The Rev. Dr. Harold L. Smith, 95, passed away peacefully at home on April 5, 2021.  Harold was born on October 18, 1925 to Lloyd and Opal Lewis Smith in Jonesboro, Ill.  At a young age, he learned the value of hard and competent work on the beautiful family farm in nearby Alto Pass.

Harold met Josephine (Jo) Read at the Calvary Baptist Church in Alton, Ill., while attending Shurtleff College, and they were married in this church on August 12, 1951. To this union were born two children, Celeste and Barry. Harold and Jo appreciated the privilege of spending 69 years in a blessed relationship.

After serving as a U.S. Navy corpsman at Bethesda Naval Hospital (Walter Reed) during World War II, Harold entered college as a pre-law student, but toward the end of his freshman year he answered God's call into the ministry, going on to complete bachelor's and master's degrees from Southern Illinois University before earning the Master of Divinity from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary and the Doctor of Ministry from Eden Theological Seminary in Chicago.

For 48 years, he pastored American Baptist Churches in Illinois and Missouri, serving First Baptist Church in Johnston City, Ill.; Godfrey Baptist Church in Godfrey, Ill.; Grace Baptist Church in Kansas City; and Bethel Baptist Church in Columbia.  A former regional president of the American Baptist Convention, he remained passionate throughout his life about studying church growth issues.

After retiring three times as a minister, he and Jo moved to Springfield in 2003 to be near family. Here, he spent time gardening, following his grandchildren and great-grandchildren's activities, and serving at University Heights Baptist Church, where he helped teach the Pioneer Sunday School Class and occasionally preached. In 2019, after he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, hope was the topic of his last sermon.

Harold was preceded in death by his parents; his daughter, Celeste Johnsen; and two sisters.  He is survived by his wife, Jo; his son, Barry, and daughter-in-law, Susan; his former son-in-law, David Johnsen; and four grandchildren: Molly, Walker, and Henry Smith, and Nina Davis.  He was also blessed with three great-grandchildren, Avery and Hunter Lambright and Kereli Celeste Davis.

Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, April 9, at Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home, 1947 E. Seminole St., and online condolences may be made at gormanscharpf.com.

Memorial contributions may be made to the International Myeloma Foundation, 12650 Riverside Drive, Suite 206, North Hollywood, CA 91607.