Ervin Smith

Considering that no one loved a joke more than Ervin Smith, even he would have appreciated the irony of his death marking the opening day of deer season, November 3, 2007. After all, the way that Ervin lived, if he couldn't be part of the hunt, it would be time to move on to more heavenly pursuits.

Ervin Herbert Smith was born to George and Bertha (Hein) Smith on January 12, 1917. He attended school through the eighth grade and was baptized on June 14, 1917 and confirmed on July 26, 1931 at St. John's Lutheran Church in Donnelly. Until his final days, Ervin was proud to say he was the oldest living baptized and confirmed member of his congregation. He was preceded in death by four brothers; Harry, George, Leonard and Fred and four sisters; Bertha (Tomalla), Lena (Matejka), Laura (Koepke) and Florence (Sperr).

Even though Ervin was the youngest of nine children, he stood out from a crowd early on. His good luck can be traced back to the tender age of 11 when he slung his first horseshoe and hit a

"ringer" on the very first try. From that point on, Ervin was not only a winner on his own, but he made everyone else feel that way too. Especially when he was sharing his exuberance for life at his favorite organizations. He enjoyed his work with St. John's Lutheran Council (as Deacon and Usher), the Donnelly Rod and Gun Club, the Donnelly Co-Op Board, the Macsville Township, the Eagles and the Western Tri-County Horseshoe League.

Ervin worked his Donnelly farmland for long hours into the night, but that didn't exhaust his taste for dancing or a good story. It must have been one of those talents (or possibly both) that caught the eye of Leana Werk. Reverend Allen Berquist married the pair on April 13, 1941 on the site of the family farm. The union lasted over 60 years, until after years of Ervin's loving care; Leana preceded her husband in death in 2004.

If Ervin were telling this story, he would probably turn it into a tall tale that would make you laugh and blush at the same time. When Johnny Carson was unavailable, he would stand before the microphone at the Donnelly Co-Op meeting and would tell stories until everyone had a good laugh. You had to admire a man who would ask a mostly Scandinavian crowd, "Did you hear the one about the Norwegian who... And by the time he was done, it was his Norwegian friends who would laugh the loudest and the longest.

Ervin would sometimes punctuate his stories and laughter with the Good Lord's name, but he always said it like it was a song...And all that coaxing to the divine might be why God always had the best punch lines for Ervin's life:

*     "Did you hear the one about the man who was so confident about his luck that he would take out his drivers' license to collect his pull tab winnings before ever even buying a ticket?"

*     "Or did you ever hear about the man from Donnelly who was so good at horseshoes that his average actually improved when he turned 90?"

*     "Or maybe we should tell you about the man who went shooting with his son and grandson, but he separated from the pack.. When they heard 19 shots in the distance, his family rushed to his side, only to see 18 ducks lying at his feet. Ervin was beaming... "Well, I had to shoot one of them...twice"...

There were no strangers in Ervin's world, only friends he had yet to meet. Even if those friends were competitors in horseshoes. Even though he loved to teach the younger players, Ervin was there to win. And win he did...They called him the "best horseshoe player in the county" for good reason. The walls of his home are filled with trophies, including the most prized of all, his 2nd place win in the 1981 World Tournament in Genola, Minnesota. After all, he liked to remind his best friend Dave, that he "wasn't playing with no kid"...

Ervin will always remind his family members to live life to the fullest. As his daughter said, he was the best Grandfather you could dream of. He is survived by his son, Gary (Pat) Smith of Herman; daughter, April (Jack) Hoss of Clear Lake; and six grandchildren; Shannon Smith of St. Petersburg, FL, Chad Smith of Herman, Ryan (Angie) Smith of Herman, Leila (Craig) Brown of Burnsville, Nicole (Josh) Blonigen of Monticello and Aaron (Heather) of Foley; four great-grandchildren; Sterling and Grady Blonigen and Samantha and Ali Brown and his constant canine companion, Lady.

It is hard to say if we make our own luck in life or if we are born with it. Either way, Ervin would agree that he was always blessed with good fortune. But it was the lives he touched that were truly the lucky ones. There are far too many stories to fit on this small page, and not enough room in our hearts to contain the legacy and the love he leaves behind. But no matter how you say it, Ervin enjoyed his life to its' fullest final chorus...Just like the cans of soda in his fridge that he would ration for weeks, he wanted to savor every last drop.

Ervin once said that the secret to longevity was "just taking life as it comes... and playing horseshoes can't hurt". If you listen closely now, you can probably hear the whisper of a horseshoe striking iron in Heaven. All we know is that the Creator may have met his match in Ervin. While God may have made the earth in seven days, he better take care, because now he "aint" playing with no kid...

Pallbearers for the service are: Dave Evenson, Peter Noreen, Glen Werk, Verle Dunn, Kenny Johnson and Les Huebner. Honorary pallbearers are all of Ervin's grandchildren and great-grandchildren and all those who called him friend. Peggy Wilke will serve as organist for the service with Gary Uphoff serving as soloist. Mary Huebner, Gary Uphoff, Karen Uphoff and Alan Uphoff will provide special music for the service. Pedersen Funeral Home in Morris is in charge of the arrangements.