Gilbert Harmon SMITH

SMITH, VEDDER, HANER, JACOBSON, KOSINSKI, ETZEL, KROLICK

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 1/27/2017 at 14:58:42

June 17, 1927 ---- January 23, 2017

Gilbert Harmon Smith died on January 23, 2017 in Eagle Grove, Iowa at the age of 89. Gilbert was born on June 17, 1927 in Stamford, New York to Grace Lovisa (Vedder) Smith and Thomas Howard Smith. The second of three sons, he grew up on his family's dairy farm in Roxbury, New York, amidst the verdant Catskill Mountains. He attended school in Roxbury, where he also participated in sports, including basketball and baseball. He graduated as valedictorian of his high school class in 1945, completing coursework early to begin attending Cornell University.

Gilbert was inducted into the U.S. Army on September 6, 1945, just after the end of World War II, and served as a Medical Technician at Fort Dix, New Jersey. After receiving an Honorable Discharge on November 22, 1946, he resumed his studies at Cornell, earning a B.S. in Animal Husbandry on February 1, 1950.

Gilbert married Clare Jeane Haner on November 18, 1949, and in the spring of 1951 they ventured to Eagle Grove, Iowa, where they began farming and raised a family of four children. The farm attained Century Farm status in 1981, having originally been purchased by John Robert Smith, also of Roxbury, New York. With his eldest son assuming operation of the farm in the late 1970s, Gilbert began a second career with the U.S. Postal Service, retiring in 1994 after 19 years of service.

Gilbert was an avid stamp collector, and focused on first day covers and other specialty items. He was also a lifelong sports fan, and followed the New York Yankees, the Minnesota Twins, as well as teams at the state and local level. In his youth, he saw such baseball legends as Jackie Robinson, Lou Gehrig, and Joe DiMaggio play firsthand. In retirement, Gilbert served on the Eagle Grove Memorial Library Board, including several terms as Board President. Gilbert was a longstanding member of the United Methodist Church, and was also an active volunteer blood donor, contributing more than 15 gallons over the years.

Gilbert had a wry sense of humor, treated others with fairness and integrity, and believed in the value of hard work and self-reliance. His love of nature was palpable in his daily life, and inspired others to appreciate the beauty of the natural world. He instilled these same sensibilities in his offspring, and will be missed dearly.

Gilbert was widowed in 1984, and in 1986 married Marion Jean Jacobson, who died in 2016. Surviving are his children: Timothy Smith, Eagle Grove; Daniel Smith, Davenport, IA; Carol Kosinski (Chris), Anchorage, AK; and John Smith (Jo Etzel), St. Louis, MO; his brothers: David Smith, Stevens Point, WI; and William Smith, Fairbanks, AK; his grandchildren: Brenna and Taylor Smith; and Alexander and William Krolick; and his nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents, spouses, and daughter-in-law, Lana Smith.

Private family graveside services will be held at Rose Hill Cemetery, Eagle Grove, Iowa, at noon on January 28, 2017 with Pastor Zach Fischer officiating.

Foust Funeral Home --- Eagle Grove, Iowa
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