Smith, John Raymond

John Raymond Smith, 84, died Monday, April 9, 2012,in his Mount Vernon home from Lou Gehrig's disease. The Celebration of Life ceremony will be at 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 13, at Morgan Funeral Choices Mount Vernon. The family will welcome friends from 3 to 6:30 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Burial at a later date in Mount Vernon Memorial Cemetery.

Surviving John are his wife, Mary; children, Mike (Valerie), Edward and Kevin, all of Mount Vernon, Elizabeth (Buzz) Burgess of Wausau, Wis., Robert (Sue) of Mount Vernon, and Jude (Greg) of Scottsdale, Ariz.; 14 grandchildren; several great-grandchildren; sisters, Mary Krotz, Shirley (Don) Steffen, Ellen (Frank) Hicks and Sherry Mather; and brother, Jim (Sheryll) Smith.

Preceding John in death were brothers, Howard, Glen, Charles “Bud,” Wayne, Hubert and Denny; and sisters, Naomi Webb and Ruth Karr.

John was born May 8, 1927, at Harper, Iowa, the son of Edward and Irene Smith. He married Mary Wolfe on Sept. 20, 1949, at Mount Vernon. John was a union teamster and drove truck for CRST of Cedar Rapids. John was a proud member of AA receiving his Twenty-Year Chip in 2012.

The family will distribute memorials in John's honor to various charities.

Online condolences: .

Published in The Gazette April 11, 2012.