Eldon C. Smith, Sr.

Eldon Conrad Smith passed away on April 25th, 2014 at home on the farm that he loved so much. Eldon was born on January 17, 1922, in Morgan, Utah to George and Ethel Smith. He grew up in Morgan, where he spent much of his time working with his family on the Smith Ranch. He loved sharing stories about growing up on the ranch, whether it was pitching hay in the fields or moving cattle through the mountains. On December 5, 1942, he joined the U.S. Army and was stationed on the California Pacific Coast manning the anti-aircraft searchlight and radar equipment. Following that, he was sent overseas with 16,000 other soldiers aboard the Queen Mary. There he joined the 10th Armored Division and spent the rest of his service during World War II fighting throughout Germany. Eldon received his honorable discharge from the army in January of 1946. Several years ago, with the help of his family, Eldon was able to travel to Washington D.C. to tour the WWII Memorial and reflect on a time in his life that he never forgot. Following his discharge from the army, Eldon returned home to his family and through a friend, became reacquainted with Marjorie Pentz, whom he later married on April 4, 1947. In 1952, Eldon and Marj took a trip to North Idaho to look for a place to buy and eventually purchased their farm. In 1953, they loaded up their 1948 Dodge truck and their two young kids and moved to Sagle, where they began the difficult task of turning a rough piece of land into the farm of their dreams. In the meantime, Eldon worked for Grants Construction as an oiler, then for Bonner County as a grader operator for several years. After that, Eldon worked at the Fish Hatchery as well as a few of the smaller saw mills around the area. One day at the county fair, their friend Cornie Poelstra suggested dairy farming as an option to Marj and Eldon and they soon switched from raising beef cattle to milking cows. Over the years, their 'holstein haven' provided a good income and a great place to raise a family. They shipped to Carnation for years and then to Darigold and in the process won several awards for the beauty of their farm and the quality of their milk, including Bonner County Dairy Family of the Year in 1978 and the National Dairy Quality Award for dairy farms with 250 milk cows or less. Eldon enjoyed traveling to the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin with his youngest daughter, to accept the award. For years, the Smith Dairy was a favorite stop on the Glacier High Country Tour sponsored by Worldwide Country Tours based out of Wisconsin. Eldon and the family enjoyed welcoming people from all over the United States as they visited the farm. Eldon and Marj's farm was also a stop on the Bonner County Farm Tours hosted by the University of Idaho Extension Service, as well as a destination for elementary school field trips, with fresh chocolate milk and ice cream bars for a treat. From plowing to planting to harvesting, Eldon loved to farm and was an incredible example of hard work and perseverance. His favorite part of farming, however, was the opportunity to work every day with his wife, children and grandchildren. He loved to tell stories of times past, keeping everyone entertained and found plenty of opportunities to share his practical advice and words of wisdom. He was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and loved any opportunity to share the teachings of Christ by being a good neighbor and helping others. But mostly he loved his wife, Marj and looked forward to the day that they would be reunited to spend eternity together. Eldon will be greatly missed, but he left a legacy of love that will carry on for generations.Eldon is survived by his daughter, Sherrie Smith of Reno, NV; Eldon (Lucy) Smith Jr. of Sagle, ID; Sulet (Russ) Hiatt of Bonners Ferry, ID; Saafe (Tim) Robinson of Virginia Beach, VA; Xann Smith of Sagle; and Liz (Shane) Robinson of Sagle; eighteen grandchildren; twenty-one great-grandchildren and one sister Avis Eckardt of Salt Lake City, UT. Eldon was preceded in death by his wife Marjorie, his parents, three brothers and one sister.Funeral services will be held at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, located at 331 Westmond Rd, Westmond, Idaho, on Friday, May 2, 2014 at 11:00, preceded by a viewing at 10:00. Interment will follow at the Seneacquoteen Cemetery.