Jack Orr Smith 1921-1952

SMITH

Posted By: Connie Swearingen-Volunteer (email)
Date: 8/10/2012 at 21:11:40

Correctionville News
16 October 1952

Jack 0. Smith of Des Moines, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Smith of Correctionville, passed away in Rochester, MN, Thursday morning, October 9, 1952, at 7:30 after an illness dating back to last February. Mr. Smith underwent major surgery last spring. He spent the summer recuperating and returned to his teaching duties as art instructor at Tech High in Des Moines this fall. He became seriously ill several weeks ago and was rushed to the Mayo Clinic at Rochester where everything was done to save his 1ife.

Funeral services were held at the Dunn Funeral Home in Des Moines at 1 o'clock Saturday, attended by many friends and teachers in the art department of Drake University and the public schools. His parents and his brother and sister-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Ival Smith and family, attended the services in Des Moines. A short service was conducted here at the Wilson-Hull Funeral Home at 1 o'clock Sunday afternoon with Rev. Boyd Zoeller, pastor of the Evangelical U. B. Church, officiating. Mr. Smith's high school class of 1938 attended the services in a body and gave funds to establish a memorial in his memory. Many other memorials were received by his parents and his wife which were presented to the Correctionville Public Library in his memory. Jack had given many books to this library in which he maintained a lasting interest.

Jack 0. Smith was born March 12, 1921, at Correctionville. After his graduation from high school he spent 5 1/2 years in the service of his country during World War II as a bomber pilot. He saw active service in Italy and later in Japan and rose to the rank of Major. Mr. Smith attended college in California for a semester, transferring to Drake University where he graduated from the fine arts department. His pictures had attracted much honorable comment and won prizes and were shown at the Art Center in Des Moines and other cities. His talent had received prominent recognition and his untimely passing is indeed sad.

On June 9, 1951, he was married to Miss Jean Smith of Des Moines who was an art student at Drake. He is survived by the widow, his parents, 1 brother, Ival Smith and his grandfather, Frank Conklin, all of Correctionville.