Rev. Rolland Smith

Rev. Rolland C. Smith, 91, of Sebring died Monday, November 17, 2008 at Crandall Medical Center. He was born in Beloit on November 7, 1917, the first of twelve children of the late James Corbit and Isabella (Cobbs) Smith. Rolland graduated from Beloit High School in 1936 and attended Alliance High School to take night school typing, he attended Cleveland Bible College from 1937-38, the Kentucky Bible Institute from 1939-40 and the Cleveland Bible College from 1942-45 receiving his Th.B. degree and attended the Canadian Summer Institute of Linguistics in 1946. He was ordained August 25, 1951, at the Ohio Yearly Meeting of the Friends Church, he received a certificate of merit on April 29, 1989 from the Malone College Alumni and published a book in August of 2002 called “Answering God’s Call” that tells about his years in Canada. Rev. Smith served for 12 years on Faith and donations as a Missionary to the Indians of Canada, he organized the Northland Indian Mission and built a Mission Office on Main Street in Peace River, Alberta. He remodeled old mud-chinked log cabins for use as a Mission School that became the hamlet of Little Buffalo Lake, Alberta. The stress was eventually too much for Rolland and his wife Thelma, their Canadian doctors sent them back to Ohio to finish out their lives, but God had other plans. He served as pastor of several United Church of Christ churches; Westville in Beloit from 1958-61, the Cairo from 1961-64, a four church charge that included Somerset, OH, Bremen, OH, Thornsville, OH and Glenford, OH, from 1964-67 he also served at Hollansburg OH, from 1967-1970 and a two church charge from 1970-76 at Mineral City and Dover OH. Rolland retired on April 18, 1976. After they left Canada, Rolland continued to lobby the government in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada for money to operate the Little Buffalo School and other schools in the bush. The Alberta government eventually set up the Northland School Division #61, which paid in full the cost of the Little Buffalo School and the schools in 27 other bush communities that needed schools. Rolland married Thelma Clara Myers on June 7, 1942 in the Alliance Friends Church she preceded him in death on December 8, 2001 he is survived by three sons; Rolland Thomas Smith of North Grafton, MA, Daniel Francis Smith of Suffolk, VA, and Samuel Allen Smith of Canton, OH, six grandchildren; Teresa Ann (Smith) Campbell, Mark Andrew Smith, Jennifer Lee Smith, Andrea Smith-Roher, Gregory Alan Smith, Samantha Jo Smith, five great grandchildren; Hannah, Jordan and Nathaniel Campbell, Hawke Smith and Isaiah Kaw. He is also survived by: three brothers J. Paul Smith, David Smith and Herbert A. Smith all of Alliance and five sisters: Mrs. Ralph (Gladys) Ritchie of Alliance, Mrs. Harold (Evelyn) Shreve of Beloit Mrs. Russell (Dorothy) Chapman of Beloit, Mrs. Arthur (Patsy) Ruhl-Rhome of Alliance and Mrs. William (Rose Marie) Hughes of North Port FL, and many nieces and nephews. Rolland was preceded in death by his parents, wife, a grandson Robert T “Rob” Smith on Jan. 19, 1999, Two Sisters; Marie Smith on July 19, 1933, Mary (Smith) Spencer January 29, 2004 and a brother Robert Thomas Smith on January 19, 1999. A Funeral Service will be held Thursday at Bennett Chapel at Copeland Oaks in Sebring at 3:00 PM with Rev. Jeffrey Davis and Rev. David Parry officiating. Friends may call at Gednetz-Ruzek Funeral Home from 2-8 PM with the family present from 6-8 on Wednesday, November 19th. A Graveside Service will be at 10:00 AM, Thursday at Quaker Hill Cemetery in Sebring. Memorial contributions can be made in Rev. Smith’s honor to the Life Care Fund c/o Copeland Oaks 800 S. 15th Street Sebring, OH 44672. Friends may send condolences and sign the guest register online at www.grfuneralhome.com arrangements are by Gednetz-Ruzek Funeral Home, Sebring.

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