Ardath Smeal

Ardath Smeal

March 27, 1923 – October 2, 2021

It is with sadness and love that the family of Ardath Smeal announce her passing on Oct. 2, 2021. The Funeral Mass will be 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 6, at St. Leo's Catholic Church in Snyder with Rev. Keith Rezac as celebrant. The funeral will be live streamed at the Snyder Fireman's Ballroom and on the Stokely Funeral Home Facebook page at facebook.com/stokelyfuneralhome. Burial will be at St. Leo's Catholic Cemetery with lunch following at the Snyder Fireman's Ballroom. Visitation will be Tuesday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. with a Vigil Service at 7 p.m. at St. Leo's Catholic Church in Snyder. Memorials may be made to the Snyder Fire Department or St. Leo's Cemetery Fund. Arrangements by Stokely Funeral Home.

Ardath Mae Renter was born on March 27, 1923, to Fritz and Lena (Weimann) Renter and was raised on a farm near Snyder, Nebraska. She was a devout member of St. Leo Catholic Church her entire life and started dating her future husband, Donald Smeal, after choir practice and high school play practices. They married in 1941 and shortly thereafter, Don was sent to Europe to fight in WWII. After his return, they started their family of nine children, like many young couples of their time, on a hope and a dream. They provided a healthy and loving home for their children and through determination and commitment were able to build several successful businesses with international presence.

The children have many happy memories of their loving mother who was devoted to them and to her husband, supporting him as best friend and partner throughout their lives together. Ardath will be missed and remembered by her family and her many friends.

She is survived by her children, Marlynn (Virgil) Hunke, Renee Smeal, Ellen (Myron) Gross-Rhode, Mary Lou (James) Tomka, Denise (Rodney) Cerny, Lori (Jeffrey) Scherer, Lowene (Gary) Hasemann, Jay (Angie) Smeal; daughter-in-law, Vicki Smeal; brothers, Roland (Audrey) Renter and Keith (Jeanene) Renter; sister-in-law, Loretta Smeal; 32 grandchildren, 48 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren – all of whom will dearly miss the wise, generous, fun-loving and caring woman that Ardath was.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Donald; and son, Delwin Smeal; grandson, Seth Hasemann; brother, Raymond Renter and his wife Eileen Bose; sister, Elaine Dinslage and her husband Norbert; and brothers-in-law, Raymond Smeal and his wife Arlene, Bill Smeal, and Tony Bose.