Mary Smith

Mary was born on April 19, 1928 to Pete and Ida (Yotter) Schmit in Huron, South Dakota. She attended country school in the Huron/Desmet/Carthage area through the eighth grade. Mary had to start working at a young age and always regretted not having the opportunity to go to high school. She eventually moved to Yankton and worked at Montgomery Ward where she met her husband, Orman Smith. They were married on May 11, 1957 and lived in a house Orman built in town until moving to an acreage on North Douglas Street where they raised their six children. They later moved to an acreage in rural Utica before moving back to their house in Yankton.

A member of Sacred Heart Parish, Mary served with the Saint Elizabeth Circle and the Catholic Daughters. She and her husband also made sure their six children all attended Sacred Heart School.

Mary worked boarding horses and taking care of other livestock on the farm, cleaning houses and taking in ironing. She also worked for a time as a baggage checker at the Yankton airport. She always loved having lots of kids at the farm, was known for her green thumb, having a special touch with animals, her delicious caramel rolls, bread and apple pies, her quilts, playing a mean game of pinochle and her gentle kindness. She liked to write long letters and poems and always had a good story to tell, especially if she could make someone laugh or smile. She was most proud of her children, grandchildren and her Luxembourg heritage.

Grateful for having shared her life are her six children: Sons: Todd (Rose) of Yankton, SD, Tim (Kathy) of Big Lake, MN, Travis of Yuma, AZ and Tobin (Carolyn) of Dublin, OH; daughters, Judy (Ben) McGinnis of Yuma, AZ and Jeanne (Joe) Limoges of Canton, SD; sisters: Margaret Weniger, Joan (Myron) VanBuskirk; brother, Bill Schmit; fourteen grandchildren: Kyle (Kenzie) Smith, Chris McGinnis, Travis Smith, Autum (Jake) Paumen, Halie (Colby) Kirwan, Katlin (Keith) Johnson, Justine (Seth) Crawford, Tessa (Preston) Dooley, Kara (Joel) Thomas, Stephanie (Levi) Miller, Samantha Smith, Libbi Smith, Samuel Smith and Michael Smith, nineteen great-grandchildren; numerous nieces, nephews and friends.

Mary was preceded in death by her parents; husband; brothers, Pete, Orval and Rhueben Schmit; brother-in-law, Larry Weniger; sisters-in-law, Annie and Dorothy Schmit and grandchildren, Timothy Cunningham and Corey Smith.