Robert Allen “Bob” Smith was born in rural Lenora, Kansas, to his
parents Lawrence & Alice (Ford) Smith on October 19, 1940. As his
mother had been told she would be unable to bear a child, when Bob was
born, the doctor called him a miracle. Many years later, a longtime
family friend would remark to him, “It was just a shame you grew out of
it.”
Bob spent his early years roaming the creek that flowed by his
family home, always ready for a surprise attack by a bear (which usually
turned out to be a tree stump, albeit a very threatening one). He was
raised by his parents & his paternal uncle, John Smith, on the farm
his family originally homesteaded in 1879. Bob was a much-beloved &
frequently spoiled only child, though even in his elder years, he held a
grudge against his Uncle John for allowing Bob’s mother to keep his
hair worn in the golden yellow ringlet curls she doted on. His love of
hunting emerged early, & he claimed to have shot & killed a
rooster pheasant with a .22 rifle at the age of four. Although most
certainly coincidental, no one remembered hearing this tall tale until
well after anyone who could’ve confirmed this story had long since
passed from this earthly plane.
Bob was always a curious & intellectually gifted child (or so he
insisted to those who knew him, & he somehow convinced his
teachers to allow him to skip the third grade. He graduated from Lenora
High School at the age of 16. Bob then went on to attend Fort Hays State
University, eventually earning degrees in English, history, &
teaching. He was first certified as a high school teacher, but was
shortly thereafter also certified as an elementary school teacher.
Throughout his career, he taught at many schools in the area including
Edmond, Lenora, & Clayton, as well as the Norton Correctional
Facility.
Bob met his wife Debra Ann “Debbie” Rogers on the side of a mountain outside of Fairplay, Colorado, & in mere weeks cajoled her into pledging her troth to him. He claimed to have batted his baby blues & gifted her a new deer rifle, after which, he insisted she was putty in his hands. They married in February, 1976, & made their home on his family’s farm. In 1977, they welcomed the birth of their first daughter Tawny (Smith) Voyles, followed in 1980 with their second daughter, Lacey Smith. Their third daughter, Jeannie Smith, was born to them in 1982.
Bob was very community-minded & was involved in many activities in Norton County including acting as a founding member of the Solomon Valley Rural Fire Department, the long-term secretary of Lenora Rural Fire Department, a community leader of the Good Hope Boosters 4-H club, was on the program development committee with the Kansas Extension Service, & was a member of the Norton County Fair board. He was a lifelong member of the National Rifle Association & taught hunter’s safety classes to local children & adults for many years. Bob also devoted time to helping those in need in the community by assisting businesses & organizations in northwest Kansas to understand & comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Although his physical mobility was limited in recent years, Bob
loved to keep in touch with friends & relatives from all over the
country. He prided himself on his excellent memory, & constantly
delighted in remembering the most obscure (and altogether meaningless)
details from decades ago. He could readily tell you who sat 3 seats left
and 1 seat back from him in his Freshman English class at FHSU (not
that anyone ever asked for that information). One could not easily think
of Bob & not remember his (warped, twisted, corny, &
ridiculous) sense of humor. He was always ready with a quick retort, an
obscure reference, or a horrible pun, & he was never shy about
sharing it. His friends & family made a habit of saving their most
groan-worthy jokes, stories, & plays-on-words for him.
The family urges you to think of Bob as no longer in pain, free from
the restrictions of his mortal body, & causing trouble back behind
the pearly gates where he joins his parents, his uncle John Smith, Uncle
Harold & Aunt Ethel Ford, his best friend, Frank Conklin, his
youngest daughter, Jeannie, & countless Airedale terriers (almost
all of them named Whiskers).
Bob specially requested to have no grand memorial service, rather
just a graveside moment with a few very close family & friends. The
family respectfully requests no visits from loved ones, flowers, or food
at this time, as it was important to Bob that everyone remain as safe
as possible during the current pandemic. He is survived by his true
love, Debbie, of the home, daughter Tawny (Jim) Voyles, Wichita, &
daughter Lacey, Lenora.
Private family service and burial. Stinemetz Funeral Home, Hill
City, Kansas is handling the arrangements. Our email address is
[email protected], phone number is 7854212177.