Pauline A. Smith

1928 - 2025

Pauline A. Smith

November 24, 1928 - October 29, 2025

Pauline A. Smith, 96, of Hampton, NE, took her last breath on October 29, 2025, in Broken Bow, NE.

Funeral Services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Monday, November 3rd, at the Higby-McQuiston Chapel in Aurora. Interment will be at the Hampton Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday at Higby-McQuiston Mortuary in Aurora. Memorials may be made in care of family to be designated at a later date. Condolences may be emailed to the family through the mortuary website at www.higbymortuary.com.

OBITUARY: PAULINE SMITH

Pauline was born on November 24, 1928 at Stromsburg, NE, to Elner C. and Neva (Carlson) Ahlquist. Beginning at the age of three, following the death of her mother, she was raised by her grandparents, Otto and Anna Ahlquist.

She attended rural district # 41 at Osceola for two years and then moved to Stromsburg with her grandparents. She graduated from Stromsburg High School in 1946. She worked at the Stromsburg Bank until she and Ivan E. Smith, of Benedict, were married on March 14, 1948. At this time, they moved to Aurora. She worked at the Farmers State Bank in Aurora for eleven years.

In 1964, Pauline and Ivan moved to Hampton. Ivan worked for Ralph Arndt for a short time before purchasing the Arndt plumbing & trenching business. She became the bookkeeper for that business and later the manager of their hardware and gift shop which was added to their downtown Hampton location in 1976. Through the years, the businesses became a family effort as their son, Terry became a partner, and the plumbing business bookkeeping was turned over to his wife, LaVonne.

Pauline also had the Loft Gift Shop in Aurora for a number of years and later opened the "R" Best Antiques at the same location.

Pauline enjoyed working and spending time with family. She would often help Terry move equipment from job site to job site, helping him with the booking for the business. She was also very passionate about naturopathic remedies. She loved being part of the Hampton community and providing a local retail option for it and the surrounding area. She enjoyed spending time with a special group of ladies that met monthly in her later years. She was a member of Community Bible Church of Lushton for many years.

She was preceded in death by many loved ones including her husband Ivan, daughter-in-law Lavonne and son, Terry.

Those left to cherish the memories of her life are grandchildren, Shelley (Brian) Graves, Eric (Robyn) Smith and Sheila (Kevin) Sladek; great-grandchildren, Skylar, Annalee, Merea, Zane, Barrett, Camden, Hayden, and Jaren; and extended family and friends.