MORRIS SMITH obituary

RUDYARD - Morris Nels Smith, 94, died Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2004, at a Havre care center.

A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Rudyard. Burial is to follow at Rudyard Cemetery.

Morris was born on Dec. 11, 1909, at Havre to Soren and Anna (Bohm) Smith. Morris grew up on his father's homestead north of Rudyard and attended the Oreana Country School. He entered the ninth grade in Rudyard, but quit to help out with the farming operations.

Morris married Esther Goldberg on June 21, 1941, in Great Falls. In 1942, they took over the farm, where they lived and raised a family of three. They retired in the mid 1970s and sold the farm to their son Stu.

Esther died in April 1974. Morris continued to live on the farm until January 1999, when his health began to fail and he moved to the Northern Montana Care Center in Havre.

Morris was a longtime member of Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Rudyard and served on the church council for several years. He also served on the Rudyard School Board in the 1960s when the new gym was built. He was an active member of the Farmers Union and served on the elevator and oil station boards. In later years, Morris enjoyed activities at the Rudyard Senior Center.

Morris enjoyed cattle and bull sales and rodeos. His favorite pastime was visiting with people. He treasured his family.

Morris was preceded in death by his wife, Esther; parents; half-brothers, Jerry O'Brien and Bernard Smith; and half-sister, Anna Mae Goetteman.

Survivors include his sons, Stan (Karen) Smith of Mahtomedi, Minn., and Stuart (Leslie) Smith of Rudyard; daughter, Sharon (Bill) Spicher of Hingham; six grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and half-sister, Marian Larsen of Spokane, Wash.

Arrangements are by Rockman Funeral Chapel, Chester.