Jeanette Smith

Jeanette Norma Ruoko Smith age 92 of Crosby died on September 25, 2011 at the Waunakee Manor in Waunakee, WI. She was born in Crosby on December 14, 1918 to Einar and Lempi (Maki) Ruoko. She was a Crosby-Ironton High School graduate, attended Crosby Junior College, St Cloud Teachers College graduating in 1941. She taught Business Education at Big Lake, Mn; Aitkin High School and the Minneapolis Business College. She married Boyd G. Smith on July 20, 1946. Preceding her in death are her parents, Einar and Lempi Ruoko; sibling baby twins, Rachael and Ronald Ruoko; daughter, Peggy Jean Smith Modler; infant grandson, Aaron Robert Smith; sin-in-law, Joseph McCloskey. Survivors include her husband of 65 years, Boyd G. Smith; children, Susan McCloskey of Madison WI, Robert (Marianne) of Bloomington, MN,; Patrick (Judi) of Deerwood, MN; Pam of Middleton, WI; Richard (Mary) of Colorado Springs, CO; Maureen Alaboud of Maple Grove, MN; and Janet Smith of Madison, WI; 11 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. Jeannette was a substitute teacher in Crosby-Ironton for many years, a home school tutor for many C-I graduates homebound. She was the Librarian at the Crosby Library for 3 years before Mr. Hallett asked her to become Head Librarian at the Jesse F. Hallett Memorial Library which she did for the next 30 years retiring in 2007 at the age of 88. Jeanette was active in the Crosby-Ironton PTA, serving as President for 2 terms, Friday Afternoon Study Club for over 42 years, C-I Women's Club, Catholic Forresters, The National Library Association, St. Joseph's Catholic Church as Lector and Communion Minister for many years. She participated in the Quill Masters Club, the Cuyuna Range Heritage Society, and St Urho's Club. Jeannette took great pride in her Finish Heritage (she didn't speak a word of English going into Kindergarten) and embraced her Finn traditions with family and neighbors. Jeannette loved to travel-visiting 32 of our States attending baptisms, weddings, graduations, new jobs of her children or just fun opportunities to meet people of other cultures and environs; she ventured across borders to Canada, Mexico, France, and Italy (in 2000 she met Pope John Paul II and was part of the Vatican Jubilee Millenium Celebration with Susan her daughter and the Colorado Serra Club. Above all, her family and community were her LOVE, always giving when she could, enjoying the joys and sorrows of our local lives. Education through reading was her passion (after the Rosary) and she always encouraged, invited and dearly promoted every age group to grow through the written word. Always with a smile, a kind word, caring conversations and enjoying a cup of coffee with whomever dropped in, Jeannette touched all she met in so many ways. She leaves a legacy of dedication, compassion, integrity, gentleness, stubbornness where it counts, and readiness to welcome a new person into her world of literary adventures and knowledge. Please remember Jeannette through donations to the Jesse F. Hallett Memorial Library. Funeral services will be 10 am on Friday, September 30th, 2011 at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Crosby. Burial will be at the Lakewood Cemetery in Crosby. Friends may call on Thursday from 4 to 8 pm at the Koop Funeral Home in Crosby with a rosary at 7 pm and on Friday 1 hour prior to the services at the church.