Frances Smith

Frances M. Smith, 90, of Colby, died Monday, August 15, 2016. She was born March 17, 1926 at Chardon, Kansas in Rawlins County. She was the fifth child of nine born to James J. and Pearl G. (White) Larsen.

On June 6, 1947, she married her high school sweetheart, Donald D. Smith, in the Presbyterian Church in Colby. They celebrated their 50th anniversary in 1997 before Don died in 1998.

Fran was employed at the Colby City office after graduating from high school, and then joined the war effort in 1944 by passing Civil Service exams in order to be hired as a clerk-typist at Walker Army Airbase at Walker, KS, east of Hays where young men were trained to fly and maintain B-17 and huge B-29 bomber planes. After the war she was employed at Social Welfare Services in the Thomas County Courthouse. She graduated from Cosmetology School in Topeka after that. Fran maintained the family while Don was an elected Representative in the Kansas Legislature for six years, where he carried the bill in 1963 that resulted in the establishment of the Colby Community College. Eventually, Fran returned to the Colby City office for eight years until joining her husband Don in the manufacturing business.

She enjoyed being a part of a group of women who walked early in the mornings before work, the Walker Talkers, walking three miles, five days a week, for forty years. She retired from volunteering at the hospital as a Pink Lady after many years. Fran was a member of Colby First Presbyterian Church, singing in the choir, teaching Sunday School and as a deacon, organizing funeral dinners for eleven years. She played bridge in a monthly club, and was a member of PEO. For many years, her service to her friends was in organizing a weekly eating-out group of single women.

Fran delighted in her ten grandchildren: Andrew Davis, Goodland; Christopher Davis, Colby; Lisa Ritter, The Woodlands, TX; Karen Prochazka, Colby; Jonalan Smith and Scott Smith, Kansas City; Adam Smith, Champaign IL; Kaleb Stoppel, Nick Stoppel, and Blake Stoppel, Kansas City. After Don’s death she was able to take each one on a trip and to introduce them to their granddad’s Navy shipmates wherever his ship reunion was held in the US, as well as to Hawaii, Washington DC, England, and France. She also loved spending time with her seven great-grandchildren: Addison, June, and Vivian Ritter; Annica Prochazka, Jackson and Connor Smith; and James Stoppel.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Donald D., her parents, siblings Mildred Jones, Glenn, Dorothy Schippert, Earle, Norman, Ruth Brickley, Dean, and Nancy Sanders; and a son-in-law, Loyde Davis.

Survivors include daughter Constance J. Davis of Colby; son Randall D. (Linda) Smith of Colby; daughter Sheree S. (Dwight) Stoppel of Olathe; ten grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

Memorials include Colby First Presbyterian Church and the Colby Walking Trail.

Visitation will be at 9:00 a.m. an hour before the service with family receiving friends at Baalmann Mortuary, 190 South Franklin, Colby. Service will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, August 20, 2016 at Baalmann Mortuary, Colby, followed by burial in Beulah Cemetery, Colby.

Condolences for the family may be left at www.baalmannmortuary.com.