Lona A. Smith (Brunswick)

Services for Lona A. Smith, 62, of Brunswick will be held March 30, 2012 at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Plainview. The Rev. Art Anderson officiate with burial in the West Willowdale Cemetery southwest of Brunswick. Ashburn Funeral Home of Plainview is in charge of arrangements. She died March 27, 2012.

Lona Ann Fischer was born March19, 1950, the daughter of Finley and Hilda (Jessen) Fischer on the family farm northeast of Brunswick. She was baptized at Zion Lutheran Church in Creighton.


She attended elementary school at Antelope County District 61 school near Brunswick, and graduated from Creighton High School in 1968.


She married Gordon Smith at Zion Lutheran Church in Creighton, November 16, 1968. Four children were born to them.


The couple lived in Pensacola, Fl., where Gordon was stationed with the U.S. Navy, until he was deployed overseas. Lona returned to the Brunswick/Plainview area until the couple moved to Hawaii, where they lived for two years, moving back to Brunswick in 1972.


She worked at Plainview Public Hospital and Alderman Variety Store in Plainview. The couple purchased The Office Bar in Brunswick in 1980, operating it for 10 years. Lona assisted in the operation of the Blue House tea room near Brunswick until the couple moved to Lincoln in 1992.


Gordon died in November 1996 and Lona returned to Brunswick in 1998.


She worked at Plainview Public Schools and was employed at Serendipity in Plainview at the time of her death.


She was a member of the Brunswick Congregational Church, where she had been a member of the diaconate, and held offices in the women’s circle; was an active member of Vernard A. Baird American Legion Auxiliary 357 of Brunswick, holding a number of offices through the years; had been a member of the Brunswick Library Board and the Brunswick Community Club.


Among Lona’s favorite activities were tending her flower gardens, caring for her animals, cooking and most of all, spending time with her 10 grandchildren. She was anxiously awaiting the arrival of another grandson in May.


She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband.


Survivors include her special friend, Ken (Junior) Schlueter; one son, Christopher and Gina Smith of Norfolk; three daughters, Carrie and Michael Butterfield of Atkinson, Chari and Dallas Hansen of Plainview and Cassandra Smith of Brunswick and her friend, Matthew Dillon of Sioux City, Iowa; grandchildren, Alexander, Abigil, Alison and Finley Smith, Caitlin, Jackson and Brooklynn Butterfield, and Kaylee, Landon and Aiden Hansen; a sister-in-law, Barbara Ross of Brunswick; two sisters, Lana Werth of Appleton, Wisc. and Lois Brandt of Loveland, Colo.; and two brothers, Lin Fischer of Brunswick and Lyle Fischer of Creighton.