George Smtih

George L. Smith, age 82, of Elk City, Kansas passed away Monday, November 17, 2008 at the Wesley Medical Center in Wichita, Kansas. Cremation has taken place under the direction of the Potts Chapel in Independence, Kansas. Private services are to be held at an unannounced time. George was born in August of 1926 to George B. and Lola Smith of Miltonvale, Kansas and had received his primary education there. Upon High School graduation he joined the US Navy and served in World War II in the Pacific, Aleutians and Panama Canal theaters. After his discharge in 1946 he served in the Naval Reserve. He attended Kansas State University on a football scholarship and graduated in 1950 from Kansas State in Jounalism. George married Elizabeth J. Smith in 1950 and two sons were born to them. His career was in the field of communication and he served as Chief Editor of the Kansas Farmer Magazine until retiring in 1982. His career was filled with many highlights such as National President of the Agricultural Editors Association. In 1971 he was part of a team sent to Europe to study the European Common Market, spending time in four countries. George worked most of his life advancing horse racing in Kansas and served as Executive Director of the Kansas Thoroughbred Association for 19 years. He was a member of Countryside Methodist Church, VFW and NRA. His survivors include; wife Jodi of their home, son Scott of Elk City, son Matt and wife Sharon of Independence, two grandsons Chad and Eric, four great grandchildren, and his brother Jim and fam