Bedford Times-Press (Bedford, Iowa), Thursday, May 14, 1964, p. 5
Willard Smith Services Held Here Monday
Funeral services for Willard Hayes Smith, lifelong Taylor County resident, were held May 11 at the Bedford Methodist Church with Rev. J. Milton Kinney officiating. Mr. Smith died at his home in Bedford May 6, 1964, at the age of 82 years and 21 days. Interment was at Hopkins Cemetery, Hopkins, Mo.
The following obituary was included in the services:
Willard Hayes Smith, son of Sylvania P.[rice] and Ann D.[ell Ball] Smith, was born on a farm south of Bedford, Iowa in the Hazel Dell community, on April 15, 1882. He attended the Hazel Dell School in Ross Township and grew to manhood in this community.
On Dec. 25, 1904, he was united in marriage to Julia M.[ary] Townsend, and they moved to their farm where they continued to live for the next 40 some years until they moved to Bedford in 1947. To them were born ten children, four sons and six daughters.
He was preceded in death by his parents; one sister; one son, Donald who died in infancy; two daughters, Ruby Esther, and Lucile Mary who passed away at the age of ten years; and his wife, Julia who passed away June 23, 1958.
He was united in marriage to Grace Rankin in February 1963.
He leaves to cherish his memory, his wife Grace and children: Helen Spencer of Bedford, Kirk Smith of Port Byron, New York, Alice Tibbetts of Pickering, Mo., Carl Smith of Idaho Falls, Idaho, Galen Smith of Montpelier, Idaho, Olive Wyckoff of Des Moines and Iva Ruth Sanders of Bedford; 32 grandchildren and 30 great grandchildren; two sisters, Mrs. Verna Dorr of Hopkins, Mo., and Mrs. Ruth Whitlow of Lakeland, Florida; a stepdaughter, Phyllis McMillin of Bedford and a stepson, Dale Rankin of Omaha.
He united with the Hopkins Methodist Church in 1912 and transferred his membership to the Bedford Methodist Church when he moved here to live.
His entire lifetime had been lived in Taylor County Iowa where he engaged in farming.
Willard was a quiet and sincere person. His thoughts were of others first. He was a kind and loving husband, father, friend and neighbor and will be missed by all who knew him.