A.F. Smith, 92 years old, of Cordell, passed away on July 12, 2019, at Corn Heritage Village and Rehab.
He was born on Dec. 11, 1926, in Cloud Chief, to Andrew F. Smith and Cliffie Mae (Bruner) Smith. His childhood years were spent growing up in the Cloud Chief area and on the family farm south of Cordell. He attended school at Rocky and Cordell graduating in May of 1944. He later attended one year of college at Harding College in Searcy, Ark.
On July 11, 1944, he married Marguerett Jane Little in Hobart, with Brother Gibson performing the ceremony and L.D. and Faye Bruner as witnesses. They farmed south of Cordell until 1949, at which time they sold their land and moved to Otis, Colo. After moving to Colorado, he was baptized into Christ in Akron, Colo.
In 1952, A.F. began to preach the gospel of Christ as a full-time minister at the Church of Christ in Wray, Colo. For the next 10 years he was the minister at churches of Christ in Ogallala, Neb., Hydro, Sterling, Colo., and Lamar, Colo.
Because of family health reasons, he returned to the family farm south of Cordell to take over his dad’s farming operation. On Aug. 2, 1971, he took a job with the United States Postal Service as a rural letter carrier in addition to his farming operation. A.F. continued working with the USPS and retired from the postal service on Jan. 3, 1989.
After retirement, while members of the Northside Church of Christ in Cordell, A.F. and Marguerett traveled to Webster, Wisc., on mission trips where he held yearly gospel meetings as well as vacation bible school at the Church of Christ. Through the years A.F. has traveled both home and abroad sharing the gospel with people in Dill City, Sentinel and Gotebo, and Port Elizabeth, Africa.
A.F. loved to fish, especially on the flood control dam located on his farm. If he wasn’t on his four wheeler checking cattle or watching westerns at the house, you knew he was most likely on his bass buggy catching a mess of crappie or bass. He delighted in giving fish to those that were no longer able to enjoy fishing themselves as well as hosting many family fish fries which everyone eagerly anticipated.
A.F. and Marguerett also loved to travel and would load up in the van with their good friends, Clayton and Gracie Boggs and Melvin and Mary Fern Woodruff, and take off to explore our great nation. In later years with the purchase of a travel trailer, he enjoyed camping and fishing at Fort Cobb and would spend several weeks there during the spring and fall hosting family and friends.
Survivors include his wife of 75 years, Marguerett (Little) Smith; three children, Richard (Gene) Smith and wife Calla of Cordell, Patty Peterson and husband Gary of Hobart, and Terry Smith and wife Jeanne of Cordell; six grandchildren: Steven Peterson and wife Natika, Amy Littau and husband Trey, Pamela Johnson and husband Will, Mindy McKeown and husband Matt, Lacey Brown and husband Steven, and Ashley Griffith and husband Don; 11 great-grandchildren: Abby Littau, Emma Littau, Kylie Johnson, Callie Griffith, Raylan McKeown, Drew Griffith, Jenna Johnson, Jack Brown, Brock McKeown, Vadyn Peterson and Grant Brown.
A.F. was preceded in death by his parents, Andrew Franklin Smith and Cliffie Mae Smith; and his father-in-law and motherin-law, Edward G. Little and Maudie L. (Bigham) Little.
Under the direction of Ray and Martha’s Funeral Home, a private family burial service was held Tuesday, July 16, 2019, at the Lone Star Cemetery in Rocky. A public memorial service will be held on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2019 at 2:00 p.m., at the Northside Church of Christ in Cordell. In lieu of flowers, the family requests condolences be made through a donation to In Search of the Lord’s Way at www.searchtv.orgor by mailing to P.O. Box 371, Edmond, Oklahoma 73083.