Aug. 4, 1926-Jan. 28, 2016
Visitation: 9-10 a.m. Monday, Feb. 1, Brumback Funeral Home, Stockton. Service: 10 a.m. Monday, funeral home. Burial: Stockton Cemetery.
Max Alden Smith was born Aug. 4, 1926, although due to a mistake, his birth certificate read Sept. 4, 1926. It was never changed. He passed away Jan. 28, 2016. He was the only child of Albert and Gladys (Galyan) Smith.
He was a World War II Army veteran serving in the Pacific Theatre in 1945-46. With the exception of his service in the Army, and two years working in an aircraft factory in Wichita, Kansas, he spent his entire life in Cedar County, Missouri.
He was united in marriage to Betty Louis Harris Aug. 8, 1954. They were the parents of three children — two sons and a daughter.
In 1952, along with his dad Albert, they opened Smith Furniture Store. In 1963, due to ill health, Albert retired and Max and his wife Betty ran the store until selling out in 1987 and retiring to their farm.
Max was saved in the fall of 1951 while praying in his car at his grandad’s house east of Stockton. In 1960, he joined Forest Home Missionary Baptist Church and was baptized by Bro. Charlie Swartwood. In 1991, he was called to be a messenger for the Lord. In 1993, at the Lord’s instruction, he and his family, along with Brother Jackson Davis, started Bethlehem Church. Max served faithfully at Bethlehem the rest of his life. Whenever the opportunity arose, he was quick to tell friends and loved ones of the need to have a born-again experience of salvation, to be baptized and serve the Lord.
In the early 1970s, Max was president of the Sac River Valley Preservation Association. The group formed in opposition to the flooding of the Sac River valley due to excessive power generation out of Stockton dam. In 1974, Max personally took U.S. Sen. Thomas Eagleton on a boat tour of the damage done on the Sac River. Due to the work of the farmers and landowners of the association, the corps of engineers has not flooded the valley again.
Max enjoyed many hunting trips with friends and later with his sons. Most were Colorado elk hunting trips, but Max also hunted in Wyoming, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories in Canada. He was a skilled fisherman, spending many a night fishing on the Sac River. After retirement, he enjoyed fishing on Truman Lake for large white catfish.
In 2010, he was happy to go on the Ozark Honor Flight to Washington D.C. to see the World War II Memorial.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister-in-law, Pat Barnes.
Survivors include his wife of 61 years, Betty; two sons, Steve and wife Jeanie and Scott and wife Denise; a daughter, Holly Bush and husband Jason; three grandchildren, Josh Smith and wife Sara, Rachel Berding and husband Matt and Heather Smith; two sisters-in-laws, Donna Simmons and Nancy Stockton; a brother-in-law, Jerry Harris; five step-grandchildren, Trishna Rosebrough and husband Matt, Travis Estes, Scott Works and wife Megan, Paul Works and Jennifer Hensley; a great-grandson, Beau Smith; and seven step-great-grandchildren, Jacob and Tyler Berding, Garrin and Jada Rosebrough, Katelyn and Hunter Hensley and Liam Works.
Preachers Bill Halzel and Mike Crawford conducted the services. Pallbearers were Derrik Dawes, Matt Rosebrough, Jason Bush, Joshua Smith, Matt Berding and Fred Stockton. Honorary pallbearers are Joe Frieze and Hal Perkins.
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