Verona A. Smith, 96, passed away peacefully at Gundersen Health System on February 6th, 2020, surrounded by those who loved her. She was born December 13, 1923 in Deer Creek Township, Iowa, the daughter of Albert and Alvina (Kiehn) Moench.
After graduating high school in Fort Dodge, IA, she married her high school sweetheart, Richard (Dick) N. Smith on October 5th, 1943 when she was 19.
When Dick volunteered for WWII, Verona followed him to Princeton University in New Jersey while he was training for the Signal Corps, while she got a job as a parachute inspector. After the war, Dick worked on getting his undergraduate degrees and his PhD in Public School Administration. She supported, encouraged and held down the fort while Dick worked as a teacher, referee, and eventually a principal in the Webb, Iowa school district, and completed his schooling. They then settled in Des Moines, Iowa, and there they found a loving church family, helping to create a new congregation called Messiah Lutheran. They were close to many neighbors and friends and loved going to breakfast. Verona worked out of her home coloring black and white portraits for a photographer and later at the Des Moines Science Center. Once they retired, they spent 15 winters in San Antonio and San Diego.
Verona gave so many things to so many different people, all out of her love for them. She traveled every week to Fort Dodge to see her Mom and help her out. She endured having season tickets to Iowa football games because Dick loved his Hawkeyes, but Verona equally loved watching the bands perform. They were adventuresome, visiting as many national parks as they could, camping most of the time. They hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and rode a mule back up the next day. They cycled across Iowa in RAGBRAI. She welcomed snakes and gerbils and frogs into her house when her son grew curious about animals and nature. She taught her children how to be great cooks (except for that one time when she had too much wine and forgot to turn on the oven for the dinner rolls). She was an avid reader, especially biographies, and could discuss current events with anyone. She was a champion for the underdogs of the world.
She wrote, every day, in journals to document her life. Those little journals resolved many family "discussions" about when and where events occurred. She was also a scrapbooker; way ahead of her time. If she saw something in the paper that might be interesting to someone, she would pass it along or paste it in a scrapbook. She also had her camera ready to document life in photo books. She spent many hours with friends and family looking at those books, enjoying happy memories of earlier days.
When her son Greg and his wife Bette had children, the kids would travel to Des Moines in the summertime for a week at a time where they would enjoy all sorts of activities with their grandparents. As the grandchildren grew older, Dick and Verona realized they wanted to spend more time with them, so they made the decision to move to Holmen in 2000. They created a new church family at Holmen Lutheran and settled into a slower retired lifestyle. Happily, they now got to attend the grandkids' sporting events, concerts, and other special occasions.
Verona was preceded in death by her husband Dick, sister Vilma (Bud) Kozel, brothers Roy (Janice) and Ivan Moench, and her best friend and sister-in-law, Betty Lou Nelson.
She is survived by her daughter, Paula Smith and her dog Charlie, as well as her son, Greg and Bette Smith, and their children, Megan and Sam; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Burial will take place at Green Mound Cemetery.
After graduating high school in Fort Dodge, IA, she married her high school sweetheart, Richard (Dick) N. Smith on October 5th, 1943 when she was 19.
When Dick volunteered for WWII, Verona followed him to Princeton University in New Jersey while he was training for the Signal Corps, while she got a job as a parachute inspector. After the war, Dick worked on getting his undergraduate degrees and his PhD in Public School Administration. She supported, encouraged and held down the fort while Dick worked as a teacher, referee, and eventually a principal in the Webb, Iowa school district, and completed his schooling. They then settled in Des Moines, Iowa, and there they found a loving church family, helping to create a new congregation called Messiah Lutheran. They were close to many neighbors and friends and loved going to breakfast. Verona worked out of her home coloring black and white portraits for a photographer and later at the Des Moines Science Center. Once they retired, they spent 15 winters in San Antonio and San Diego.
Verona gave so many things to so many different people, all out of her love for them. She traveled every week to Fort Dodge to see her Mom and help her out. She endured having season tickets to Iowa football games because Dick loved his Hawkeyes, but Verona equally loved watching the bands perform. They were adventuresome, visiting as many national parks as they could, camping most of the time. They hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and rode a mule back up the next day. They cycled across Iowa in RAGBRAI. She welcomed snakes and gerbils and frogs into her house when her son grew curious about animals and nature. She taught her children how to be great cooks (except for that one time when she had too much wine and forgot to turn on the oven for the dinner rolls). She was an avid reader, especially biographies, and could discuss current events with anyone. She was a champion for the underdogs of the world.
She wrote, every day, in journals to document her life. Those little journals resolved many family "discussions" about when and where events occurred. She was also a scrapbooker; way ahead of her time. If she saw something in the paper that might be interesting to someone, she would pass it along or paste it in a scrapbook. She also had her camera ready to document life in photo books. She spent many hours with friends and family looking at those books, enjoying happy memories of earlier days.
When her son Greg and his wife Bette had children, the kids would travel to Des Moines in the summertime for a week at a time where they would enjoy all sorts of activities with their grandparents. As the grandchildren grew older, Dick and Verona realized they wanted to spend more time with them, so they made the decision to move to Holmen in 2000. They created a new church family at Holmen Lutheran and settled into a slower retired lifestyle. Happily, they now got to attend the grandkids' sporting events, concerts, and other special occasions.
Verona was preceded in death by her husband Dick, sister Vilma (Bud) Kozel, brothers Roy (Janice) and Ivan Moench, and her best friend and sister-in-law, Betty Lou Nelson.
She is survived by her daughter, Paula Smith and her dog Charlie, as well as her son, Greg and Bette Smith, and their children, Megan and Sam; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Burial will take place at Green Mound Cemetery.
Verona A. Smith, 96, passed away peacefully at Gundersen Health System on February 6th, 2020, surrounded by those who loved her. She was born December 13, 1923 in Deer Creek Township, Iowa, the daughter of Albert and Alvina (Kiehn) Moench.
After graduating high school in Fort Dodge, IA, she married her high school sweetheart, Richard (Dick) N. Smith on October 5th, 1943 when she was 19.
When Dick volunteered for WWII, Verona followed him to Princeton University in New Jersey while he was training for the Signal Corps, while she got a job as a parachute inspector. After the war, Dick worked on getting his undergraduate degrees and his PhD in Public School Administration. She supported, encouraged and held down the fort while Dick worked as a teacher, referee, and eventually a principal in the Webb, Iowa school district, and completed his schooling. They then settled in Des Moines, Iowa, and there they found a loving church family, helping to create a new congregation called Messiah Lutheran. They were close to many neighbors and friends and loved going to breakfast. Verona worked out of her home coloring black and white portraits for a photographer and later at the Des Moines Science Center. Once they retired, they spent 15 winters in San Antonio and San Diego.
Verona gave so many things to so many different people, all out of her love for them. She traveled every week to Fort Dodge to see her Mom and help her out. She endured having season tickets to Iowa football games because Dick loved his Hawkeyes, but Verona equally loved watching the bands perform. They were adventuresome, visiting as many national parks as they could, camping most of the time. They hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and rode a mule back up the next day. They cycled across Iowa in RAGBRAI. She welcomed snakes and gerbils and frogs into her house when her son grew curious about animals and nature. She taught her children how to be great cooks (except for that one time when she had too much wine and forgot to turn on the oven for the dinner rolls). She was an avid reader, especially biographies, and could discuss current events with anyone. She was a champion for the underdogs of the world.
She wrote, every day, in journals to document her life. Those little journals resolved many family "discussions" about when and where events occurred. She was also a scrapbooker; way ahead of her time. If she saw something in the paper that might be interesting to someone, she would pass it along or paste it in a scrapbook. She also had her camera ready to document life in photo books. She spent many hours with friends and family looking at those books, enjoying happy memories of earlier days.
When her son Greg and his wife Bette had children, the kids would travel to Des Moines in the summertime for a week at a time where they would enjoy all sorts of activities with their grandparents. As the grandchildren grew older, Dick and Verona realized they wanted to spend more time with them, so they made the decision to move to Holmen in 2000. They created a new church family at Holmen Lutheran and settled into a slower retired lifestyle. Happily, they now got to attend the grandkids' sporting events, concerts, and other special occasions.
Verona was preceded in death by her husband Dick, sister Vilma (Bud) Kozel, brothers Roy (Janice) and Ivan Moench, and her best friend and sister-in-law, Betty Lou Nelson.
She is survived by her daughter, Paula Smith and her dog Charlie, as well as her son, Greg and Bette Smith, and their children, Megan and Sam; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Burial will take place at Green Mound Cemetery.
After graduating high school in Fort Dodge, IA, she married her high school sweetheart, Richard (Dick) N. Smith on October 5th, 1943 when she was 19.
When Dick volunteered for WWII, Verona followed him to Princeton University in New Jersey while he was training for the Signal Corps, while she got a job as a parachute inspector. After the war, Dick worked on getting his undergraduate degrees and his PhD in Public School Administration. She supported, encouraged and held down the fort while Dick worked as a teacher, referee, and eventually a principal in the Webb, Iowa school district, and completed his schooling. They then settled in Des Moines, Iowa, and there they found a loving church family, helping to create a new congregation called Messiah Lutheran. They were close to many neighbors and friends and loved going to breakfast. Verona worked out of her home coloring black and white portraits for a photographer and later at the Des Moines Science Center. Once they retired, they spent 15 winters in San Antonio and San Diego.
Verona gave so many things to so many different people, all out of her love for them. She traveled every week to Fort Dodge to see her Mom and help her out. She endured having season tickets to Iowa football games because Dick loved his Hawkeyes, but Verona equally loved watching the bands perform. They were adventuresome, visiting as many national parks as they could, camping most of the time. They hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and rode a mule back up the next day. They cycled across Iowa in RAGBRAI. She welcomed snakes and gerbils and frogs into her house when her son grew curious about animals and nature. She taught her children how to be great cooks (except for that one time when she had too much wine and forgot to turn on the oven for the dinner rolls). She was an avid reader, especially biographies, and could discuss current events with anyone. She was a champion for the underdogs of the world.
She wrote, every day, in journals to document her life. Those little journals resolved many family "discussions" about when and where events occurred. She was also a scrapbooker; way ahead of her time. If she saw something in the paper that might be interesting to someone, she would pass it along or paste it in a scrapbook. She also had her camera ready to document life in photo books. She spent many hours with friends and family looking at those books, enjoying happy memories of earlier days.
When her son Greg and his wife Bette had children, the kids would travel to Des Moines in the summertime for a week at a time where they would enjoy all sorts of activities with their grandparents. As the grandchildren grew older, Dick and Verona realized they wanted to spend more time with them, so they made the decision to move to Holmen in 2000. They created a new church family at Holmen Lutheran and settled into a slower retired lifestyle. Happily, they now got to attend the grandkids' sporting events, concerts, and other special occasions.
Verona was preceded in death by her husband Dick, sister Vilma (Bud) Kozel, brothers Roy (Janice) and Ivan Moench, and her best friend and sister-in-law, Betty Lou Nelson.
She is survived by her daughter, Paula Smith and her dog Charlie, as well as her son, Greg and Bette Smith, and their children, Megan and Sam; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Burial will take place at Green Mound Cemetery.
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
