Omar R. Smith, 78, of Bancroft, died Thursday, February 16, 2006 at Heritage Nursing Home, Bancroft following a three year battle with Relapsing Polychondritis.
A funeral service will be held Monday at 10:30 AM at the First United Methodist Church, Swea City with Pastor Todd Hartsock officiating. Burial will be in Harrison Township Cemetery, Swea City with a flag presentation by the Bancroft American Legion.
Visitation will be from 3 to 7 PM Sunday at Garry-Roberts-Murphy-Schaaf Funeral Home, Bancroft and will continue one hour prior to the service at the church on Monday.
Omar Richard Smith was born October 12, 1927 in Sioux Rapids, Iowa son of Aubrey and Sadie Belle (Campbell) Smith. Omar grew up in Buena Vista County in the Sioux Rapids and Marathon area attending Lincoln-Lee Consolidated School. He then served in the United States Army from December, 1945 until November, 1946 being stationed in the Washington and Idaho area.
Omar was united in marriage to Dorothy Helen Junkermeier on April 29, 1948 at Rembrandt, Iowa. They farmed in the Rembrandt area until moving to a farm west of Ledyard in 1964. Omar also worked for Menke Oil Company in Bancroft. In 1974, they moved into Bancroft where he continued working for Menke's for a total of 34 years. He then enjoyed delivering the Algona Reminder and the Express for many years.
Omar loved vacationing and traveling, hunting, gardening and listening to country western, gospel, and old German music. He was an avid sports fan especially enjoying cheering for the North Kossuth Girls Volleyball team. He was a member of the Swea City First United Methodist Church.
He is survived by his wife Dorothy of Bancroft; two daughters, Patricia Malatek and her husband Tom of Ely, and Louise Fisher and her husband Larry of Swea City; four grandchildren, Theresa Graham Mineart and her husband Matt of Cedar Rapids, Marc Graham of Cedar Rapids, Heather Schiltz and her husband John of Bancroft, and Mike Fisher of Swea City; and five great-grandchildren, Megan and Alex Mineart of Cedar Rapids, and Madelyn, Andrew, and Nichols Schiltz all of Bancroft. He is also survived by three sisters, Gladys Miller of Arizona, Margaret Messenger and her husband Lee of Windsor Heights, and Glenna Jane Miller and her husband Francis of Rockford, IL; two brothers, Kenneth Smith and his special friend Shirley of Indiana, and Joy Smith of Webb, Iowa; a sister-in-law Doris Smith of St. Charles, MO; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Clifton and Wade Smith; a brother-in-law, Jerry Miller; three sisters-in-law, Esther, Virgie, and Ruth Smith; and a stillborn grandson, Timothy Fisher.