Ronald E. Smith

Ronald E. Smith, 91 of Elm Creek passed away Friday, March 10, 2023 at CHI Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. A funeral mass will be held 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, March 15, 2023 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Elm Creek, NE. Interment will follow at Immaculate Conception Catholic Cemetery in Elm Creek. Visitation will be 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 14, 2023 at the church followed by a 7:00 p.m. Vigil/Prayer Service. Memorials are suggested to Elm Creek Fire and Rescue Department or to Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. Condolences may be shared online at www.osrfh.com. Services are entrusted to O'Brien Straatmann Redinger Funeral and Cremation Services. Ronald Edward Smith was born February 14, 1932, to Mahlon and Nellie (Bamrick) Smith, in Overton, NE. He attended District #96 rural school through the eighth grade and graduated from Overton high school with the class of 1950. Ronald served in the army from 1952 to 1954 in the Korean conflict and was wounded in action and received the Purple Heart. After his discharge from the Army, he worked as a truck driver for Olmstead Sand and Gravel Company of Overton. On June 25, 1955, he married Eileen M. Buettner in Elm Creek, NE. They lived in Omaha for two years while Ronald attended the Radio Engineering Institute. They then moved back to Elm Creek, where they owned and operated Ron’s TV Service for about 20 years. During this time, he also drove a school bus for 8 years for the Elm Creek School District. In 1967, he went to work at the West Company, where he worked as a maintenance man for 30 years, retiring in 1997. Ronald was a member of the Immaculate Conception Church in Elm Creek, where he served on the Church council and cemetery board, he was a volunteer for the Elm Creek fire department, Elks Club, and V.F.W. Ronald enjoyed sports of all kinds and attended all his children’s games and as many of the grandchildren’s as possible. He was a big fan of the Nebraska Cornhuskers and built his own Husker room in his basement, full of Husker memorabilia, (which, he eventually had to share with Eileen’s Barbie collection). Ronald is survived by his loving wife, Eileen, of 67 years; Children: Barbara McClure, Kellogg, IA; Martin (Denise) Smith, Lexington, NE; Lynda Burman, Sumner, NE; Virginia (David) Klingelhoefer, Amherst, NE; Susan (Janelle) Priest, Lincoln, NE; Alan (Tonya) Smith, Eddyville, NE; Jacquelyn (Jodi) Smith, Lincoln, NE; Laura (Ben) Martin, Elm Creek, NE; 21 grandchildren; 49 great grandchildren; sister Carol (Doug) Dolge of Waukesha WI, Richard (Sandy) Smith of Gothenburg, NE and Tom (Jean) Smith of Waukesha, WI as well as many extended family and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; children, Gloria Smith, Constance Smith, and Rhonda Maas; sons-in-law, Jeff Maas, Gary Burman, and Mike Blythe, and two great grandchildren.

Ronald E. Smith

February 14, 1932 - March 10, 2023