ONAWA, Iowa -- Raymond D. Smith, 78, of Onawa passed away suddenly Sunday, Aug. 23, 2009, at Burgess Memorial Hospital in Onawa.
Services will be 11 a.m. Thursday at Elliott Creek Presbyterian Church in Bronson, Iowa, with Lorna Peters CLP, the Rev. Clint Loveall of Spirit Lake, Iowa, and the Rev. Lance Loveall of Pleasant Prairie, Wis., officiating. Burial will be in Floyd Township Cemetery, Bronson, with military rites conducted by the Sergeant Bluff American Legion Post 662. Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. today, with the family present 6 to 8 p.m. and a prayer service at 7:30 p.m., at Morningside Chapel, Christy-Smith Funeral Home in Sioux City.
Ray was born Dec. 22, 1930, in Bronson, to Noah H. and Violet (Brown) Smith. He was raised in the Bronson area and graduated from Bronson High School in 1950. He served in the U.S. Army from 1950 to 1952.
Upon his discharge from the service, he owned and operated Smith's Service in Bronson for several years. He later worked in the copper mines in Butte, Mont. and smelter in Anaconda, Mont. He later drove a truck for L & L Distributors until suffering health problems in 1968. In the 1970s, he did seasonal work for Sam Corrie on the farm. In 1975, he purchased a semi tractor and trailer and leased to several different companies until 1999, when he retired.
He enjoyed hunting, fishing, camping, sports, sitting in the gazebo and visiting with family and friends. He was a member of Elliott Creek Presbyterian Church and the American Legion Post 662 in Sergeant Bluff.
Survivors include his sisters, Vina Lewis of Missoula, Mont., Dorothy Fiala of Sioux City and Ava Lewon of Bronson; stepchildren, MaRena (Sam) Muir of Crescent, Iowa, Leo Wolfe of Judsonia, Ark., Ranae (Ron) Watson of McRae, Ark., Douglas (Andie) Wolfe of Des Moines and David (Shari) Wolfe of Evergreen Park, Ill.; grandchildren, Harlan Muir, Morgan Kendall, Jacob Jordon, Bailey, Elysia, Kyle and Trevor Wolfe; and several nieces and nephews.