Katherine Sue Irene Smith

 

Kathryn Sue Larson Smith married Jack Smith in 1946. They lived at the Larson ranch for a short time and then moved to Malta, Montana. She continued nursing at the Malta Hospital most of her life. Jack worked at a couple ranches until they had their own ranch in the Larb Hills.

Sue Smith, age 69 died Tuesday, May 31, 1994 at the Phillips County Hospital. Sue was born June 18, 1924 in Medicine Hat, Alberta to Walter C and Marjorie Perrin Larson and was raised on the Larson Ranch on the Frenchman River in southern Saskatchewan. She completed her 12th grade education through home schooling and took additional courses at the Val Marie convent.

In May of 1946 Sue graduated from the Medicine Hat Hospital School of Nursing. On August 28, 1946 she married Jack Smith. She worked as a registered nurse at the Notre Dame Hospital Val Marie until August of 1948 when she and Jack moved to the Malta area.

They were employed at various ranches and Sue worked at the Servant Memorial Hospital in Malta. In 1952 JJ and Sue bought a ranch in the Larb Hills and that was home to them for many years. She worked part-time and full-time at the Malta/Phillips County Hospital from 1954 to March 1992 and was director of nurses for many of these years.

Sue served as past-secretary for the Beaver Creek Roping Club, the Montana High School Rodeo Association, and numerous rodeos in the area. In her spare time she enjoyed her grandchildren, knitting, puzzles and visiting with her many friends and former patients. She died of cancer in Malta in May, 1994. Having worked at the Malta Hospital she had touched the lives of almost everyone in the county and beyond. J.J. Smith passed away a few years later. John Joseph “J.J.” Jack Smith, 86 years, a veteran of World War II in the Canadian army and retired rancher and cattle buyer, died Sunday, July 29 of natural causes at the Hi-Line Retirement Center.

J.J. was born January 28, 1921 in Lone Pine, Saskatchewan, Canada, the son of Charles and Annie Smith. He grew up in Southern Saskatchewan during the depression and attended school in Reliance through the 8th grade. He worked at various ranch jobs in the area, mostly for his brother Charlie. He joined the Canadian Army in 1942: He served during WWII in France, Belgium, Holland, German and Austria.

After discharge he married Kathryn I Sue Larson on August 28, 1946 in Swift Current. For a while he worked for her dad Walt Larson before immigrating to the United States in 1948. J.J. worked for various ranches in the Malta area until buying a ranch in the Larb Hills area in southern Phillips County, which he often referred to as the greatest cattle Country anywhere. After selling the ranch in 1968, JJ and Sue moved to Malta and he produced Rodeos and bought cattle. JJ was known for his love and respect of animals and his generosity towards everyone, especially children. JJ helped build the last Creek Hall and the first Trafton Park Arena.

They had two children: Patti Sue and Todd. Patti Sue married Dennis Haser and that amarriage ended in divorce. She remarried Fred Petersen and they live in Torrington, Wyoming. She worked as a veterinary Technician at the Community College until she retired in mid 2016. they have two children Josey and Whit, both grown as off 2017. Both return home in late 2-16 to help on the ranch as Fred was struggling with Cancer.

Todd Smith continues to live in Malta. He married Carol and they have two children Katie and John. Carol works at the post office and Todd has been a welder for a good share of his adult life. A year ago he returned from a job near Cut Bank to work for the irrigation district in Phillips County. Katie has a little girl Sadie. They also live in Malta.