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Sgt. Keith L. Smette • 1978 - 2004 Sgt. Keith L. Smette, 25, Makoti, ND, died while serving his country in Fallujah, Iraq, on Saturday, January 24, 2004. Keith was born on December 1, 1978, in Minot, ND, to Douglas and Charlotte (Vaughn) Smette. He attended school in Granville and Ryder before graduating from North Shore High School in Makoti in 1997. Prior to his deployment, he was a full time student at North Dakota State University in Fargo. While in high school, Keith played baseball and basketball but loved all sports. He enlisted in the North Dakota Army National Guard as a private with Company A, 164th Engineer Battalion (Combat Mechanized), at Minot, and served as a combat engineer. He completed his combat basic training and advanced individual training at Fort Leonard Wood, MO and in 2001, completed a primary leadership development course. On January 30, 2003, Keith volunteered for active duty with the 957th Multi-Role Bridge Company with his best friend and younger brother, Robert and was transferred into the unit as a bridge crew member. He was serving as a sergeant in Operation Iraqi Freedom at the time of his death, committed to helping those who need him and proud to serve his country. The love that Keith shared with his family was evident every day. Rare is the picture of Keith without his arm around someone and our lives are full stories of his adventures, each of which were approached with a pure heart and boyish charm. Keith's infectious smile affected everyone he knew and was clear evidence of the love he shared with his brother Robert, his sister Sarah and his mother and father. He was a caring man who inherited his mother's sensitivity and his father's sense of humor which gave him the ability to know no stranger and endear himself to everyone he met. In his spare time, Keith was the ultimate omni-sportsman, he specially enjoyed hunting and fishing with his family and friends. He had a special connection with children and used this gift in his work with the Big Brother/Big Sister Program in Fargo and was especially proud of his little brother, Cody. He was a member of St. John's Lutheran Church, Ryder, the Makoti American Legion William Hanson Post #230, the Enlisted Association of the Army National Guard and the Toby Keith Fan Club. He worked as a landscaper with Lowe's Garden Center in Minot with his cousin Jeff and many of his best friends for several summers. He also worked at the YMCA and Quizno's, both of Fargo. Survivors: his parents, Douglas and Charlotte Smette, Makoti; brother, Robert Smette, Makoti; sister, Sarah Smette, Madison, WI; grandparents, Leatha Smette, Granville, ND, Darrell (Lucille) Vaughn, Cleveland, TN, and Wanda (Charles) Mulligan, Makoti; aunts and uncles, Annella (Raymond) Miller, Deering, ND, Myron (Linda) Smette, Granville, Delila (Raymond) Miller, Oneida, TN, Donna (Kenneth) Grilley, Surrey, ND, Debbie (Gary) Stratton, Deering, Barbara (Charles) Peacock, North Richland Hills, TX, Elizabeth (Joe) Montoya, Austin, TX, and James (Becky) Vaughn, Cleveland, TN. Numerous cousins and relatives also survive. Funeral Service: Tuesday, February 3, 2004, 2:00 p.m., at North Shore High School in Makoti, ND. Visitation: Friends may sign the register on Sunday, February 1, 2004, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. at Thompson-Larson Funeral Home, Minot, and Monday, February 2, 2004, from 12:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Makoti American Legion Hall. Burial: Hope Lutheran Cemetery, Makoti, Memorial Day, 2004. Memorials are preferred to the Makoti American Legion William Hanson Post #230, St. John's Lutheran Church, Ryder, Calvary Presbyterian Church, Ryder or Big Brother / Big Sister Program in Fargo. Officiants: Chaplain Cpt. David Johnson, Rev. Charles Galloway, Rev. Jonathan Starks Music Active Pallbearers: Staff Sgt. Paul Stroklund (NCOIC) Honorary Bearers: Keith's cousins and friends Honor Guard and Flag Presentation Taps: Greg Petrick and Chase Karna |