Jeanine C. Smith

Jeanine Cecilia Smith, age 71, of Mount Hope, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her loving family, after a courageous battle with cancer and entered our Lord’s Heavenly kingdom on Thursday, August 3, 2023, at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in LaCrosse.  She was born on December 16, 1951, in Lancaster, the daughter of Loren and Marjorie (Bausch) Kirschbaum.  Jean graduated from Cassville High School in 1970.  On February 6, 1971, she was united in marriage to David R. Smith at St. Charles Catholic Church in Cassville.  Together they farmed and raised four children on the Smith family farm in Little Grant Township.  Jean was the secretary for Smith Insurance Company for over 40 years and served as the Little Grant Township Clerk for 20 years.  She enjoyed mother nature at its finest with her favorites being sunsets, walks and ranger rides on the farm.  Jean also enjoyed gardening, cooking, boating, road trips to visit friends and family and winters spent in Arizona.  She dearly loved spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren and great-grandchild.  Jean had strong Catholic faith, spending time reading scriptures, which gave her the inner strength and positivity to live each day to its fullest, even during her toughest times. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, and friend and will be dearly missed by all who knew her.  Everyone who knew her expressed how caring, loving, and genuine she was.  Jean touched so many lives with her unending love, kindness, patience, and understanding. 

She will be lovingly remembered and greatly missed by her husband of 52 years, David; their children: Michelle (Gregg) Sickler, Michael (LeaAnne), Melissa (Kevoy) Anderson, and Molly (Michael) Jones; grandchildren: Suzy (Matt), Tom, Joey, Logan, Mikayla, Mariah, Marissa, Lily and Louie; a great-grandson, Robi; four siblings: Cheryl Uthe, Diane (Phil) Bernhardt, Kathleen Riphon, Richard (Lisa Lange) Kirschbaum; nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives, and friends. 

Jean was preceded in death by her parents, Loren and Marge Kirschbaum; her father and mother-in-law, Ralph and Eunice Smith; and a granddaughter, Baby Ellen.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, August 12, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Bloomington with Father Sudhakar Devarapu and Father Gregory Ihm officiating.  Burial will be in Little Grant Cemetery, Little Grant Township.  Family and friends may call on Friday, August 11, 2023, from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Bloomington where a 3:45 p.m. rosary will be prayed.  Friends may also call on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until the time of services at the church.  Martin Schwartz Funeral Home & Crematory in Bloomington is assisting the family.