Harold Q. Smith

WEBSTER- Harold Q. Smith, 82 of Webster died on Friday, September 1, 2006 at Manor Care in Aberdeen. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 A.M. Thursday, September 7, 2006 at Christ The King Catholic Church in Webster. Burial will be in St. Otto’s Cemetery, Webster. Visitation will be at Fiksdal Funeral Service in Webster on Wednesday, 2-4 P.M. then continuing at the Church 6-8 P.M. with a 7 P.M. Scriptural Prayer service. Harold Quentin Smith was born on Thursday, December 20, 1923 to Ernest O. and Jenny W. (Stelle) Smith at Mellette, South Dakota. The attended the Ford country school through the 5th grade, then the family moved into Mellette where he finished grade school and graduated from Mellette High School in 1941. Then he moved to California where he worked until he was drafted into the Army Air Corps in February 1943. He was an engineer-gunman on a B-24 Bomber. They bombed the “Bridge over the river Kwai” several times during the C.B.I. Campaigne and hauled fuel over the “hump” to China. He was honorably discharged in November 1945 and returned to Mellette. He attended Northern State Teacher’s College in Aberdeen and received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1950. On June 27, 1955 he married Kathleen Brandner in Herried, South Dakota. After their marriage the couple made their home in Herried where Harold taught school. In 1961 he earned a Master’s Degree in Physics and Math from the University of South Dakota and returned to Herried to teach. In 1965 he taught at Hosmer and then Selby. In 1969 the family moved to Webster where he taught in Webster High School until 1977 when he started working for Mereen Johnson Machine Company in Webster and worked until retirement in 1988. After retirement he worked part-time at Mereen Johnson when they needed extra help. Mrs. Smith passed away in July 2002. He was a Life Member of the American Legion and V.F.W. and held various offices, including Commander, in Herried and Webster. Harold passed away on Friday, September 1, 2006 at Aberdeen, South Dakota at the age of 82 years, 9 months and 12 days. Survivors include four sons, Steven Smith of Webster, SD, Paul (Anita) Smith of Jacksonville, NC, John Smith of Aberdeen, SD and Hal (Tara) Smith of Hampton, MN; one sister, Evelyn (Lawrence) Reihle of Burbank, SD; and seven grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, three brothers, four sisters and one grandson.