Ardis Smith

Ardis Smith, age 90, formerly of Dalton, NE passed away at The Heritage in Gering on Wednesday, July 28, 2021. Memorial services will be held at 10:30 A.M. Wednesday, August 4, 2021 at the United Church of the Plains in Dalton, NE with Pastor Bud Gillespie officiating. Burial will follow in the Dalton Cemetery in Dalton. Services will be recorded and available on our website for viewing. Friends may stop at the Gehrig-Stitt Chapel on Tuesday from 1-6:00 P.M. to sign Ardis’s register book and leave condolences for the family. Family will be present 4-6:00 P.M. Memorials may be made to the Dalton Fire Department, Festival of Hope (for cancer), or to the donor’s choice.

You may view Ardis’s Book of Memories, leave condolences, photos and stories at http://www.gehrigstittchapel.com.

Gehrig-Stitt Chapel & Cremation Service, LLC is in charge of Ardis’s care and funeral arrangements.

Ardis was born September 26, 1930 to Arnold and Geneva (Larson) Westerhoff. She grew up in Dalton and Sidney, and graduated from Sidney High School in 1948. She attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and later graduated from Chadron State College in 1965. She taught school in Bushnell for two years then moved to Potter in 1967 and taught another eleven years at Potter High School.

Ardis married Douglass D. Smith on June 10, 1951 in Dalton at the United Presbyterian Church. To this union, five daughters were born: Kay, Patty, Deanne, Vicki and Robin. They were blessed with 16 grandchildren, 35 great grandchildren, and 3 great-great grandchildren.

Doug and Ardis moved back to the family farm in 1977, where they lived for 42 years before moving to The Village in Scottsbluff in 2019.

Ardis’ years were filled with gardening, sewing, crafts, 4H, traveling to grandkids and great grandkids school activities, and spending time with family. She was a master gardener and held local and state offices. She won the National Award of All Around through her local garden club. One of the highlights for Doug and Ardis was taking their daughters and spouses to Alaska in August 2007.

Ardis is survived by husband Doug of 70 years, daughters Kay Soule of Gering, Patty Moench of Potter, Deanne and husband Carl Ellingson of Benson, AZ, Vicki and husband Robert Hilpert of Potter and Robin and husband Greg Prochazka of Lincoln, sisters Wanda Bush of Kimball and Eileen Markland of Colorado, and many nieces and nephews.

Ardis was preceded in death by her grandparents, her parents and her sons-in-law Ed Soule and Don Moench.