Funeral services for William "Bill" J. Smith, age 78 of Shadehill, will be 2:00pm Saturday, September 1, at Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bison with Rev Gerhardt Juergens, officiating. Burial will be in the Bison Cemetery with full military honors afforded by the Rogers-Smith American Legion Post #255 of Bison.


A family service will be held at 7:00pm on Friday evening at the Evanson-Jensen Funeral Home in Lemmon.


Special music will be provided by Sarah Juergens.

Serving as casketbearers are his 25 grandchildren, Sheila Cain, Denise Jordan, Michelle Pearson, Wanda Smith, Jerri Sanderson, Vicki Buchholz, Debbie Bier, Brenda Nicholson, Robin Haye, Todd and Dennis Thiele, Brad Peterson, Jennifer Mayforth, Trista Jacobs, Robert and Douglas Peterson,Christoper Dreiske, Jenny Dirk, Kevin and Sharon Smith, Justin, Levi, and Cody Christman, Maria and Matthew Even, and Quinten Krebs.


WILLIAM "Bill" J. SMITH was born July 24, 1929 at Sundance, WY to William and Pauline (Sperle) Smith. He grew up on the family farm in the Bixby, SD area. After completing the eight grade, he worked on the family farm and for neighboring farmers. Bill enlisted into the U.S. Navy in November of 1950. He served during the Korean War on the USS Edmunds and USS Hollister. He was honorably discharged in September of 1954.


Bill married Charlotte (Malloy) Schell on December 11, 1954 at Belle Fourche, SD. They made their home on a farm north of Meadow, SD along with Charlotte's children, Carol, Dennis, Bonnie, Pauline, and David. In the following years, they were blessed with six children, Rosemary, Richard, Susan, Donna, Sharon, and Rhonda. Bills greatest joys in life were his family and working on the farm. He enjoyed family gatherings and playing games especially whist, cribbage, pinochle, checkers, and later in life his own version of 500 rummy. He had a mischievous sense of humor. When you saw the twinkle in his eye he was up to something. His trademark prank was to slap the table loudly to scare whoever might be there. Many times he brought home orphaned wild animals for his children to care for. Every spring when the wild flowers were in bloom, he would take "his girls" out to pick flowers. He and his son Richard worked the farm together as best friends, forming a mutual bond of respect. Over the years, along with farming, they raised cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens, and peacocks.


He enjoyed helping other people whenever he could. Bill was an optimist at heart never letting anything get him down for long. His faith in God and love of family helped him through many trials in life.


Bill was a member of Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bison. He also served on the Clark Township Board for many years. He enjoyed bowling and community card parties in earlier years.


Bill was diagnosed with cancer in November of 2006 and has been cared for at home by his children. He passed from this life on Thursday morning, August 30, at the age of 78 years, 1 month, 6 days, with his family at his side.


Keeping him in their fondest memories are his children, Rosemary Dreiske, Lemmon, SD; Richard (Dede) Smith, Shadehill, SD; Donna Christman, Black Hawk, SD; Rhonda (Scott) Larson, Lemmon, SD; stepchildren, Carol Heck, Billings, MT; Bonnie Thiele, Janesville, WI; Pauline (Ken) Peterson, Aberdeen, SD; David (Meg) Schell, Meadow, SD; son-in-law, Ray (Connie) Rieker, Thunder Hawk, SD; 25 grandchildren; 50 great grandchildren; 2 sisters, Carol (Gene) Deibert; Kathleen (Bud) Krank, all in Michigan; 1 brother-in-law, Frank Vetter, Bison, SD; 1 sister-in-law, Janet Smith, Cortez, CO.


He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Charlotte on October 29, 2005; 2 daughters, Susan Smith and Sharon Rieker, stepson, Dennis Schell; 2 brothers, Leo and Bob Smith; 3 sisters, Delores Krause, Luella Vetter, and Vernice Ray.