James Edward Smith

Private graveside services are pending for James E. Smith of Roseau.

James Edward Smith passed away at Roseau, MN, on August 3, 2018.  He was born on May 21, 1938, to Charles “Eddie” Smith and Alice (Carver) Smith at Graceville, MN.  By 1940 they lived in Wilmot, SD, where they resided until the untimely death of his father in 1954.  Shortly after, he moved with his mother to Roseau where they had Carver and Adams relatives.  Jim’s grandpa J.J. Adams was the owner and publisher of the Roseau Times, which his sons Jim and Bill Adams operated until their deaths. 

Jim graduated with the Roseau Class of 1956.  After high school, he joined the US Navy and faithfully served his country as a crew chief for a jet aircraft on an aircraft carrier.  Following his service years, he enrolled at South Dakota State University for a course in colored printing.  His career in printing consisted of working for Polaris and Arctic Cat, and working for companies in Minneapolis, St. Cloud and Portland, Oregon area. 

Upon retirement, he moved to the Yuma, AZ, area and worked for the Parks Servicer in their retail shops at the Grand Canyon and other areas.  He later worked at Wall Drug for two summers in their camera department, returning to the Grand Canyon to be a photographer for helicopter rides.  After living in other locations for brief periods of time, he returned to Roseau, MN.

James was very fond of dogs, and had a series of terriers named Sparky, 1, 2, and 3, who were his faithful companions wherever he lived.  He enjoyed fishing, hunting, and targeting shooting.

He was preceded in death by his father, mother and sister, Mary Alice.  He is survived by a cousin Laurel Foss of Watertown, SD, a cousin Steve Atkins, and the Whipple family in Wilmot, SD. He “adopted” the Whipples as family, as his mother’s half-brother, Bill Adams and Frank Whipple Jr. were life-long best friends.

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