Frank “Gordon” Smith
Frank “Gordon” Smith,
88, Minot and formerly of
Makoti, passed away Fri-
day, Sept. 25, 2015. He
passed peacefully in his
home, surrounded by his
loving family.
Gordon was born on
Feb. 7, 1927, in Minot,
the youngest of the three
children of Frank and
Bess (Nimmo) Smith. He
was raised and educated
in Makoti, graduating
from Makoti High School
in 1945. Gordon then en-
listed in the Navy in
1945. He received basic
training in Great Lakes,
Ill., and then was sta-
tioned in Agana, Guam,
as a postal worker. He
was honorably
discharged in 1946.
Gordon returned to
Makoti and entered into a
partnership with his fa-
ther in the grocery busi-
ness. On Aug. 17, 1949,
Gordon married the form-
er Ida Mae Starleaf in
Minot. The coupled
owned and operated
Smith’s Jack and Jill Gro-
cery for 43 years in Mako-
ti, where they made their
home and raised their
three daughters, Rhonda,
Colleen and Cindy. They
retired in 1992. In 2005,
the couple bought a con-
do in Minot and spent
the winters in Minot and
the summers in Makoti.
Gordon was an avid
golfer and hunter, even
claiming a hole in one.
He was active in com-
munity affairs, including
memberships on the
town board, the volunteer
fire department, the
Makoti Threshing Show,
Hope Lutheran Church
and the American Legion
Post 230 in Makoti. This
past Memorial Day, he
was honored for 70 years
of active membership in
the post.
Gordon’s greatest joy
was spending time with
the love of his life for 66
years, Ida Mae, and their
children and grandchil-
dren. He also enjoyed
beating his family and
friends in cribbage.
Sharing in Gordon’s
life: his wife, Ida Mae;
his daughters, Rhonda
Smith (Jim Patineau) of
Minneapolis, Minn., and
Cindy (Dean) Rubbelke of
Minot; his son-in-law
Charles (Rachel) Stanley
of Grays Lake, Ill.;
grandchildren, Matthew
Rubbelke, Michael (Re-
becca) Rubbelke, Kristin
Rubbelke, Katie (Matt)
Burckhard, Sean (Megan)
Stanley, Sarah Stanley,
Andrea Patineau and
Stephanie (Mike) McNal-
ly; great-grandchild, Han-
nah Rubbelke; sister,
Jeanne Wyman; and
in-laws, Lois (Derris)
Stafslien and Mary Star-
leaf. He was preceded in
death by his parents; in-
fant son, James Smith;
daughter, Colleen Stan-
ley; sister, Marion Jeffer-
son; and in-laws, Rufus
Jefferson, Lester Wyman,
Bob and Joanne Starleaf
and Richard Starleaf.
Funeral: 11 a.m. Tues-
day, Sept. 29, 2015, at
Hope Lutheran Church,
Makoti.
Interment: Hope Luth-
eran Cemetery, Makoti.
Visitation: 3:30 to 5:30
p.m. Monday at
Thompson-Larson Fun-
eral Home, Minot.
Prayer Service: 5:30
p.m. Monday at
Thompson-Larson Fun-
eral Home, Minot.
Memorials are preferred
to the Makoti Park, the
Makoti American Legion,
Hope Lutheran Church in
Makoti, or to an organiza-
tion of the donor’s choice
To sign a guest register
for Gordon go to
