Martha M. Smith

Martha M. Smith of Cozad passed away Friday, November 12, 2021 at Meadowlark Pointe Assisted Living at the age of 93. Martha Mae (Downs) Smith was born on June 13, 1928 on a farm north of Lexington Nebraska. She was born to Mark and Hazel (Hodgeson) Downs and was the oldest of five siblings. Her homestead was busy and therefore she undertook many roles that later developed into a love-hate relationship with chickens and turkeys. She attended a one-room school house in rural Lexington until she moved into town with her younger sister and two friends during her high school years. She graduated from Lexington High School and soon began work in Cozad, NE as a telephone switchboard operator. Through this job she met many friends and eventually found a lifelong love in Dale (Buck) Smith. His outgoing personality was a perfect balance to her classic and genuine approach to life. They were married on August 21, 1948 after he returned from service during WW2. They made their home in Cozad and raised three children in the home Buck built from the ground up. During these years Martha, was also lovingly know as Mike or Aunt Mike to her friends and family.

Later on in life, Martha worked at Hecox Dental where she was trained as a dental assistant. She dedicated much of her time to Parkview church where she created the floral arrangements for many special occasions. She also enjoyed crafting and cooking for her friends and family. She took great pride in preparing for holiday get-togethers and her meals were always perfectly served and perfectly set. She also enjoyed hosting card nights with her beloved friends and made it a priority to meet up with her siblings every July in Wyoming for Frontier Days. She spent many hours watching her five grandkids and enjoyed teaching them to cook, craft and play cards. After the passing of her husband she moved her residency to Meadowlark Pointe where she loved visits from her family and especially her four great grandchildren. Her legacy will live on through the memory of her service to others, her beautifully crafted projects and most profoundly her recipe book. She was loved deeply and cherished by all who knew her well. She was preceded in death by her husband Dale (Buck) Smith, her brothers Lowell Downs, Jim Downs, a sister LaVonna Beardsley and a son-in-law Gregg Bostelman.

She is survived by her son Craig (Jeana) Smith of DesMoines IA, her daughters Joni Bostelman of Grand Island and Cecily (Alan) Clark of Cozad, 5 grandchildren, Chelsey Smith of Des Moines, IA, Blake (Claire) Bostelman of Doniphan, Lucas Bostelman of Grand Island, Sheana (Cody) Smith of Hastings and Gretchen (Eric) Love of Gretna, and 4 great grandchildren. It was Martha's wish to be cremated. Private family service will be held at a later date.