Margaret S. Smith

Funeral Services for Margaret S. "Marge" Smith will be conducted from the Trinity Lutheran Church of Stamford on Monday, December 11, 2006 at 10:00 a.m. with Reverend Thalia Woodworth and Chaplain Jean Clayton, officiating. Interment will be at the Deaver Cemetery in Furnas County, Nebraska.

Marge Smith, 90 years of age, of Holdrege, Nebraska (formerly of Stamford) passed away on Wednesday, December 6, 2006 at the Phelps Memorial Health Center in Holdrege. Marge was born January 18, 1916 in Rochester, New York, the fourth of five children of Cheldrick and Ruby (Barnes) Taggart. She attended school in Rochester, New York. She met Virgil Smith of Stamford, Nebraska at the World's Fair in Chicago, Illinois. Both were staying at the same boarding house. The couple was united in marriage on March 19, 1934 in Norton, Kansas. They made their home in Chicago until June of 1935 when they returned to the family farm five miles south of Stamford. The couple was blessed with six children: Virlene, Darlene, Willard Dean, Glenda, Chuck and Donna and a foster child, Keith Petitjean who lived with them for five years. She enjoyed life on the farm. Moving from the city was a big change in her life and several friends and family have commented that "she was a city girl who made good on the farm." This came natural to her with her love for animals and watching things grow. Besides assisting on the farm, Marge and Virgil also owned the Stamford Elevator, where she worked as the bookkeeper for several years. Marge's most precious time in life was spending time with her family, especially at Christmas time. Retirement years for the couple were full, vacationing and spending winters in South Texas, Arizona and Mexico. The couple celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary in 1984. On May 22, 1990 she was preceded in death by her husband, Virgil. In later years due to her failing health she resided at Holdrege Memorial Homes.

Marge attended the Bethel E.U.B. Church south of Stamford for many years and later was a member of the Stamford Evangelical Free Church.

She leaves to mourn her passing her four daughters: Virlene Shaffer and her husband, Bill of Lincoln, Darlene Kruse and her husband, John of Johnson Lake, Glenda Anderson and her husband, Gene of Fairmont and Donna Bose and her husband, Leroy of Stamford; one son, Chuck Smith and his wife, Nadine of Edmond, Oklahoma; fifteen grandchildren; thirty-three great-grandchildren; one great-great grandson; and a host of other relatives and friends. Besides her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents; son, Willard Dean; two grandchildren: Colleen Coffey and Colton Samples; son-in-law, Alan Samples; four brothers: Thomas, William, Irving and Charles Taggart and sister-in-law, Gladys Yantiss and her husband, Jesse.

Marge will lie in state at the Mitchell-Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Oxford, Nebraska on Sunday, December 10, 2006 from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. with the family greeting from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

A memorial has been established in her memory and suggested to the Stamford Fire Dept.

Expressions of caring and kindness can be sent to the family at www.nelsonbauerfh.com.

The Mitchell-Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home of Oxford is in charge of the arrangements.