Pearl "Nellie" Smith

PEARL NELLIE SMITH was born on January 16, 1926 to Ed and Jennie Boeve in Lester, Iowa. She attended country school in Lyon County. On January 16, 1945 Nellie married Marvin C. Smith at her parents’ home in Steen, Minnesota. The couple made their first home near Ash Creek, Minnesota. Nellie took care of their four children, drove school bus and helped Marvin on the farm. In 1961, the family moved to a farm near Garretson, South Dakota where Nellie worked alongside Marvin on the farm. They moved to Luverne, Minnesota in 1967. Nellie worked as a lab tech at Land O’ Lakes for 27 years until her formal retirement. She then worked at Luverne Public Schools serving lunch. During their later years, Nellie and Marvin enjoyed traveling south for many winters. Marvin died on July 2, 2007. In October 2014, Nellie moved to the Oaks senior living apartments where she resided until October 2015, when she became a resident at the Edgebrook Care Center in Edgerton, Minnesota. Nellie died peacefully there on Sunday, March 12, 2017 at the age of 91 years, one month and 27 days.

Nellie was a member of the American Reformed Church in Luverne. Her favorite past-times were cooking and crocheting afghans for all of her family.

Nellie is lovingly remembered by her children, Marilyn (Bruce) Oye of Hardwick, MN, Gary (Susan) Smith of Rochester, MN, and Larry (Lori) Smith of Stewartville, MN; daughter-in-law, Peggy Smith of Dallas, TX; 11 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; and three sisters-in-law, Edna Dirks of Luverne, Charlotte Korthals of Hills, MN, and Melba Boeve of Steen. She was preceded in death by her husband, Marvin; son, Edwin Allen; great-grandsons, Thomas Senger and Andrew Marvin; and her seven siblings, Dick, Malena, Bert, Pearl Nellie, Peter, Edward and Johnnie.