Milton "John" Smith

Milton "John" Smith, 91, of Albion, NE passed away Wednesday August 16, 2023, at Boone County Health Center, Albion, NE.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, August 19, 2023, at St Michael's Catholic Church in Albion, NE with Fr. Mark Tomasiewicz officiating. Burial will follow at St. Michael's Catholic Cemetery, Albion, NE. Visitation will be 5:00-7:00 p.m. Friday at the church with a 7:00 p.m. wake service.
Levander Funeral Home of Albion, NE is in charge of the arrangements.
Milton John Smith, son of Milton John and Clara (Thiem) Smith was born June 30, 1932, in Albion, NE. He was baptized at St. Michael's Catholic Church, Albion. John was raised by his grandparents: John and Mary Thiem after the age of two. He received his education from Boone County Districts #84 and #56 until the 8th grade. He then attended District #72 in Loretto, NE until the 10th grade. He moved with his mother and attended Millard High School from 1949 to 1950 before returning to St. John the Baptist High School in Petersburg to graduate with the class of 1951.
On December 31, 1951, John was united in marriage to his high school sweetheart Joan Lough at St. Michael's Catholic Church, Albion, NE. From this union John was blessed with six children: Lonnie, Susan, Terri, Dan, Jill, and Jane.
John worked as a mechanic at the Ford Garage for five years before going to work for Kansas Nebraska Natural Gas Company. He worked there for 40 years before his retirement in 1993. Even after his retirement he was very active and went to work for Trent Kraus at the NAPA stores in Albion and Columbus for the next 25 years.
John was a member of St. Michael's Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus #1739 of Albion since 1959. He became a Grand Knight in 1962, which is the highest-ranking elected officer.
John loved to play baseball and softball. He instated slow pitch softball after fast pitch ran out of pitchers in the 1960s. He was also an avid hunter and liked to pheasant hunt. However, when pheasants started to decline, he started to bow hunt deer and turkey. He continued to hunt up until he couldn't get into the tree stand. Most of all he enjoyed attending his children's and then his grandchildren's sports, music programs, and other extracurricular activities.
John is survived by his loving wife of 71 years Joan Smith of Albion, NE; five children: Lonnie (Dawn) Smith of Albion; Terri (Bob) Schmitz of Albion; Dan (Joni) Smith of Central City, NE; Jill (Tim) Zoucha of Albion; Jane (Barry) Wallin of Newman Grove, NE; son-in-law: Harold "Skip" Hetherington of Lincoln, NE; 19 grandchildren; 48 great-grandchildren; 13 great-great-grandchildren; half-brother: Brian (Pam) Becklun of Elgin, NE; half-brother: Milton Thiem of Omaha, NE; along with many nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents; daughter: Sue Hetherington; son-in-law: Norman Henn; daughter-in-law: Kimberlie Smith; brother: Robert E. Smith; stepsister: Joan Becklun Pasek; stepbrother: John J. Becklun.