Funeral services for Jack Smith, 76, of Jefferson, formerly of Paton, will be 10:30am Tuesday December 4, 2007 at First Baptist Church in Jefferson. Cremation will follow the service. Friends may call at Slininger-Rossow Funeral Home in Jefferson after 12 noon Monday, where the family will greet friends from 6-9:00pm Monday.

Jack Eugene Smith, son of Emma Shafer Smith and Clifford (Pat) Smith, was born on January 31, 1931 at Troy, Missouri.

When Jack was very young his folks moved back to the Boxholm area where he started school. When he was in the third grade they moved to Paton where he attended school. In 1945 Charlotte Harrison joined Jack’s high school freshman class. They graduated together from Paton High School in 1948 and married in July 1950. They stated farming and feeding cattle and hogs with his folks in 1950 and continued on until retiring in 1996. They moved into Paton in 1981 and to Jefferson in 2004. Because of deteriorating health, Jack went into the Greene County Medical Center on August 8th, and later to Regency Park Nursing and Rehab Center on November 1st where he passed away November 30, 2007.

Jack loved music, especially Gospel sung by the Gaithers. When Jack was 4 or 5 years old he started singing with his mother in the Boxholm EUB Church. They sang “Jesus Loves Me” and some of his cousins are here today who heard him on that Sunday. During high school, there were trips to music contests and even on to State with classmates Doyle and Delite and others. One spring night after planting corn all day, four men from the EUB Church in Boxholm, with Ardis as their accompanist, drove to a State Quartet Contest. They won and were asked to go to the Nationals, but farming came first that time. Later Jack joined the Pilot Mound Male Chorus, which he loved. The years after were just spent singing in church. His last song sung with Karol Long in July at First Baptist was “The Old Rugged Cross”.

Through the years Jack was never blessed with a sister, but his Aunt Edna and Uncle Oral had four girls and they had no brother. So they have always called him their "Big Brother" and he called them his sisters.

Sports took a lot of Jack’s time as the family was growing up. The kids were raised at the softball field along with a lot of others in Paton. He helped manage the team for several years. 4-H was important for the kids and Jack, and showing beef calves at the County Fair. Later on, fishing became a very important sport for him with his buddies. Ice fishing was his most desired. Summer vacations fishing in Canada were lots of fun, too. The State Basketball Tournaments in Des Moines were a spring high-light.
Jack always looked forward to riding with his son in the semi when ever there was a chance. Jack and his friend Arlo spent long trips delivering Seed Corn in the early mornings and had good visits with farmers in different parts of the state. When Jack wasn’t able to get around so well he spent many winter days playing cribbage with his Arizona friends and enjoying Friday night get-togethers. He also was seen riding his scooter around Dagit Auction House visiting with all that would stop and chat. He was a collector of Toy Farm Tractors and had all the ones they used in farming.

As the grandchildren came along, Jack’s interests were in 4-H projects from Horses, Beef Calves, Dogs, Bunnies and even Cats. The days of camping in the motor home at the State Fair in Des Moines and feeding the family were some of his most treasured memories.

Preceding Jack in death were his parents, an infant son, William Eugene, and brother-in-law Hugh Harrison and his wife June. Jack is survived by his wife, Charlotte; son Richard L. and wife Starla of Ogden; daughter Sue Johnson and husband Ken of Harcourt; granddaughters Sheralyn Page and Husband Chris of Ogden, Jessica Peterson and husband Ryan of Des Moines, grandsons Jarred Johnson of Decatur, IL and Jeffrey Johnson of Webster City, IA; and brother-in-law Walter Harrison and wife Ruth of Jefferson.