Nancy Rae Smith

 Nancy Rae (Cardinal) Smith, 62, of rural Alda, NE, peacefully passed on Tuesday, August 27th, 2024, at CHI Health St. Francis in Grand Island, NE. She fought a 13-month battle of pancreatic cancer with the assistance of the staff at St. Francis and the Cancer Center of North Florida. She recently was able to attend the 100th birthday celebration of her mother, Ann Cardinal, in Maple Grove, MN. It is believed that she considered that celebration, her life celebration also, as it was well attended by her family. Nancy will enjoy a final resting place in Hickory Grove Cemetery, in rural Jasper County, IA, where her and Toney were wed. A celebration of life will be 1-3 p.m. at the Fraternal Order of Eagles in Grinell, IA on Sunday, September 22, 2024. Inurnment with military honors will follow at 4 p.m. Memorials are suggested to the family to be designated at a later date. Apfel Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements, online condolences may be left at www.apfelfuneralhome.com. 

 Nancy was born on February 10, 1962, at Chisholm, MN to Arthur and Ann (Rewertz) Cardinal. She graduated from Chisholm High School in 1980 and then attended Hibbing Community College, where she completed the Minnesota Law Enforcement POST Training in 1982. She was too young to be hired as a police officer in Minnesota, so she joined the U.S. Army in 1982, completed Military Police training, and was assigned to the 988th Military Police Company in Ft. Benning, GA. There, she met, and married her best friend, Anthony (Toney) Smith, in 1983. And they said it wouldn’t last… This union bore two fine sons: Zackery and Zane Smith. After an assignment to Hawaii, Nancy served in the Army Reserves in Iowa and eventually in the California National Guard. She did this all while completing her BA in public administration from San Diego State University, where she would graduate summa cum laude, and still made sure to support their young family in San Diego, CA. 

 As the youngest of eight, seven girls, Nancy found that being the wife and mother of three males was a big challenge. Nancy was also a mail carrier in San Diego, while applying for a special agent position in U.S. Immigration. She eventually became a Supervisory Officer and travelled the world, reuniting people with their homelands. Nancy enjoyed traveling and visited many domestic and international locations, with Toney, or often, with her sisters. She loved adventure and activities. She was an avid walker, played many racket and paddle sports, and was a voracious reader. Nancy touched the lives of many and will be missed by many more than she could have imagined, as she was a special, smart, and caring person.

 She is survived by her loving husband; sons: Zackery Smith, USAF(Ret), of WV, and Lt. Zane Smith, USN, of CA; grandsons: Zackery of OH, Cayden and Bradley of D.C.; brother, Mike (Mary Jo) Cardinal of MN; sisters: Jo Ann Jones of MN, Dodie Cardinal of VA, and Peggy (Mark) Gortze of MN; and many nieces, nephews, brothers and sister in-laws, and their families.

 Nancy is preceded in death by her father; three sisters: Darlene, Debbie, and Janet; and brothers-in-law: Walter Jones and Ted Manis.