Francis P. & Frances E. Smith (d. 1996)

SMITH, WINDSOR, PIEPER, BAKER, BEHNKE, MOORE, RANSFORD

Posted By: Sharon Elijah (email)
Date: 5/22/2026 at 07:43:39

Funeral services for Francis P. Smith, 75 and Frances E. Smith, 74, Marion and formerly of Morley, were held Dec. 17, 1996 at Goettsch Funeral Home in Anamosa, with the Rev. Charles Silliman officiating. Burial was in the Green Center cemetery, Morley.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith were found dead in their car in Marion Dec. 13, following a 12 day search. (See story on page 1)

The son of Frank M. and Ruth Tenley Smith, Francis P. Smith was born Nov. 20, 1921 in Jackson township, rural Jones county. He graduated with the Class of 1940 at Morley.

Mr. Smith served in the U.S. Army overseas in Germany and France during World War II.

The daughter of Rev. Carl Lyle and Lydia Longhofer Windsor, Frances E. Smith was born April 22, 1922 in Reading, Okla. She was a member of the Class of 1940 of Van Meter high school. She attended York College in York, Neb. and later transferred to Iowa State Teachers College in Cedar Falls. She taught school in Morley and Martelle.

The couple married April 23, 1944 at Forest Chapel church in rural Anamosa.

Mr. Smith worked as a guard at the Men's Reformatory in Anamosa from 1946 to 1948. He then ran a feed mill grinder from 1949 to 1951 and also drove a school bus for Morley Consolidated schools. From 1950 to 1960 he owned and operated Smith's DX service station in Morley. From 1960 to 1965 he operated a maintainer for Jones county and from 1965 until his retirement in 1987 he was superintendent at Iowa State Industries in the tire capping department.

Mrs. Smith taught school and raised her family, and from 1965 to 1970 she worked in the housekeeping department at the Anamosa Community hospital.

She was a past member of Forest Chapel church, the Evangelical United Brethren church in Morley, and a current member of Morley First United Methodist church. She was also a past Eastern Star member of the Hiawatha Lodge in Olin and was a member of the Pythian Sisters. She was a past most excellent chief of the White Rose Temple, served on the election board in Morley and was a substitute post mistress at the Morley post office.

Mr. Smith was the former mayor, fire chief, council member and town marshall of Morley. He was also a member of the men's community club in Morley.

They are survived by 2 daughters, Cindy Pieper and husband John, Anamosa; and Becky Baker and husband Gary, rural Mechanicsville; 2 sons, Michael and wife Debi, Springville; and Steven J., rural Anamosa.

Mr. Smith is survived by a sister, Arlene Behnke and husband Dial, Anamosa; an aunt Della Koppenhaver, Anamosa; and a sister-in-law, Mary Jane Smith.

Mrs. Smith is survived by a sister, Margie Moore and husband, Clayton, Anamosa; a brother, Harold Windsor and wife Edith, Altwater, Minn.; and a brother-in-law, Ed Ransford, Hiawatha.

Mr. Smith was preceded in death by his parents and 3 brothers, Ronald "Bud", Gene and Robert.

Mrs. Smith was preceded in death by her parents; an infant brother, John D. Windsor; a sister, Dorothy Ransford and several nieces and nephews.

The Tipton Conservative and Advertiser - 18 December 1996 page 9