Thomas Ira Smith, Jr.

Thomas I. Smith, 90, of Humboldt passed away April 27, 2016 at the Humboldt Care Center South. Masonic Memorial services in Humboldt will be 3 p.m. Saturday in the chapel of the Mason-Lindhart Funeral Home in Humboldt. Visitation in Humboldt will be 1-3 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Funeral services in Macedonia, Iowa will be 3:00 p.m. Sunday at the United Methodist Church, Macedonia. Visitation in Macedonia will be from 1-3 p.m. Sunday at the church. Burial with full military honors will be in Macedonia Cemetery, Macedonia, Iowa. The Mason-Lindhart Funeral Home of Humboldt is in charge of arrangements.
Tom is survived by his wife, Marjorie Smith of Humboldt; 3 sons, Thomas (Darlene) Smith, III of Mitchellville, Charles D. (Sally) Smith of Atlanta, GA, and Jay R. (Sharon) Smith of Sioux City; 7 grandchildren; 9 great grandchildren; step-daughter, Angela (Donald) Barnes of Humboldt; step-son, Geoffrey (Leigh) Rau of Fremont, NE; 7 step grandchildren; and 6 step great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Darlene; his parents; two brothers; and 4 sisters.
Tom “Junior” Ira Smith, the son of Thomas Ira and Lois Marie (Hatswell) Smith, Sr., was born June 5, 1925 at the home of his grandparents at Red Oak, Iowa. His parents lived on a farm in Grove Township, east of Macedonia where Tom attended Country School No. 5. In 1936, the family moved to Macedonia and Tom finished his schooling and graduated from Macedonia High School. After graduating from high school, Tom continued to help on the family farm. In August of 1943, Tom entered the military service serving in the United States Army. Upon completion of his training, he was sent to the European Theater and assigned to the 10th Armored Division attached to the 3rd Army under General George S. Patton. His trip across the Atlantic was aboard the British Liner, Queen Mary. He participated in three major campaigns, namely the Ardennes, Rhineland, and Central Europe and was awarded several decorations including the Belgium Croix de Guerre, Purple Heart, and the Bronze Star. In April of 1945, just 28 days before the war ended in Europe, Tom was wounded and sent to St. Julian’s Hospital at Nancy France. After recuperation, he returned to his outfit and performed occupation duty until August of 1945. He returned to the United States in early September 1945 on a De-Lay in route to the South Pacific until the war in the Pacific ended.
While on furlough, Tom met Darlene Ruth Lett and they were married April 5, 1946 in the 5th Avenue Methodist Church at Council Bluffs, Iowa. Tom re-enlisted into the Regular Army and the couple made there first home at Fort Lewis, Washington and was honorably discharged from military service in January of 1947.
The couple returned to Macedonia where Tom was employed by the Missouri Valley Limestone Co. for 12 years. During that time the family moved to Red Oak, Iowa. In October of 1943, Tom accepted employment with the James W. Bell Co. in Des Moines. The family moved to Altoona and in 1971, Tom was promoted to Sales Representative for Northwest Iowa and the family relocated to Humboldt. In 1990, Tom was promoted to Vice-President and held that position until he retired in May of 1994. He worked for the company for 31 years.
On June 18, 1999, his first wife passed away and on June 16th, 2001, he married Marjorie Sue (Keeley) Rau in the Little Brown Church at Nashua, Iowa and continued to live at Humboldt.
Tom enjoyed fishing, woodworking, coin collecting, and was a genealogy buff. He was a member of the Adams American Legion Post 119 in Humboldt, a lifetime member of Sathers-Odgaard VFW Post 5240 in Dakota City, Masonic Lodge 195 in Humboldt, Kossuth Shrine Club in Algona, Abu Bekr Shrine of Sioux City, Scottish Rite Temple of Sioux City, and the Faith United Methodist Church in Humboldt.
Memorials may be made to the discretion of the family.