Wilfred T. Smith

Wilfred T."Fat" Smith, 81, of Seneca, Kansas, died Tuesday, November 21, 2000, at Crestview Manor in Seneca.
     He was born July 25, 1919, at Seneca, the son of John J. and Elizabeth Gunther Smith. He grew up in Seneca and attended the Blue Star School and Sts. Peter & Paul School. He worked for Nemaha County in the Roads Department. On September 22, 1944, he entered the U.S. Army at Ft. Leavenworth and served in the 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Division in the South Pacific. He was wounded in action twice in the Philippines and had a steel plate in his head as a result of his wounds. He received two purple hearts. He was discharged on April 12, 1946, as a staff sergeant, and returned to Seneca.
     On February 4, 1939, he married Marie H. Rosengarten at Topeka, Kansas. They lived in Seneca and celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 1989. She died July 2, 1991.
     He worked at the Farmer's Elevator in Seneca before going to work for the Seneca Wholesale for 35 years. "Fat" first drove a beer truck and later became a salesman until his retirement in 1981. For ten years after his retirement, he still drove part time. He also worked for the automobile dealerships in Seneca driving cars to Seneca from car auctions. "Fat" drove many people from Seneca to Topeka for doctor appointments.
     He was a member of Sts. Peter & Paul Church, the St. Joseph Society at the church, the Earle W. Taylor Post #21 of the American Legion, and a lifetime member of the Seneca Memorial Post #7458 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars all at Seneca.
     Survivors are a son, Donald E. Smith of Liberty, MO; a brother, Virgil Smith of Hemet, CA; three sisters, Cleta Thompson and Gerry Howard, both of Las Vegas, NV,and Patricia Toney of San Diego, CA.
     The mass of Christian burial will be 1:30 P.M. Saturday at Sts. Peter & Paul Church in Seneca. The burial will be with full military honors by the American Legion and the VFW in the church cemetery. There will be a prayer service Friday at 7 P.M. at the Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca where he will lie in state after 8:30 A.M. Friday.
     Memorials may be given for Sts. Peter & Paul Church and sent in care of the family.