Newell Smeby, 88, died Tuesday, May 3, 2011 at Sanford Medical Center, Thief River Falls, MN.

Funeral service will be at 2 PM, Friday, May 6, 2011 at Johnson Funeral Service, Thief River Falls, MN with Reverend Raynard Huglen officiating. Burial will be at Oak Grove Cemetery, Newfolden, MN.

Visitation will be Friday from 1-2 PM at Johnson Funeral Service, Thief River Falls.

Newell Vernon Smeby was born January 16, 1923 at home in Newfolden, MN, the son of Martin and Mathilda (Ostby) Smeby. He was confirmed and baptized at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Newfolden. He attended elementary school and graduated from Newfolden High School in 1941 and then started at St. Olaf College. He graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1948. For a limited time he served in the Merchant Marines and the U.S. Army.

On June 17, 1944, Newell was united in marriage to his high school sweetheart, Eloise Johnson at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Newfolden. They lived in Newfolden for a couple of years after marriage. He worked for 6 years in the hardware business in Newfolden, MN, then taught science at Nevis, MN from 1955-1957, at North Branch, MN from 1957-1958, Glenwood, MN from 1958-1960 and then for 15 years, 1960-1975, at Rochester, MN. He retired from teaching in 1975. Starting in 1975, he worked at Doppler Gear Cutting in Minneapolis, MN and retired to Nevis in 1990. The couple moved to Walker, MN, where they lived at May Creek Lodge from 2007-2010, then they moved to Greenleaf in Thief River Falls in 2010.

Newell loved the outdoors where he enjoyed fishing, hunting and snowmobiling. He was a member of the Elks, active in the MN Education Association and the National Science Foundation.

He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Eloise, Thief River Falls, MN and a son, Mark, Washington, DC.

Newell was preceded in death by a daughter, Jane Smeby, his parents, a sister, Marie Jackson, a brother, Marvin and an infant brother and sister.