Luther M. “Bud” Smith, age 87, passed away peacefully Friday morning, Sept. 30, 2016, at his home in Bean Blossom.
Bud was born June 26, 1929, in Knox County, to the late Clarence and Marie (Ellermann) Smith. He attended Helmsburg High School where he was on the first winning sectional basketball team from Brown County in 1949. At age 16, he enlisted with the United State Marine Corps Reserve where he served for two years as a private and then went on to serve as a corporal with the United State Army for two years. During his time in the service, he played basketball and baseball for the military. After the service, he married Barbara Ellen Critser on Oct. 9, 1954, in Bloomington.
Bud was the owner and operator of Smith’s Melon Farm in Bean Blossom for the past 50 years. He enjoyed farming and was well known for his delicious cantaloupes, watermelon and tomatoes which he would sell at the City Market in Indianapolis and other local farmers markets. Bud enjoyed helping and meeting people at his own fruit stand at the corner of State Road 135 and Covered Bridge Road. During the late 1960s, Bud worked as a superintendent at Yellowwood State Forest.
He was a lifetime Lutheran and a charter member of the Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Bean Blossom. Bud loved spending time with his family and always looked forward to cheering on his grandchildren at their sporting events.
Bud will be dearly missed by his wife of 61 years, Barbara Smith; children, Andrea Lee (Scott) Hall of Fort Wayne, Kristy Lynn (Grant) Stuart of Nashville and Luther M. “Buddy” (Sheri) Smith Jr. of Bean Blossom; siblings, Lueallin Pate of Morgantown and Donna (Keith) Rhodes of Martinsville; and grandchildren, Alexandra Hall, James Hall, Sydney Hall, Mallory Scroggins, Isaac Hall, Peter Stuart, Tyler Smith, Quentin Stuart, Nash Stuart and Luther Hall.
He was preceded in death by siblings, Arthur and Clarence Smith Jr., Beulah Mae Ackerman, Mary Sluss and Dlema Baughman.
The Rev. Phil Meadows will conduct a funeral service at 10 a.m. Monday, Oct. 3 at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, 5802 N. Old Settlers Road in Bean Blossom. Friends may call from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Meredith-Clark Funeral Home Cremation & Personalization Center, 179 E. Mulberry St. in Morgantown. Burial will be at Nebo Memorial Park Cemetery in Martinsville with military rites conducted by the Brown County Honor Guard.
Memorial contributions may be sent in honor of Bud to the Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church Memorial Fund, 5802 N. Old Settlers Road, Morgantown, IN 46160.
Condolences may be sent to the family at meredith-clark.com. Information: 812-597-4670.
