Lawrence Smeins

WEBSTER- Lawrence Smeins 80 of Webster died on Friday, February 26, 2010 at Sun Dial Manor in Bristol. His funeral will be at 2:00 P.M. Monday, March 1, 2010 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Webster, Rev. Daniel and Rev. Kristin Ostercamp will officiate. Burial will be in the Webster Cemetery. Visitation will be at Fiksdal Funeral Service in Webster on Sunday 4- 8 P.M. and prior to services on Monday. fiksdalfuneral.com. Lawrence Arthur Smeins was born on Saturday, March 30, 1929, the 7th of eight children, to Frank and Ella (Boekman) Smeins at Andover, South Dakota. He attended school in rural Andover. He was baptized and confirmed at Zion Lutheran Church in Andover. Lawrence’s employment history began when he delivered milk door to door in Bristol, Pierpont and Butler area for Olson Dairy. Then he worked for Elmer Meyer picking up cream from area farmers for delivery to Sugar Creek Creamery in Bristol. Following this he worked for Hansmeier & Sons for a number of years. In the 1950’s he worked for Snerlie Construction of Aberdeen and drove semi-trucks to the West Coast hauling hogs over the narrow and steep mountain roads and hauling oil for road construction projects. On December 29, 1950 he was united in marriage in Andover, South Dakota to Donna Jane Olson of Bristol. After their marriage the couple made their home in Bristol. In 1961 he moved his family to Webster after taking a job with Northwestern Public Service Company as an electrician. He worked for them for 28 years, retiring in 1989. After retirement, not one to sit around, he drove school bus for Harlow Bus Service for eight years and also worked at Webster Golf Course. For over twenty years he also maintained a bulk paper route delivering the Minneapolis and Aberdeen Sunday papers to paper boys around the Glacial Lakes area on early Sunday mornings. Lawrence was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Webster. He was an avid Yankees and Packer’s fan. He coached many baseball teams throughout his life in the Brisol and Webster area. He was a man of many talents and master of all of them. He used his talents to help his children make homes for themselves and was always there for advice. He was a self taught carpenter and acquired a talent for wood working. He and wife, Donna, created many pieces of southwestern art that his children will cherish forever. He shared his talents with his children and some of them actually acquired his skills. He was always busy helping with various projects and you had to get on his “list.” The project he cherished most was their cabin near Deerfield Lake in the Black Hills which they built themselves. This is where they spent their summers. He also enjoyed spending time with his children and their families, never missing an event. Lawrence passed away on Friday, February 26, 2010 at Bristol, South Dakota after an extended illness at the age of 80 years, 10 months and 27 days. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Donna of Webster; his children, LeeAnna (Jeff) Walter of Tucson, AZ, Michael (Rhonda) Smeins of Milbank, SD, Danny (Susan) Smeins of Langford, SD, Sherry (Wenzel Anderson) Markel of Webster, SD and Sandra (Randy) Allen of Rapid City, SD; two sisters, Alice (Ralph) Doktor of Long Beach, CA and Marjorie Carlson of Winthrop, MN; twelve grandchildren and fifteen great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, four brothers and one sister.