Lewis Smith

Lewis John Smith died on February 24, 2018, almost exactly one year after his wife of 62 years, Jean, passed away. Lewie died at his home in Sun Prairie with his family at his side.

He was born on January 5, 1931, to Elsie (Grossman) and Morris Smith in Bertha, Minnesota. The summer before his junior year in high school, Lewie's mother dropped off him and a buddy to hitchhike to Chicago to find summer work. Lewie ended up short of that, sleeping in a hayfield and finding farm work with Ivan Kindschi in Marshall.

After high school graduation, Lewie made Marshall his home, where he met his future wife, Jean Sanderson, and many, many lifelong friends. In 1952 he enlisted in the United States Air Force where he became a jet airplane mechanic, servicing engines at Lackland Air Force Base during the Korean War. He and Jean married on January 8, 1955.

The first years of their marriage they lived in Columbus, Ohio, and then Chillicothe, where their daughters Shirley and Cyndi were born and where Lewie worked for DuPont. In 1958 the family moved back to Marshall where Lewie farmed with his in-laws, Carl and Margaret Sanderson, until 1969. During those years Lewie bought a snow machine, one of the first in the area. Friends soon followed his lead, and in later years winter weekends were spent riding the trails around the Dane County area and in the Chequamegon Forest near their hunting cabin in Winter, Wisconsin.

He couldn't make a living farming, so he took a job with Warzyn Engineering and became a drill rig foreman, obtaining soil samples for many types of clients, from construction to conservation. Lewie worked on countless sites and projects all over Wisconsin, the Chicago area, and the Upper Peninsula. By the time he retired in 1996, nearly anywhere he went he could point to a building, bridge, body of water, or wetlands, and tell a funny or harrowing story about maneuvering the truck or Bombardier to get the job done.

Lewie and Jean moved permanently from Marshall to their lake cottage in Holcombe, Wisconsin, shortly after he retired, becoming part of the vibrant retirement community there. Lewie restored antique John Deere tractors, fished, joined the Lions Club, and hosted friends and family for weekends of cruising the many miles of the Lake Holcombe flowage on their pontoon. During their winters in Tucson, Lewie carried on his Lions Club work and also learned the art of turning wood bowls.

When it was time to take it easy with less property maintenance and more family time, Lewie and Jean moved back to the Marshall area in 2008, settling in a condominium in Sun Prairie. Lewie's family and friends basked in his loving, gregarious company and natural storytelling ability. He liked to be consulted on mechanical matters--everyone knew it was a good day for Lewie if it involved an encounter with an internal combustion machine.

Lewie is survived by his daughters Shirley Smith (Terry Shelton) of Madison and Cyndi Kobi (Marc Tumerman) of Sun Prairie; grandchildren Emily Krause (David Peloza), Sam Krause (Natalie Healy), Leah Duff and Alex Duff; great-grandson Nolan Peloza, and nieces and nephews. Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by his brothers Alan Smith (and wife Ruth), Garven Smith, and infant sister, Mavis.

The family would like to thank the staff at New Perspective Senior Living, where Lewie lived after Jean's death, for their outstanding loving care and friendship to him. Thanks also to the team from Agrace Hospice for their reassurance and support.

Funeral services will be held at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 605 Madison Street, Marshall, on Wednesday, February 28, at 11:00 am with Pastor Nancy Raabe officiating. Visitation will be held at the church from 9:30 am to the time of the service. A meal will be served afterward.

Cress Funeral Home
1310 Emerald Terrace
Sun Prairie, WI 53590
608-837-9054