Edell Smith was born August 2, 1918 in Duke, Jackson County, Oklahoma, to Noah Thomas “Pete” Smith and Viola Mae “Oni” Roberts, the 7th of 8 surviving children, and departed this life on Monday, November 30, 2015, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, surrounded by his loving family.

The family moved by wagon to South Creek, Lincoln County, then Dent Township in 1919, and he spent most of his life in this area.

In 1939 Edell enlisted in the Civilian Conservation Corp and in February 1941, enlisted in the Army of the United States where he served with the 7th Infantry Division, 49st Artillery until the end of World War II. He is a veteran of major battles in the Pacific Theatre including the Capture of Attu, in the Aleutian Islands in 1943, attacks on Kwajalein, Marshall Islands, and Leyte, Philippine Islands in 1944, and on Okinawa, Japan.

In April of 1946, he married S. Aleane Sweaney of Keokuk Falls. They purchased the old Ollie Studer place on the Pottawatomie/Lincoln County line where they would run a diary, farm and ranch for the next 46 years. Edell was also a builder, and over the next 40 odd years, he built a dental clinic, a veterinary clinic, a church, two nursing homes, some 100 family homes, and some very large turkey barns. His brothers Dick and Cotton worked with him most of those years.

Edell was preceded in death by his wife of 58 years, Aleane, in 2004, and was the last surviving member of the immediate family; brothers, Melvin, Lee, Dick and Eldon “Cotton” who spent most of their lives in the Prague area, sister Ola ‘Randy’ Smith Flemming who lived in Chouteau, brother Acy who lived in Yuba City, California, and brother Olen “Bones” who lived in Muskogee.

He is survived by daughter, Jo A. Smith Carpenter, her son, Noah Fox, Haley Bryant, and great grandson, Oliver Stanton Fox, all of Washington, D.C.; daughter, E. Gerry Smith Meisner and her husband Joe Meisner of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan and grandson, Zachary Meisner of Boston; grandson, S. Joe Carpenter of West Arlington, Vermont and family friend, Jeannie McGinnis.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, December 5, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. at Parks Brothers Funeral Chapel in Prague with Bro. Tim Emmons officiating.

Interment will follow at Prague Cemetery.