Don A Smith

 Don A. Smith of St. Joseph passed peacefully at home on May 22, 2021. He was 90 years old. Don, was known affectionately as D.A., was born on January 4, 1931 in Altamont, IL to Maynard Allen Smith (Peck) and Marion (McCoy) Smith (Billie). At age 12 the Smith family moved to St. Joseph. Don graduated from St. Joseph High School and joined the Army. He served in Fort Leonard Wood, MO, Fort Benjamin Harrison, IN and Fort Lee, VA. After returning from the Army he attended the University of Illinois.

 On August 17,  1956 he married Gertrude Archer. In 1958 he went to work for the USDA Soil Conservation Service and worked 30 years for them before his retirement in May of 1987. In 2017 when he had been retired thirty years, he often joked that he had been retired longer than he had worked!


 Don and Gertrude were the proud parents of three children, Jackie Revis (Ron) of Inman, SC, Janet Welch (Jan) of Woodstock, GA and Gregory Smith (Darla) of St. Joseph. They were even prouder grandparents of Jesse Smith, Hannah Seaton (Charlie) and Rachel Smith (Spencer) all of Nashville, TN, Derek Revis (Courtney) of Simpsonville, SC. Drew Read, Madison, WI and Lucas Read (Katie) of Birmingham, AL. Their greatest pride was in their six great grandchildren, Adelaide Smith, Theo, Rowan and Bob Seaton and Sawyer and Bailey Revis.


 Don was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers Dean "Luke" Smith and Stanley Smith, and infant sister, Mary Lou Smith, and his nephew Jeff Welch. In addition to his wife, Gertrude of 64 years, and those listed above, he is survived by his sister Jane Dowling of Okeechobee, FL.


 If you knew Don for longer than thirty minutes you would quickly learn that he loved and adored his wife. Since he retired he drove her to/from work almost every day until she retired three years later. He took great pride in his yard and his home and could often be seen driving his Allis Chalmers/Simplicity garden tractor with his head phones on while cutting grass.


 He was a long time member of the St. Joseph Church of Christ where he sang in the choir, served as an elder and served as the Chairman of the Building Committee when the new sanctuary was built in 1978.


 Memorials may be made to the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame, 2700 Dollywood Parks Blvd, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863.

 Funeral services will be held Friday May 28, 2021 at 12:00 P.M. at Freese Funeral Home 302 E. Grand Ave. St. Joseph. His son Greg will officiate the service. Burial will be in Patterson Cemetery, St. Joseph. Visitation will be from 10:00 A.M.-12:00 P.M. Friday at the funeral home.

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