Katie Irene Smith

Katie Irene Smith passed away on October 24th, 2021. Born to Edward and Marie Schmidt, she was the youngest of 12 children and raised on a farm near Cordell OK. She grew up in a primarily German Mennonite community. Her relatives had emigrated to America from Russia. Her grandfather farmed nearby and was the pastor of the Herold Mennonite Church. Church and family were the center of her childhood.

Katie tells of how it was fun growing up in a large family. Being the youngest, her older siblings often told her she was spoiled! She attended the country grade school through the eighth grade which was across a section of her family's farm. After that she rode the bus to Cordell High School through her junior year. For her senior year of high school, she had the privilege of attending Oklahoma Bible Academy in Meno, OK, where she met her future husband, George.

Through her first three years of high school, she worked on the farm for her Uncle Barney and Aunt Katie, who was in poor health. Her Aunt Katie taught her how to cook, clean, butcher and fry chickens! Aunt Katie also taught her to drive a car! After Katie’s junior year in high school, her Aunt passed away. Then Uncle Barney offered to pay her way to attend Oklahoma Bible Academy, if she still wanted to go. Katie said, “Oh yes!” The academy was 120 miles away, so she had to room and board. It was a wonderful year!

After graduation, Katie and George got engaged, and were married the following year on August 20,1955 at the Herold Mennonite Church. Katie and George celebrated 66 years of marriage this year. Three days after they were married the young couple moved to Denver to work. George and Katie both found jobs working at Saint Anthony Hospital. They moved to Wichita, Kansas for a short time, where their first daughter, Patsy was born in 1958. They soon moved back to Denver where four more children were born: Miranda 1959, Regina 1960, Mark 1962, and Titus 1963. Katie certainly wasn’t spoiled in those days!

Katie received the Lord as her Savior when she was about 11 years old. It was during Vacation Bible School which was held in the school across the road of the family farm. Katie tells of how the gospel was made very clear to her and that she too was a sinner and needed to be saved.

That day after class Katie ran home as fast as she could and went up to her room and knelt beside her bed and asked the Lord Jesus to forgive her and save her from her sins. Katie says assurance of her salvation came as she started to read her Bible. She proclaims John 1:12, “But as many receive Him, to them gave He the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.” She began to grow in the Lord and loved to go to church.

George and Katie attended South Sheridan Baptist Church for over 30 years. They put all five kids in Silver State Baptist School. Katie took on house cleaning jobs to help pay for the kids' school tuition. Along with her busy life of raising five children, she was always faithfully involved in ministry. She and George worked in the bus ministry at South Sheridan Baptist Church for many years. She also taught 4th grade girls Sunday school and hosted a neighborhood Good News Club in her home for several years. Katie and George enjoyed serving on several mission trips together. For the last nineteen years, she and her husband George have enjoyed the ministry of Beth Eden Baptist Church. Katie proclaimed she was blessed with a full and rewarding life!

She is survived by husband, George; daughters, Patsy Southwell (Clark), Miranda, Regina Kelson (Chris); sons, Mark (Ruth), and Titus; grandchildren, Bonny (Jeremy), Wendy (Bret), Ken, Clifford, Summer, Adam (Kelli), Suzanne (Terry), Kelley, Jessica (Justin), Heather (David), Katie (Michael), Cassidy, Ellen (David), Jacob, and Emily; great grandchildren, Abel, Seth, Levi, Ezra, Jobe, Evangeline, Isabelle, Gideon, Flora, Gemma, Wesley, Brenton, Linette, Liam, Elliot, Marie, Grayson, Octavia, Trenton, Ruby, Finley, Esme, and Declan; and sister, Ann Schmidt.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Edward and Marie Schmidt, sisters: Alice, Helen, Mary Lou (Juett), brothers: Martin, Robert, Paul, Louis, Alfred, Norman, Eddie.

Visitation will be Saturday, November 6, 2021 from 10-10:30am followed by a Funeral Service at 10:30am, all at Beth Eden Baptist Church, 2600 Wadsworth Boulevard, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033. Interment will be at Olinger Highland Cemetery, 10201 Grant Street, Thornton, CO 80229.

Please share your memories of Katie and condolences with her family by adding a memory below.