John Smith, DVM

John Ernest Smith, D.V.M, 88, formerly of Wadena, died Saturday, February 9, 2013 at the Good Samaritan Home in Waukon. An open house for family and friends to celebrate John’s life will be held at the Garden View Assisted Living Community in Monona from 2-4 p.m. Friday, February 22.  Family will gather for burial of cremains at Hillcrest Cemetery in Volga at a later date.
John, the son of Ernest T. and Roberta (Baskerville) Smith, was born in the family home in Volga August 30, 1924. Except for his college years, John spent his entire life within 30 miles of where he was born. The family included older siblings, Lillian and Tom, and a cousin for whom his parents were guardians, Dick Elwood.  He attended school in Volga, where he graduated in 1941.
Ineligible to serve in WWII due to undulant fever contracted while in high school, he did farm and carpentry work during the war years. He attended Elkader Junior College from 1945-47, graduated with a degree in chemistry from the University of Dubuque in 1949, and received a degree in veterinary medicine from Iowa State College in 1954.
He married Esther Borgman September 18, 1954 at Collegiate Methodist Church in Ames. For the next 15 years, the couple established a veterinary practice out of their home in Arlington, with Esther serving as the receptionist, bookkeeper and surgical assistant while simultaneously managing the activities of the five children that were born to them,  Roberta, Mark, Mary, Tom and Susan. As the children grew, they were all involved in the veterinary practice in some way, whether assisting their mother with billing, filing and answering the phone or helping John as he vaccinated pigs, dehorned calves, or neutered dogs and cats.
In 1969, John “retired” from veterinary practice and the family moved first to a farm near Elgin and later to Wadena, where they had a dairy herd. After selling his dairy herd in 1989, he raised White Park beef cattle. He also did experimental work for Impro Biologics in Waukon and often served as a consultant for them.
In 2005, John was diagnosed with chronic obstructed pulmonary disease, a result of years of breathing barn dust. After Esther’s death in 2006, he remained on the farm until his health forced him to move to Garden View Assisted Living Community in Monona in 2010. He relished his time at Garden View and was particularly fond of teasing “the girls.”
He will be remembered for being a man of strong convictions and faith. He loved music and singing, had a strong sense of humor and wit, was always ready to tell jokes and stories, and was profoundly interested in issues regarding health, natural healing, and organic farming.  He was an avid reader until his health began to fail, and he loved to watch public television, particularly nature shows and British comedies.
Survivors include his daughter, Roberta (Alan) Johnson of Ames and their children,  Scott and Kristin;  his daughter-in-law, Jean Smith (John) Ohman of St. Cloud, MN and her children, Anya and Ian; his daughter, Mary (Paul) Foxwell of Monona and their girls, Monica (Brandon) Converse, Stephanie (Devin) Butterbrodt, Rachel and Lauren; his son, Tom of Ames; and his daughter, Susan (Bruce) Torkelson of Waukon and their children, Erin and Kyle; as well as numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife, Esther; his son, Mark; his parents; and siblings/cousin.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Garden View Assisted Living, 800 Darby Drive in Monona, or Iowa Public Television. Leonard-Grau Funeral Home and Cremation Service of Monona is assisting the family with arrangements.