Obituaries : Lee E. Smith, Sr.

Lee E. Smith, Sr.

VINTON – Lee Edward Smith, Sr., 93, of Vinton, died Tuesday, August 2, 2011, at Virginia Gay Hospital in Vinton.

Funeral services will be 10:00 a.m. Saturday, August 6, 2011, at Van Steenhuyse-Russell Funeral Home in Vinton. Committal services will be 1:00 p.m. Saturday, August 6, at Garden of Memories Cemetery in Waterloo. Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, August 5, and 9 to 10 a.m. Saturday, August 6, at the funeral home.

Lee was born December 20, 1917, in Waterloo, Iowa, the son of Frank Eugene and Lettie Mae Barton Smith.

On February 20, 1937, Lee was united in marriage with Nellie Marie Skalsky in Galena, Illinois. She preceded him in death on April 8, 1995.

During WWII, Lee worked in the shipyards in California. Upon his return to Iowa, he worked at Rath Packing and Headford Foundry in Waterloo before retiring from the Maintenance Department of the City of Waterloo.

Lee greatly enjoyed the outdoors: fishing, hunting, gardening, camping, boating, mushroom hunting and playing horseshoes.

Lee is survived by one son, Lee (Barb) Smith, Jr. of Vinton; 5 grandchildren: Cheri (Ken) Morrow, Cyndee (Steve) Sinnott, Mark (Lori) Smith and Renee and Alisha Hoppenworth; 7 great-grandchildren: Aaron (Lisa) Morrow, Eric (special friend Kendra) Morrow, Dr. Cassie (Andrew) Mitchell, Chris Sinnott, Cory Sinnott, Adam (Shea) Smith and Mandy Smith; and one great-great-grandson, Landon Morrow.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Nellie; one son, Billy Eugene Smith; one daughter, Betty Marie Hoppenworth; 6 brothers; 4 sisters; and three great-grandchildren, Nicholas, Rusty and Mitchell Smith.

Memorial contributions may be directed to the Rodger’s Park Nature Center, the Vinton Lutheran Home or Virginia Gay Hospital.

Van Steenhuyse-Russell Funeral Home is caring for Lee and his family. Condolences may be left at www.vsrfh.com.