Caryl Smith

CARYL LEOPOLD SMITH

Brighton

Caryl Leopold Smith, 94, of Brighton, Iowa, died Sunday, Jan. 30, 2022, at the home of her son Jerry in Orrington, Maine.

Caryl was born Dec. 7, 1927, in Evanston, Ill., the daughter of Carl and Dolores Leopold. She was raised in Burlington, Iowa, and graduated from Burlington High School. She married her high school sweetheart, Burnett Smith, and they farmed near Beckwith in Jefferson County, raising four sons. The family moved to Brighton, Iowa, in 1962 raising cattle and hay on the farm fondly known as Springtown Ranch.

Caryl is survived by four sons, David of Clearbrook, Minn., Carl of Fort Collins, Colo., Jerry of Orrington, Maine, and Nelson of Brighton, Iowa; eight grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and two great- great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband and two sisters.

Caryl was a kind and generous woman and never met a stranger. She was an amazing cook, responsible for many family, congregate and holiday meals. Her recipes were documented in 1991 with the publishing of the "Farmhouse Cookbook," written by Susan Loomis, featuring her famous apple pie recipe as well as many southwest heritage recipes she was famous for. She donated countless hours to church activities at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in East Pleasant Plain, polka dances and bazaars at the Polishville Community Center near Brighton and volunteered for many years in the gift shop at Midwest Central Railroad in Mount Pleasant.

True to her Leopold family namesake, Caryl was a lover of nature and cared deeply about conserving the land and natural resources for wildlife and generations to come. She served on the Washington County Conservation Board for a number of years.

Per her wishes, Caryl's ashes will be buried in the family cemetery this spring followed by a celebration of life ceremony at Lake Darling Lodge, Brighton, date to be announced. Condolences can be mailed to the family in care of Nelson Smith, 3006 Fir Ave., Brighton, IA 52540.