by his family, after a long illness.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Holy Family Church, New Melleray, rural Peosta, with burial in the church cemetery. Friends may call from 2 to 7 p.m. today at Leonard Funeral Home & Crematory, 2595 Rockdale Road, Dubuque, where there will be a wake service at 4 p.m.

He was born on Oct. 22, 1927, in Andrew, son of Cornelius "Neal" and Glenn (Heacock) Smith.

He married Mary E. McCarthy on Jan. 28, 1948, at St. Raphael's Cathedral, Dubuque. The couple made their home in Graf, where they owned and operated Smitty's Place on the Heritage Trail. There he enjoyed conversing with all of the many patrons, where his job title was the official storyteller.

He enjoyed gardening, woodworking, cracking black walnuts and spending time with his llamas, Bopper and Buster, and his three cats.

Surviving are his wife, Mary; his children, Kathy (Ron) Soppe, of Graf, Karen (Dave) Mahe, Philip (Sandy) Smith and Wendy (Paul) Wheelock, all of Dubuque; and Phyllis (Eldon) Bowers, of Eldridge; 16 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren; a brother, Earl (Elaine) Smith, of Hazel Green, Wis.; and a sister, Mary (Merlin) Reuter, of Dubuque.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a sister, Pearl Spoerl; three brothers, Francis Smith, Orlin Smith and Donald Smith; and a sister-in-law, Effie Smith.

The family wishes to thank Dr. Schreiber, Dr. Payne and Michelle and their entire staff at Medical Associates, Hospice of Dubuque, especially Amy, with a special thank-you to all for their care, support and compassion shown during his illness.