Darrell Walter Smikle (Seymour)'s Obituary
Darrell Walter Smikle, youngest son and child of Harold William and Ruth Alma (Miller) Smikle, and long-time Webster County resident, departed this life Thursday, February 27, 2014, at Mercy Hospital in Springfield, Missouri. He was sixty-nine years, seven months and twenty-four days young.
Darrell was born on July 3, 1944, in Lynch, Nebraska, where he was raised until the age of nine. The Smikle Family then moved to Missouri and settled into farm life on Dry Creek Road in rural Webster County, and to this day, it is still ‘the family farm’.
He was a graduate of the Fordland Class of 1964, and wed his high school sweetheart, Janice Rosemary Colgan, that same summer on June 7, 1964, and to this union one son, Daren Walter Smikle, was born. Darrell was a life-long farmer, working both his and the family farm, nearly 400 acres in all – Janice and Daren right along with him. He also worked outside the home, retiring after 32 years as a foreman on the pilot line at Zenith when the plant closed down. Darrell then worked at Paul Mueller Company in Springfield for 10 years.
Not one for all of the modern and expensive farm equipment, Darrell ran the farms the old-fashioned way – by hand and hard work. In his spare time, he was an avid sportsman and truly enjoyed hunting and fishing. He loved old Western movies and was a faithful follower of Duck Dynasty, watching reruns over and over again. Darrell was genuinely a good person, very laid-back and a man you could always count on.
Darrell was preceded in death by his parents, Harold Smikle and Ruth Miller Smikle.
He leaves behind his ever-loving and devoted wife of 49 years, Janice; son, Daren W. Smikle and wife Lori, of Marshfield, Missouri; three grandchildren, Micheala Stokes-Smikle, Winter Barnes and Ashton Barnes, all of Marshfield, Missouri; two brothers, Harold William Smikle, Jr. and wife Arcilia, of Sandia, Texas, and David Winslow Smikle and wife June, of Seymour, Missouri; sister, Patricia Ann Smikle who still resides on the family farm in Seymour, Missouri; godsons, Michael Pettit of Lebanon, Missouri, and Matthew Pettit of Fordland, Missouri; sisters-in-law, Marsha Lawson and husband Phil, of Fordland, Missouri, and Dana Gardner of Marshfield, Missouri; nephew Justin Gardner and wife Keesha; and many more nephews, nieces and extended family, and dear friends and neighbors who will miss him greatly.
Darrell Walter Smikle was a cherished husband, loving father and grandfather, caring brother and loyal friend and neighbor. We take this time to honor a life well-lived. We will treasure every memory he created for us and each dear moment we were able to spend with him. He will be sadly missed by all who knew and loved him.
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