BANCROFT — Dorothy Helen Smith died Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020, at Kossuth Regional Health Center. She was 92. A funeral service will be held 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 8, 2020, at First United Methodist Church in Swea City. Visitation will be 9:30-11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 8, at First United Methodist Church in Swea City.

Dorothy Helen (Junkermeier) Smith was born Nov. 27, 1927, in Rembrandt, Buena Vista County, Iowa, the seventh of seven children of John and Lena (Kramersmeier). Dorothy was baptized, confirmed and married in the Lutheran Church in Rembrandt. She attended Rembrandt School through the ninth grade. Then her parents moved to a farm east of town, where she attended and graduated in a class of three, the last class to graduate from Lincoln-Lee Township School in 1946. It was there she met her future husband, Omar Smith.

Dorothy and Omar married April 29, 1948. She joined Omar in the Methodist Church in Sioux Rapids in March of 1951. Together they farmed and became parents to two daughters; Patricia on May 9, 1951, and Louise on June 22, 1954.

She enjoyed helping Omar in the field. They farmed near Rembrandt, Ledyard and Bancroft. Dorothy and Omar loved traveling, riding horses, working together and music. In Dorothy’s younger years, before moving to Bancroft, she was a nurse’s aide in the Storm Lake hospital and a waitress besides helping Omar in the fields. In February of 1974, Dorothy and Omar moved into Bancroft. She worked at Welp’s for a short time and then worked at Kennedy’s Department store for many years. She was a detail-oriented seamstress and enjoyed alterations. She was on the Care Review Team at Heritage Home from 1981 to 2013.

Dorothy always had a large garden. She canned, froze and shared her extra produce with others. Dorothy was still canning and freezing vegetables until April of 2019 when she moved into Accura Healthcare in Bancroft. Dorothy was an avid sports fan and loved watching them on television, no matter what the event. She was a strong supporter of all state university athletics in Iowa. While she was devoted to ISU and UNI, it was the University of Iowa Hawkeyes that she was most fond of. Professional sports were part of her fan base as well, especially the Kansas City Chiefs. She was thrilled to see them win the Super Bowl in 2020 for the first time in 50 years.

She especially enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and always looked forward to attending their sporting events and school activities.

Dorothy was a member of the Bancroft American Legion Auxiliary and Senior Citizens. She also enjoyed working in her church Bible School, Sunday School and offices in United Methodist Women. She belonged and enjoyed circle number one.

She is survived by her two daughters, Patricia Malatek of Ely, Iowa, Louise Fisher of Swea City, Iowa; grandchildren, Theresa (Matt) Graham-Mineart of Cedar Rapids and their children, Megan and Alex, Heather (John) Schiltz of Bancroft and their children, Madelyn, Andrew and Nicholas; sisters-in-law, Margaret (Lee) Messenger of Des Moines, Iowa, and Glenna Jane (Francis) Miller or Rockford, Ill.; cousin, Faye Boland of Swea City; and many nieces and nephews.

Preceding her in death are her parents; husband, Omar in 2006; sons-in-law, Larry Fisher and Tom Malatek; grandsons, Mike Fisher and Marc Graham; her siblings, Nora, Luella, Evelyn, John Jr., Venetta, Louie, and Alfred.

Online condolences may be left at www.oakcrestfuneralservices.com

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