John Smith

john smith
John Wesley Smith, Jr. of Fargo, died Wednesday, July 1, 2009 at MeritCare Hospital in Fargo. John was born April 6, 1928, at Fargo, son of John Wesley Smith and Lillian Ostby. He attended the public schools in Fargo. John served in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II from 1942 until the end of the war and then in Japan until his discharge in 1946. He married Mary Lou Marcy on September 2, 1950 in Moorhead. They had four children. Mary Lou died in 1995. He was a railroad man for over forty years, employed by the Great Northern Railroad and later the BNSF Railroad, as a car man and later as car foreman. Over the years he was stationed in Fargo, Dilworth, Minneapolis and Superior, WI until his retirement in 1984 when they returned to Fargo. He married Betty Storbakken on May 14, 2004 in Moorhead. In his retirement John worked at various part time jobs to stay busy, including custodian at the Moorhead Center Mall and at apartment buildings. He was an avid model railroader and enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren and a group of fellow railroad retirees for a Wednesday morning breakfast club. He was a member of the American Legion, Fargo Post 2 and the Sons of Norway. John is survived by his wife, Betty; three sons, Jack (Tyree) of Cleveland, GA, Jeffrey (Holly) of Fargo, and Joe Del of West Fargo; daughter, Jeri (Steven) Cahill of Moorhead; step-children, Mark (Christine) Storbakken, Lynette (David) Herzog, David (Marge) Storbakken, Tamara (Ron) Alden, Renee Storbakken, Scott (Cathy) Storbakken, William (Jerrlee) Storbakken; fourteen grandchildren; eighteen great-grandchildren and a sister, Betty Hanson. He was preceded in death by his parents; first wife, Mary Lou; two sisters, Marcella Anderson and Margaret Hanson and a brother, Robert Smith. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Moorhead on Saturday, July 4, 2009 at 1:00 pm, followed by interment at Riverside Cemetery in Fargo. Visitation will be at the church on Friday, July 3 from 5-7 pm, followed by a prayer service at 7:00 pm. Arrangements entrusted to Boulger Funeral Home, Fargo.

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