Lorraine Marian Smith, 90, Minot, formerly of the South Prairie area and long active in local and state Farmers Union activities died on Wednesday, August 12, 2009 in a Minot hospital.

Lorraine was born on January 1, 1919 in Minot, ND to Ernest and Tilda (Mostad) Smith. She was reared on a farm in the South Prairie area of Ward County, attended Freedom School #2 and graduated from Minot High School in 1936. She received her standard teaching certificate in 1938 and a Bachelor of Science degree in education in 1965 from Minot State College. As a young adult she was employed as an elementary school teacher for twenty years in North Dakota and Montana. Then, Lorraine returned to the family farm .5 miles east of South Prairie school in Freedom Township of Ward County. She was employed as a fieldworker and education director for the North Dakota Farmers Union for fourteen years and the Ward County Farmers Union for ten years. In addition, she did summertime field work for the National Farmers Union for several years. She retired in 1986.

Lorraine was a member of First Lutheran Church - Minot and Saron Lutheran Church - rural Minot. She was an active member and held leadership positions in the following organizations: Freedom Farmers Union, North Dakota Education Association, Church Women United, League of Women Voters, Democratic - NPL political party, AARP, Minot Area Retired Teachers Association, Delta Kappa Gamma, Dakota Resource Council, United Ostomy Club, South Prairie Hall Association, Ward County Historical Society and Mid Dakota Chapter of the American Red Cross. Lorraine was a pioneer member of the Verendrye Electric Cooperative, a charter member of the National Women's History Museum in Washington D.C., a Sons and Daughters of the Prairie member and contributed to the North Dakota Commission on the Status of Women.

Lorraine's hobbies and special interests included history and genealogy having researched and written several family and community histories that included publications, presentations and displays. Also, she enjoyed traveling, reading, writing and flower gardening and was a lover of cats. She was especially proud of her heritage and the pioneer beginnings of her family in Freedom Township and South Prairie.

Lorraine's surviving family includes her sister: Doris Smith, niece: Mary (Chester) Smith and nephew: Gary (Kim) Nielsen all of Minot; nephew: Jeffrey (Kathy) Nielsen of Hazen; several grand nieces and grand nephews and numerous cousins.

Lorraine was preceded in death by her parents and a sister Evelyn Nielsen.

Funeral Service: Tuesday, August 18, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. in First Lutheran Church - Minot.
Interment will be in Rosehill Memorial Park - Minot.
Visitation: Monday from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in Thomas Family Funeral Home - Minot.
Memorials are preferred to an organization of the donors choice.