Lester Vaught Smith

      Lester Vaught Smith, 83, of Fort Madison and previously of Burlington and Denmark, died at 1 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 7, 2001, at the Fort Madison Community Hospital.

      The family inurnment of the cremains will be at a later date in the Edwards Cemetery in Oakville. Hofbauer Funeral Home in Donnellson is in charge of arrangements.

      Mr. Smith was born May 11, 1917, in Oakville, the son of George and Emma Bowers Smith. He married Lena Peterson who preceded him in death, and later married Wilma Asher. He was a U.S. Navy veteran, serving for 32 years and retiring as a Machinist?s Mate First Class after serving in World War II and the Korean War. He also worked for Iowa Southern Utilities for five years.

      Survivors include his wife; a son, Edward L. Smith of Mt. Pleasant; a daughter, Betty J. Wunderlich of Burlington; a stepson, Larry Kirkpatrick of Crescent Spring, Ky.; and five stepdaughters, Mary Jo Griffin of Metropolis, Ill., Analee Lockridge of Leeton, Mo., Judy Harding of Denmark, Linda Neff of Wever and Connie Franklin of Burlington; four great-grandchildren, 26 step-grandchildren, and 30 step-great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, a son, a great-granddaughter, two brothers, a stepson, and a stepdaughter.