Carol P. Smith

Carol P. Smith

Carol Patricia Smith, 90, of Atlantic, Iowa, passed away peacefully Monday, June 29, 2020, at her home in Atlantic, Iowa.

Carol was born October 31, 1929, in Council Bluffs, Iowa, to Nels and Johanne (Laugesen) Jacobsen. She was raised in Council Bluffs and graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School with the class of 1947. While at a high school dance, Carol was introduced to the love of her life, Charles Smith, by his sister Janis. The fact that he attended the rival school, Thomas Jefferson High School, didn’t deter her in the least and they married on June 20, 1950.

She was a very devoted wife and as her husband answered the call to ministry she followed him where the Lord took them as they lived their married lives. They started in Council Bluffs, later moved to St. Paul Minnesota, where they had their first child, daughter, Deb. They returned home for awhile where their son, Chuck, was born. The family later moved to Abilene, Texas; Stilwell, Kansas; and Staunton, Illinois where Chuck continued to work on advancing his ministry degrees and career, while at Staunton Carol worked as a secretary in the school system. She also managed and ran a variety in store in Staunton, putting in long hours managing the books and inventory. Also, while in Staunton Chuck was privileged to take a trip to the Holy Lands and nine months after his return their youngest son, Jeff, was born.

Next, the family, now five strong, moved to Ottumwa, Iowa for a short time before packing up and moving the family to Atlantic, Iowa in 1973, for Chuck to minister to the good people of the first Baptist Church of Atlantic and the Buck Creek and Marne Methodist churches. This move proved to be the final stop for the nomadic Smith family. They found a home here until their deaths.

Over the next 48 years, Carol remained the strong backbone and matriarch of the family always supporting Chuck through his career, all while beginning her teaching career. She obtained her teaching certificate in 1973 and taught at Washington and Lincoln Elementary schools in Atlantic for 20 years. Carol had later advanced her teaching career with obtaining her Master’s in Education at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and enjoyed doing so as her daughter also earned a masters degree at the same time. She was also an integral part of many adventurers with Chuck, like assisting Chuck with becoming involved in the Atlantic community with managing the Cass County Care Homes, transitioning it to and owning Sunshine Homes Inc, and the two of them expanding their business with the formation of Cass Incorporated and construction of Park Place. Carol continued to teach in Atlantic and impact the lives of many of her students. Carol had a strong faith and was always very active in all the churches serving many positions in them and volunteering countless hours. Carol also volunteered in the communities in which they lived in and was given the State of Iowa Governor’s Volunteer Award in 1995 for outstanding service to the state of Iowa by Governor Terry Branstad.

Carol had many personal activities and hobbies including jigsaw puzzles, crossword puzzles, word search puzzles and playing cribbage. She and Chuck also shared a love for horses and watching horse races at Aksarben and many race tracks across the country. Carol loved to sing and had a beautiful singing voice and they frequently sang at church functions together. Above all, her greatest accomplishments and what was most important in her life was her family. She loved her husband, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren with all of her heart. She spent numerous family vacations and adventures together. Carol also spent time attending activities for her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Remaining to cherish Carol’s legacy is her daughter, Deb Smith and husband, Steve Reisz of Panama, IA; her sons, Chuck Smith and Jeff Smith both of Atlantic; her grandchildren, Traci (Lisa) Smith of Atlantic, IA, Donavan (Nichole) Waterman of Atlantic, IA, Zach (Irania) Smith of Iowa City, IA, Sierra Smith of West Des Moines, IA, Evan Smith of Griswold, IA; great-grandchildren, Jennifer (Jerry) McCarty, of LaCygne, KS, Kristen (Brad) Young of Drexel, MO, Cain Stuart, Joshua, Jacob, Jarrit, Jaci and Joseph Smith all of Atlantic, and newly born Daniel Smith of Iowa City, IA; great-great-grandchildren, Lilah, Kiersten and Jillian McCarty all of LaCygne, KS, Alicen, Drake and Dakota Young all of Drexel, MO; her sisters-in-law, Janis (Richard) Petersen of Omaha, NE, Nancy Matthew, and Candy (Jon) Narmi all of Council Bluffs, IA; many nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends.

Entering heaven before her to welcome her home were, her loving husband of almost 66 years, Rev. Charles Smith, Jr., her parents, Nels and Johanne Jacobsen; her parents-in-law, Charles and Viola Smith; her sisters, Anne (Sheryl) Blaney, Virginia Grossman, Lorraine (Pete) Mitchell, June (Tommy) Thomas and Norma Messersmith;  her brother-in-law, Bill (Caroline) Kiger, and Floyd Matthew.

The family asks that in lieu of flowers, memorials be made to the First Baptist Church in Atlantic, Iowa.

            Visitation with family will be from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., Sunday, July 5, 2020, at the First Baptist Church in Atlantic.

A celebration of life memorial service will be held Monday, July 6, 2020, at 1:00 p.m., also at the First Baptist Church in Atlantic, Iowa. Interment will be in the Brighton Township Cemetery in Marne, Iowa.

            Carol is being cared for by her granddaughter, Traci Smith (funeral director) with the assistance of Ohde Funeral Home in Manning and Hoy-Kilnoski Funeral Home & Crematory in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Condolences may be left at www.ohdefuneralhome.com .