Donald SMITH

SMITH, GROEN, SAND, RABE, PATRICK, KADUCE, SMIT, MCCRAKEN

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 11/3/2011 at 12:42:01

December 26, 1930 --- October 22, 2011

Donald “Donnie” Smith, 80, died on Saturday, October 22, 2011, at the Muse Norris Hospice in Mason City. Services were held on Wednesday morning, October 26, at the First Reformed Church in Meservey. Interment with military honors was in the Meservey Cemetery. Memorials may be directed to the Hospice of North Iowa or the Meservey American Legion.

Donald was born on December 26, 1930 in Ventura, a son of Clyde and Grace (Groen) Smith. He attended school in Ventura as his family farmed in the Clear Lake and Ventura areas. Donnie married Rakel Sand in Nannestad, Norway on April 12, 1958. They were blessed with three daughters. Donnie entered the United States Air Force and worked as a motor pool mechanic in Norway, England and the United States. He retired in 1971 as a Master Sergeant. Then the family moved to Meservey where he worked for the city, retiring in the mid 1980’s. He was a member of the First Reformed Church in Meservey, the American Legion, and served on the Meservey Fire Department for 18 years. Donnie was very friendly and would talk with anyone he met. He liked to fish and had many memorable family fishing trips to Canada. Most of all Donnie loved and admired his daughters and three grandsons. He loved spending time with them and was looking forward to the birth of his first great-grandson, expected in December.

He was preceded in death by his sister, Frances Rabe; sister-in-law, Myrnot Smith; and brother-in-law, Barry Rabe. Left to cherish his memory are his daughters, Elsie (Tim) Patrick of Post Falls, Idaho, Shirley Kaduce of Meservey and Mary (Dave) Smit of Sheffield; grandsons, Christopher Kaduce and Derek and Ryan Smit; sister, Vivian (Kim) McCraken; brothers, Kenneth (Grace) Smith, Virgil Smith, Russell Bobbie) Smith and Michael "Mickey" (Betty) Smith; aunt, Frances Groen of Clear Lake; and best friend and former wife, Rakel Smith.

October 25, 2011
Belmond Independent - Belmond, Iowa