Genevieve Frances (Thayer) SMITH

THAYER, SMITH, KINSEY, STOFFER, MIDDLERON, BURKO, SPURLIN, DRAKE

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 2/10/2024 at 13:06:57

Genevieve Frances (Thayer) Smith
July 9, 1926 ---- August 25, 2020

Genevieve Frances Smith, 94, of Belmond, passed away in Lincoln, Nebraska at The Waterford of Williamsburg Assisted Living on Tuesday, August 25, 2020.

Memorial services for Genevieve Smith have been postponed until after COVID-19.
Genevieve (Thayer) Smith, 94, a former Belmond resident, died Aug. 25, 2020 at Waterford at Williamsburg Assisted Living in Lincoln, NE. A memorial service will be held Saturday, July 24, 2021 at 2 p.m. at the Belmond United Methodist Church. Burial will take place at the Immanuel Reformed Church Cemetery. Visitation will be held one hour prior to service at the church. Ewing Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.

Memorial donations may be sent to the Belmond Methodist Church, 1031 1st St. SE, Belmond, IA. 50421; or to St Croix Hospice, 1001 So. 70th St. #113, Lincoln, NE. 68510

Gen, the daughter of Claude and Clara (Spurlin) Thayer, was born in Belmond, IA. She attended Belmond Schools graduating with the Class of 1943. She then worked at Motorola in Chicago typing instructions books for Walkie-Talkie Radios during WWII. She returned to Belmond and married George ‘Coonie’ Smith in August 1945 and was happily married for 55 years until his death in 2000. They raised three children, Pam, Wayne, and Gretchen.

She was mostly a stay at home mom, working only part time at various places and helping with Coonie’s various business adventures and also a farmwife.

Her family was her life as she and Coonie enjoyed traveling to many events to see their children and grandchildren in performing activities. Most vacations were spent visiting family or taking many fishing trips to Minnesota with family and friends. In later years, they spent several winters motor homing to Texas, enjoying the sights and warm weather.

Gen was an outstanding cook and housekeeper. There was always something homemade for family or friends who stopped over for morning or afternoon coffee, and for company that would come over to play cards at night. She loved to shop and would spend hours “just looking”.

Gen moved to the Belmond Retirement Apartments in 2005, where she remained a loyal member of the United Methodist Church, the Rebecca Circle, the Over 60’s club, and the Senior citizens. She had a close-knit group of friends that would continue to meet for breakfast, go to a movie, and ensured she got to church.

Upon declining health, Gen moved to Lincoln in 2017 to be close to family support. She always looked forward to receiving her Belmond paper as she would read every word, front to back! She came to enjoy her home in Lincoln at the assisted living facility where she died with family at her side. She enjoyed the crafts, entertainment, and sitting outside.

Gen is survived by daughter, Pamela (and Jack) Kinsey of Farmington, MI; son, Wayne (and Deb) Smith of Mosely, VA.; and daughter, Gretchen (and James) Drake of Lincoln, NE. She had 7 grandchildren (Kristine, Mattie Jane, Andrea, Elizabeth, Michael, Madison, and Harrison), and 11 great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Coonie, her stillborn son Sherman, and grandson Guy Nathan Kinsey, sisters Irene Stoffer, Alberta Middleton, half-sister, Dorthea Burko, and many other beloved relatives and friends.