Cecil Dale Smith

1923 - 2015

Cecil Dale Smith, 91, of Grand Island, died Nov. 14, 2014 at Bickford Cottage.

A celebration of Dale's life will be Saturday, Aug. 8, 2015, at the Presbyterian Church in Fullerton at 10 a.m., with interment following at the Fullerton Cemetery. A luncheon will be served afterward at the church.

Apfel Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Memorials are suggested to the pipe organ fund at First Presbyterian Church in Grand Island. Condolences may be sent to Tim and Pam Smith and Cindy and Elmar Lorenz at 2115 N. Elm Ave., Hastings, NE 68901.

Mr. Smith was born April 17, 1923, at his parents' home in Fullerton. He grew up on the family farm. He served in the Army Air Corps during World War II, as a cryptographer.

He was united in marriage June 22, 1947, to Ethel Georgia Omer in Fullerton.

Dale and Georgia began their lives together on a ranch near Anselmo, where Tim and Cindy were born.

Dale's education and career took the family to Broken Bow, where he was deeply involved with Barbershop singing, Hastings, California, New York City, Dunning, and, in 1963, Grand Island, where Corey was born.

He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in music at Hastings College in 1959. That summer, the family loaded all their possessions into a two-wheeled trailer and moved to San Rafael, Calif., so Dale could study music at the San Francisco Seminary.

The following year the family loaded the trailer again and moved to New York City where Dale earned his Masters of Sacred Music at Union Theological Seminary in 1962.

He taught music at the Halsey-Dunning school for one year. In 1963 the family moved to Grand Island, where Dale taught at Walnut Junior High School and was director of many choirs at First Presbyterian church, where he was a member for 50 years.

He later established the Grand Island Conservatory of Music. He continued giving private music lessons for many years. He worked with Platte Valley Youth for Christ, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and was instrumental in the Laotian community of Grand Island for many years.

In his later years Dale enjoyed playing banjo, guitar and singing with the Barn Band and other senior groups.

Survivors include, son, Tim and Pam Smith of Hastings; and daughter, Cindy (Smith) and Elmar Lorenz of Schopfheim, Germany; five grandsons, Jeremy and Sarah Smith of Lincoln, Erik Smith of Santa Monica, Calif., Danny Lorenz of Freiburg, Germany, Johannes Lorenz of San Francisco, Calif., and Chris and Manu Lorenz of Schopfheim, Germany. He has one great-granddaughter, Ronja Lorenz; and one great-grandson, Samuel Smith. He is also survived by his sister, Virginia Miller of Scottsbluff; and two sisters-in-law, Betty Gibson of Omaha, Glenda "Dimpy" and John Nelson of Fullerton and Donnis Omer of Norfolk.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Cecil and Nellie Smith; wife, Georgia; brothers, Paul and Dick and their spouses Carolyn and Fern; and son, Corey Sean.

Online condolences may be directed to the family at www.apfelfuneralhome.com.