Smith, Lawrence 1906-1958

SMITH, WALTERS

Posted By: Paul Van Dyke-Volunteer
Date: 8/30/2014 at 23:23:18

Source: Hawarden Independent (1-2-1958)

Born: October 30, 1906
Died: 1958

Lawrence Smith, a building contractor and house mover and almost a lifelong resident of Hawarden, died at the age of 51 early last Thursday afternoon in the Hawarden hospital following a heart attack which he suffered Sunday, December 15.

Funeral services were held at 2 o’clock Saturday afternoon at the First Methodist Church with Rev. Chester Custer officiating. A double quartet, with Miss Linde Lou Wohlenberg as accompanist, sang “Abide With Me” and “Be Still My Soul.” Casket bearers were Dar Lewis, York Johnson, Clet Schoeneman, Charles McManaman, Bernard Feikeman and William Tausz.

Interment was in Grace Hill Cemetery under the direction of the Barnard Funeral Home. Military honors were by the Two Oakes post of the American Legion. Business houses in Hawarden were closed during the service.

A son of W.J. and the late Mrs. Smith, Lawrence was born October 30, 1906 at Norfolk, Nebraska. At the age of two weeks he came to Hawarden with his parents. He graduated from the Hawarden High School and Morningside College in Sioux City.

He was an outstanding athlete. During his high school years he was outstanding in athletic, especially in football. He served as captain of the team in his senior year. Mr. Smith was an All-North Central Conference half back while at Morningside in 1929-30-31, and played on the league’s all-star team that defeated the Rocky Mountain conference all-stars in the special game at the end of the 1929 season. He was also a competitor in track at Morningside College.

After graduating from Morningside college he was an athletic coach for 10 years. His first coaching position was at Rock Valley and later at Scotland, South Dakota, in Hawarden for four years and later he was at Marseilles, Illinois.

He married Miss Mildred Walters of Rockwell City, a college classmate, January 2, 1935. For two years during World War II he served in the classification department of the Army at Fort Bragg.

After he returned to Hawarden he went into the contracting business with his father on an extensive scale. He bought an entire block on Avenue K and built an all modern home for the family and later put up all the houses in the block. Later he extended his building to other locations in town and also did much moving of buildings in various other places.

He also built and owned the Soo Motel in the North part of Hawarden, which is one of the most modern motels in this section.
He took an active part in public, social and church work in Hawarden. He was very active in the Methodist Church and was a member of the official board of that organization. At one time he was a member of the Hawarden board of education. He was also a member of the Two Oaks Post of the American Legion.

Besides his father, he is survived by his widow, Mildred; a son, Larry, age 12; two daughters, Carla, age 9, and Paula, age 6, and a brother, Earl, also of Hawarden.