Irma S. Smith age 92 of Waconia

Irma S. Smith age 92 of Waconia passed away Wednesday December 10, 2014 at the Ridgeview Medical Center in Waconia.
Memorial service 1:00 PM Saturday December 13, 2014 at Faith Lutheran Church (800 Waconia Parkway) in Waconia with Rev. Dale Peterson as officiant.  Interment in the Winsted Public Cemetery.  Gathering of family and friends one hour prior to the service at the church.
Irma Sophie Machemehl was born the daughter of Conrad and Elsie (Tonn) Machemehl on September 9, 1922 in Winsted Township, rural Lester Prairie.  She was baptized and confirmed at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Lester Prairie.  Irma was the valedictorian of her graduating class of Lester Prairie High School.  After high school Irma began working for her grandfather Wilhelm Machemehl in his insurance agency.
Irma was united in marriage to Ardin Gutzmann on March 7, 1943.  The couple made their home on the Gutzmann family farm near Winsted.  After the death of her husband Ardin on May 25, 1952, Irma along with her two sons moved in with her parents in Hutchinson.  On June 1, 1957 Irma was married to Earl “Bill” Smith.  The couple had lived in Benson where Irma had worked as a bookkeeper at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church and as a secretary for Tyler Manufacturing.  In 1998 the couple moved to Plymouth.  After Bill’s death in October of 2003, Irma moved to Waconia to be closer to family.
Irma was a generous and caring person who volunteered at every opportunity.  She enjoyed knitting prayer shawls to be donated and volunteering at the Women’s Center at the Ridgeview Medical Center.  She was a very active member of the church’s she belonged to, attending many Bible Studies and helping out wherever needed.  Her loving and social nature will be missed.   Her motto she lived by was “Bloom where you are planted”.
Irma is preceded in death by her parents Conrad and Elsie Machemehl; husbands Ardin Gutzmann and Earl Smith; brothers Louis Machemehl and Earl Machemehl and his wife Betty; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law Wallace Dibb, Wayne and Ruth Gutzmann, Rodney Gutzmann.
Irma is survived by her loving family:  children Rev. Steven (Linda) Gutzman of Medical Lake, WA, Jon “Jack” Gutzmann of Eagan, Jane Bebar of Vista, CA; grandchildren Sarah (Joel) Ertsgaard, Dan (Ann) Gutzman, Lisa (Craig) Allen,  Jessica (Brian) Volkmann, Jocelyn Gutzmann, Koji Suga Gutzmann; great grandchildren Erik and Anna Ertsgaard, Grace, Sophie and Jack Allen, Emerson Volkmann; sister Shirley Dibb of Lester Prairie; brother Ralph (Donna) Machemehl of Lester Prairie; sisters-in-law Marvanna Machemehl of Waconia, Carol Ann Gutzmann of Winsted; other relatives and many friends.
Arrangements with the Johnson Funeral Home in Waconia.