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Dorothy May Smith, 90

Lead Summary

Dorothy May Smith age 90 of Plainfield, IA died Monday, March 30, 2020 at the Shell Rock Healthcare Center.
A private family funeral service will be held 10:30 a.m. Thursday, April 2, 2020 at St. John Lutheran Church in Nashua, IA with Rev. Charis Combs-Lay celebrating the service. Interment will follow at Greenwood Cemetery in Nashua. PLEASE JOIN THE FAMILY THURSDAY AT 10:30 A.M. VIA FACEBOOK LIVE ON THE HUGEBACK-JOHNSON FUNERAL HOMES FACEBOOK PAGE. 641-435-4134.
Dorothy May Smith was born May 28, 1929 in Chickasaw County, Iowa, the daughter of Harley and Gertrude (Dornbusch) Dietz. She attended country school in Horton through the eighth grade and graduated from Waverly High School in 1947. She then graduated from the Iowa State Teachers College in 1949 with a two year teaching certificate.
On May 29, 1949 she married Keith Smith at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Waverly, where she was baptized and confirmed as a young girl. She met Keith at a dance in Nashua in the spring of 1947. To this union four sons were born.
She taught school at Janesville from 1949-1950 and the couple began farming in February of 1951 near Nashua. In 1958 (two moves later) they located permanently on a farm just north of Horton.
After the four boys were in school she resumed teaching at Tripoli from 1968 – 1991. During this time she earned her Bachelors Degree by attending summer classes at Wartburg College.
During her life, she was very active in several organizations, including her church, St. John Lutheran Church in Nashua. Volunteering was also very important to Dorothy. She enjoyed playing cards, entertaining, and was a diligent shopper at sales and auctions. She was an avid antique collector and had a strong interest in local history and genealogy.
Dorothy is survived by three sons, Kreg Smith of Plainfield, IA, Kelly (Cheryl) Smith of Plainfield, IA, Kevin (Diane) Smith of Plainfield, IA; five grandchildren, Kimberly (Nick) Post of Fayette, IA, Brian Smith of Cedar Falls, IA, Erin (Jim) Pratt of Nashua, IA, Cole Smith of Naperville, IL, Caleb Smith of Kansas City, MO; three great-grandchildren, Madison Pratt, Landon Pratt, Jalynn Pratt; two brothers, Dean Dietz of Horton, Eugene (Mary Anne) Dietz of Farmington, MN; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Tod (Letha) Smith, Jeff (Rose) Smith, Vivian Carter, Hattie Pyatt, Janice Feldman, Elva Spetz, Barb (Gene) Maakestad; many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Keith Smith in 1989; one son, Kent Smith in 1990; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Lorraine Dietz, Mary Jean (Bob) McGrath, David (Lorraine) Smith, Bill Carter, Don Schultz, Melbourne Havig, Chuck Pyatt, Ken Feldman, Bill Spetz.
Memorials may be directed to St. John Lutheran Church in Nashua. 

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