Michael B. Smith of Nederland, Colorado, died at the Life Care Center of Longmont of Parkinson’s and Post Polio Syndrome on September 21, 2021. He was born June 27, 1935, in Boulder, Colorado, to Joseph M. Smith and Irene (Titterington) Smith. He lived in Gold Hill, Colorado, until he was five years old when he moved to Boulder.
He went to kindergarten at the University Hill Elementary and was rescued by CU students when he fell off the famous campus Little Bridge on his way to school. He was attending Mapleton Elementary when he rode his sled down 9th St and under an old car without injury. The family moved to Nederland in 1946 where he attended school until graduation from Nederland High in 1953.
In 1949 he contracted polio. His mother said that her best Christmas was the one her son, Mike, walked again. She also said, “In those days, if a kid lived through polio, it was a miracle.” Mike spent many months recovering in Denver Children’s Hospital.
After graduation he attended CU for a year. He joined the Colorado US Army National Guard in 1954 with four summers of camp at Fort Carson Army base. He received his discharge in 1962.
September 12, 1954, he married Jeannette McDonald at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Boulder.
Mike worked at many different mines including Cold Springs, Bluebird, Conger, Black Rose, Cross, Emancipation, Dew Drop, Boulder County Tunnel Mine at Cardinal, Long Shot, Eureka, Tungsten Mill, Rambler, Cash, Vasco 6, Oxbow, Sheila Marie Tungsten on Sugarloaf Road. He worked on the Moffat Tunnel water line system. In 1960 he was a carpenter working in construction in Boulder, Denver, and Ft. Collins until retirement in 2000.
Mike competed in mining contests and won several: 1st place at the 1972 World Championship Single Jack Drilling held at the National Western Mining Conference in the Hilton hotel in Denver; 1st place World Champion in Carson City, Nevada, Oct 30,1975; 2nd in 1976. He was All-Around Miner in Creed, Colorado, 1976.
Mike helped set up and participated in the Nederland Mining celebrations for 30 years. He made the arm wrestling table for the events. He made the hard rock mining steels that are displayed in the Nederland Mining Museum. Mike is featured as the hard rock miner of gold, silver, and tungsten in the mountain tapestry mural of culture and ethnicity hanging in the Nederland Elementary School. He received an award from the Nederland Community Center board on February 24, 2007.
In 1979 Mike sawed through two layers of siding to make a window opening on the east side of St. Rita’s Church. Charla Hathaway and Bill Fletcher designed and built the window. Mike built the siding around it to finish it.
He said raising six children with Jeannette was the thing that gave him the most happiness in this life. If ever out of work, he sold firewood. Before St. Rita had year-round services, he drove his family to Central City or Boulder for Sunday mass. He attended each child’s baptism, first communion, and confirmation. Every Easter he was with his family for mass.
In 1989 Mike put in a big vegetable garden on the south of his property which he maintained until 2010. He taught his grandsons how to plant a vegetable garden in the mountains. His most memorable fishing experience was a trip to go salmon fishing in Alaska. His most memorable hunting experience was bringing home a 7-point elk.
Mike is survived by his wife, Jeannette, and five children: Joseph Smith (Sally), Jim Smith, Diane Motz (Skip), Peter Smith (Becky), Sheila Ranegar (Edward). Sister Margaret Ann Johnson in Columbia Ralls, Montana. Daughter-in-law Ressa Smith. Grandchildren: Jeremiah Ranegar (Caitlin), Luke Ranegar (Dani), Emily Trenum (John), Madeline Smith, Ashton Smith, and Anastasia Snelling. Great grandchildren: Grayson Ranegar, Adilynn Ranegar, Liliana Trenum and Chloe Trenum.
Mike was preceded in death by his stepbrother, Bonn Smith, in 1943; his father, Joseph Smith, February 12,1981; his mother, Irene Smith, October 5, 1981; his son, Mark Smith, February 10, 2019.
There will be a celebration of life Sunday, June 26, 2022, potluck in Nederland, Colorado, at Chipeta Park.
