Wesley C. Smith

Wesley C. Smith, 92, of Lorimor died Monday, February 13, 2017 at the Afton Care Center. Visitation will be held from 12 to 2 p.m., Friday, February 17, 2017 at Ochiltree Funeral Service and the funeral service will begin at 2 p.m. Burial will immediately follow at the Lorimor Cemetery. Memorials may be directed to the family for later designation. Wesley Charles Smith, son of Charles and Viva (Neeley) Smith, was born December 3, 1924. His father died an accidental death. The last of six, Wesley was born at home on a small farm northwest of Lorimor. He attended country school through the eighth grade at Williams New Hope #3 in Union County. He graduated high school in Lorimor with the class of 1942. Wesley stayed on the farm with his mother farming, was a gas station attendant in town and spent summers bluegrass stripping with his brother, Stanley around the state of Iowa. He had the Sunday paper route for several years and was a substitute rural mail carrier. He married Norma Lee Green on June 19, 1948 at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa. To this union were four children, Patricia Sue, Marion Keith, Marvin Dean, and Janell Lynn. He continued farming and raising feeder pigs along with the substitute mail route. In 1978, he got the permanent appointment with the rural postal service and carried in the Lorimor and Macksburg area until August 1982 when he was able to retire. He and Norma enjoyed traveling in their motor home around the states spending several winters in Arizona, keeping Lorimor as their lifetime residence. Wesley was a member of the Church of God in Lorimor. He loved the church, his family, and had many friends. He enjoyed the great outdoors, farming, fishing, road trips and most of all visiting and recalling precious memories of days gone by. He was not a stranger to anyone and friend to all. Those left to cherish his memory are his daughters, Patricia (Bill) Koob of Russellville, AL and Janell Chenoweth of Afton; daughter-in-law, Roxanne Smith of Conway; 12 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; step grandchildren and step great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. Wesley was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Norma in 2007; sons, Marion (Mary) Smith and Marvin Smith; grandson, Dustin Smith; three brothers, Floyd, Dale, Stanley and their spouses; two sisters, Olive (age 3) and Helen and her husband; and son-in-law, Dennis Chenoweth.