Funeral Services for Bob Smith, 83, prominent Custer County farmer/ rancher will be held 10:00 A.M., Thursday, September 12, 2019 in the First Christian Church officiated by Doyle Kinney, Willie Coop and Dwight Shepherd. Burial will follow in the Arapaho Cemetery under the direction of the Kiesau-Lee Funeral Home.
Bob Smith was born September 14, 1935 to George Washington Smith and Della (Maynard) Smith and passed away Monday, September 09, 2019 in the Alliance Clinton Emergency Room.
Bob was raised on West Barnitz Creek Northwest of Arapaho and graduated from Arapaho High School in 1953. He was the youngest of seven siblings and has lived his entire life in Custer County as a farmer, rancher and businessman. While attending Arapaho High School he was active in Future Farmers of America, basketball, and baseball and he drove the school bus his junior and senior years.
Although he has been a farmer/rancher his entire life, Bob supplemented his farming with other occupations such as a Clinton Policeman, Custer County Under-sheriff, Foreman of the Foss Dam Construction, the Foss to Hobart waterline, and Western Oklahoma City Interstate Highway Construction. In 1972 Bob started his own oilfield business, and in 1980’s added cross-country trucking, banking, and a variety of other interest. At one point he employed more than 200 people. Additionally, Bob served on the Clinton City Council for 18 years (longest serving councilman), and served one term on the Oklahoma Crime Commission. He semi-retired in 1995 and concentrated mostly on his farming and cattle operations.
He was married to Nancy Egger on December 28, 1979 in Clinton, Oklahoma.
He is preceded in death by his parents, three brothers, Chester Smith, Glen Smith and Lawrence Smith and three sisters, Robina Smith, Evelyn Maloy and Dortha Begley.
He is a member of the First Christian Church, the Masonic Lodge, the Shriners and a member of the Oklahoma Cattleman’s Association. He was an avid Oklahoma University fan, especially football, and he was a staunch supporter of the Arapaho-Butler Schools and athletics and attended most all of the Arapaho-Butler home games.
He is survived by his wife, Nancy, of the home, three sons, Mike Smith, Arapaho, Brad Lambeth and Joleen Whitbeck, Clinton and Jason Lambeth and wife, Anne, Butler.
He is also survived by 11 grandchildren, Sarah Smith and husband, Josh Copeland, Norman, OK, Ashton Ingram and husband, Derik, Weatherford, OK, Shea Smith, Norman, Rhett Lambeth, Grafton Lambeth, Jordan Lambeth, Peyton Lambeth, Brooks Red, Mason Red, Rachel Red, all of Clinton and Aiden Ingram, Weatherford and one great-grandchild, Smith Copeland, Norman.