Kenneth Joseph Smith was born in Salina, Kansas on December 21, 1924, the fifth child of John I. and Anna M. Smith. His family moved to Logan County when Kenneth was 2 years old.

He attended elementary school in Monument, Kansas where his parents and siblings lived on a farm south of Monument.

In January 1944, he was drafted into the Navy and sent to boot camp at Farragut, Idaho. After boot camp, he was sent to basic engineering and diesel school at Gulfport, Mississippi, and then amphibious training at Norfolk, Virginia where the ship's crew was formed and sent to Hingham, Massachusetts to pick up their new ship, the USS LST 944, at the ship yard. It was then on to the Pacific to take part in the battles for Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

While returning to Saipan after three trips to Okinawa, the Japanese surrendered and the LST 944 was sent back to San Diego to be decommissioned, since it was no longer sea-worthy, after being in a typhoon at Okinawa for a short time. While waiting for points to be discharged, Kenneth became part of the USS Amycus (ARL-2) crew.

On May 10, 1946, he was honorably discharged and returned to the farm south of Monument, Kansas.

On November 12, 1947, Kenneth married Louise Evelyn Stoecker in Oakley. To this union Joseph, Bernard, and Mary were born.

Kenneth and Louise lived in Winona, Kansas from November 1947 to April 2013. Kenneth dearly loved raising wheat, and farmed acreages west of Winona, south of McAllister, and ultimately, south of Monument. He was an active environmentalist, as evidenced by his stewardship of the land he farmed. Kenneth did not subscribe to the idea of no-tillage farming, and was opposed to applying chemicals to the soil. Utilizing rotation crop methods, he prided himself in maintaining a garden-like appearance with his fields. It would not be unusual for Kenneth to stop his pickup, and walk, two hundred yards, over newly ploughed ground to pull a weed he spotted from the road.

Since farming was not always fruitful, Kenneth also worked as a farm tractor mechanic for the Winona Case dealer, drove and maintained Winona school buses, and operated a repair shop in his backyard. In addition to assisting Kenneth with farm-related chores, Louise also augmented the family income by working at The Winona Leader, Liquor store, Dress Shop, selling AVON, driving school buses, and operating an upholstery business from the basement of their home.

Kenneth never hesitated to assist neighbors needing help with vehicles or home maintenance, often refusing compensation. He modeled honesty, integrity, morality and a powerful work ethic.

In November 1996, after planting the fall wheat, cleaning the drills, and placing the tractor into winter storage, Kenneth visited a doctor in Wichita, only to learn he needed major open-heart surgery. After spending nearly one month in the hospital, Kenneth returned home to complete his recovery. When spring farming began, he returned to work with even greater energy than before, and continued to farm another 9 years.

In July 2005, at the age of 81, Kenneth stepped from his combine for the last time and retired from farming. He and Louise continued to live in Winona until May 2013 when Kenneth's health necessitated a move to Hutchinson, Kansas.

Kenneth was a parishioner of St. Joseph's Catholic Church, in Oakley for 87 years. He and Louise were faithful members, the first 65 years of marriage, and celebrated their 67th anniversary on November 12, 2014.

On Thursday, January 15, 2015, after waving a farewell to Louise and Bernard, Kenneth left this world and joined the Lord's harvest in Heaven. His son is certain Kenneth checked the oil, tapped out the straw spreaders, and greased the bearings before starting up.

Kenneth is survived by his wife, Louise; son, Bernard and his wife, Mary; granddaughter, Lindsay and her husband Tony; grandson, Aaron; great grandson, Gage; and great granddaughter, Brinley.

The family wishes to extend a heartfelt welcome to this celebration of Kenneth's life, and is deeply grateful for your prayers and presence at his Mass.

Funeral Mass: 9:30 a.m. Monday, January 19, 2015 at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Oakley.

Visitation: 5 - 8 p.m. Sunday at Kennedy-Koster Funeral Home
with rosary/wake service at 7:00 p.m.

Interment at St. Joseph Cemetery with Military Honors by the U.S. Navy and Oakley V.F.W. Post 2981.

Memorials: St. Joseph's School.