Shirley M. Smith

Shirley Marie Smith, age 84, of Little Falls, MN, passed away Friday, May 27, 2011, at Harmony House of Little Falls. Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, June 4, 2011 at Emblom-Brenny Funeral Service in Little Falls, MN, with Rev. Damen Heitmann officiating. Interment will be 2:00 P.M. Monday, June 6, 2011 in Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis, MN. Please gather in Assembly Lane #1. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the funeral home. Shirley Marie Grindall was born on December 14, 1926 in Grand Rapids, Minnesota the daughter of Harry & Lola "Vera" (Alexander) Grindall. She grew up in the Bovey and Walker, MN area and eventually moved to Bemidji, MN where she graduated from high school. She attended two years at Bemidji State Teachers College and then worked in the business office at the college. She was united in marriage to Russell P. Smith on December 21, 1946 at Bemidji Presbyterian Church. After Russell finished his schooling, the couple moved to Red Lake, MN where Russell taught and coached. The couple moved to Cass Lake for nineteen years and then to Thief River Falls for 23 years where Russell was athletic director. Shirley was a bookkeeper in Cass Lake at Teal's Super Value and also Piggly Wiggly in Thief River Falls. After Russell's death in 1990, Shirley continued living in Thief River Falls until 1993 when she returned to Bemidji. She lived with her daughters in Wilmington, OH and Naperville, IL before moving to Little Falls in February, 2009. Shirley was an avid reader, enjoyed word puzzles, shopping for her grandchildren, collecting cat figurines, loved family gatherings and researching family history. She enjoyed visiting with everyone and especially loved talking about her grandchildren. Left to cherish her memory are her children, Sandra (Timothy) Rasmus of Bemidji, MN, Nancy (Michael) Lazur of Bloomsbury, NJ, Rande (Brenda) Smith of Little Falls, MN, Kent (Katheryn) Smith of Shoreview, MN, Pamela (Robert, Jr.) Olds of Maineville, OH and Kimberley (Scott) Waugh of Seminole, FL; grandchildren, Sabin (Sandra) Rasmus, Alyssa Rasmus, Luke Rasmus, Michael (Margaret) Lazur, Courtnay Lazur, Benjamin (Jaclyn) Smith, Blake (Stacy) Smith, Andrew Smith, Devyn Smith, Robert (Carah) Olds III, Adam Olds, Jack Olds and Austin Waugh and great-grandchildren, Kennedy Rasmus and Kash Rasmus. Shirley was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Russell P. Smith (Feb. 1, 1990); brothers, Raymond and Robert Grindall and a sister, Helen Grindall.