- Date Of Birth: December 30, 1923
- Date Of Death: August 23, 2013
- State: Colorado
Melford I. Smith, 89, passed away August 23, 2013 in Canon City, CO. The son of Arthur W. and Ada (Haines) Smith, he was born December 30, 1923, in Franklin County Nebraska. Melford was united in marriage to Phyllis Wistrand on January 28, 1945. He worked in heavy construction, building roads, bridges, and irrigation ditches in Nebraska. Later, Melford worked as an Inspector for the Army Corps of Engineers on power lines throughout Colorado. He also worked on the construction of the Turquoise Lake Dam near Leadville, and the Trinidad Dam in southern Colorado. In 1983, Melford retired and moved to Canon City. He enjoyed RVing, camping, fishing, and 4-wheeling in his 1966 Ford Bronco, aka “Trusty Rusty”. He also enjoyed gardening, crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, and was an avid reader of westerns by Zane Grey and Louis L’Amour. Mr. Smith is survived by his daughters, Vicky (Jim) Murphy of Canon City, and Sherry (Tim) Eager of Cheyenne, WY; grandchildren, Sean (Stacy) Murphy of Canon City, Mindy Murphy of Denver, Kandi (Philip) Busby of Loveland, CO, Dee Anne Eager of Cheyenne, WY, Caitlin (Dustin) Alexander of Littleton, CO, Jared Murphy of Missoula, MT, and Tyson (May) Eager of Ft. Walton Beach, FL; and great grandchildren, Seth and Lorelai Murphy, Elum Busby, Aspen and Malakai Murphy, Calvin Alexander, and Eli Cortes (Eager). He is also survived by his brother, Everett Smith of Canon City; sister, Rosalie (Pat) Schachterle of Vancouver, WA; and sister-in-law, Mary Kay Smith of Shawnee Mission, KS. He was preceded in death by his wife of 57 years, Phyllis; son, Steven Melford Smith; his parents; sister, Lydia Whyman; brother, Newton Smith; and sister-in-law, Ione Smith.
