Louise Smith (neé Anderson), beloved mother, grandmother, aunt and friend, passed away peacefully on October 24, 2025. She was 92 years old. 

Louise was born and raised in Grantsburg, Wisconsin. She enjoyed small town life and was part of a lively group of six friends that remained close their entire lives. In the 1950s, Louise earned her RN degree at Bethesda School of Nursing in St. Paul, and married Tom Kempf. They settled in Oshkosh, Wisconsin in 1965, where she raised her daughters, Sherry and Beth, worked at Mercy Hospital and Bethel Home, and was an active member of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church. She and Tom divorced in 1975, and after a few years she met and fell in love with her second husband, Art Smith. Louise and Art loved getting dressed up and going out for dinner and dancing at least once a week at The Roxy, a popular bar in downtown Oshkosh. They married in 1984, kept dancing, and were very happy together in their house on Lake Winnebago until Art’s death in 1992.

Louise continued living in Oshkosh until she retired in 1998, and moved to St. Paul to be closer to her daughters and their growing families. She lived in a townhome on her own for 20 years, where she was a loving and caring grandmother. “Nana” was always up for having her grandkids visit for a few hours or a sleepover party. She kept her living room well stocked with toys, games and children’s books, and her kitchen with popcorn, candy and ice cream bars. Shortly after moving to St. Paul she joined Como Park Lutheran Church, where she was an active part of the weekly quilting group. She volunteered for three different St. Paul Public School programs—Expo Elementary, where three of her grandchildren attended; Creative Arts High School and the Multicultural Resource Center, both places where Sherry worked. Louise also volunteered in the gift shops at Como Park Conservatory and Lyngblomsten. 

In 2018 she moved to Lyngblomsten Senior Apartments, where she lived until her death. Louise loved baking and eating sweets, reading mysteries and People magazine, and doing all sorts of crafts. She specialized in cross stitch and needlepoint, and left many pieces for her family to cherish. She especially loved Christmas baking, and wasn’t ready for the Big Day until she had at least twelve different kinds of cookies stacked in roasting pans and plastic bins. Most of all, she loved spending time with her family and being closely involved in the lives of her children and grandchildren. She will be remembered for her love and caring, her quick laugh and wonderful sense of humor that remained sharp until the end of her life. 

Louise is preceded in death by her mother and father, Mabel and C. Alvin Anderson; her three sisters, Lorna, Loris and Lucille; her second husband, Art Smith; infant son, John Thomas; two stepsons, Jamie and Jerry Smith; and many good friends. She is survived by daughters Sherry Kempf (Ethan Bleifuss), Beth Black (Bruce); stepchildren Laurie Holmberg (Kurt), Paul Smith; grandchildren Maya, Ian, Sonja, Rui Rui, Ava, Paulina and Miranda; and many loving nieces and nephews. A celebration of life will be held on Saturday afternoon, November 22 at Lyngblomsten Chapel, 1455 Almond Ave., St Paul, MN 55108. Visitation 1:00, Memorial Service 2:00, Reception 3:00. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to Neighborhood House Food Shelf,

Lyngblomsten Foundation - Apartments, or Como Park Lutheran Church.