Larry Anthony Smetak was born on October 20, 1945, to Andrew and Garnet (Briske) Smetak in Phillips, WI. He was the 6th of 7 children born to second-generation Czech immigrants. He was born into a non-religious home, yet by the age of 7, he was presented with a clear salvation message and encouraged to attend church by his two older sisters. He attended Lugerville School until 8th grade and then Phillips High School, graduating in 1963. He was the first of his family to graduate from college. Larry attended Pillsbury Baptist Bible College in Owatonna, MN, where he would make the two most important decisions of his life:  accepting Jesus Christ as his personal Savior and meeting the love of his life, Vera Cook. They were married in Wessington Springs, SD in 1969. Larry graduated from Central Seminary in Minneapolis. He began his pastoral ministry in various churches in Minnesota (Glencoe, Garden City, Lincoln, and Laporte). During this time, he also earned a Master of Divinity degree. They moved West to Douglas, WY, where Larry and Vera taught, and he was the principal in a Christian school. During this time, he finished his Doctor of Theology degree. He later taught in Commerce City, CO at a Christian school. The family moved back to Minnesota and Larry became director at Camp Jim (Jesus is Mine) near Brainerd, MN. He returned to pastoral ministry in Hutchinson, MN, and later started a church in Redwood Falls, MN. He concluded his ministry years pastoring a church in St. James, MN, retiring from ministry at age 65, due to his heart condition.

Larry and Vera moved to Balsam Lake, WI in 2014 and served at First Baptist Church in Milltown, WI in various volunteer ministries and filled pulpit in WI and MN churches. He always enjoyed children’s ministries, often writing skits, plays, and tracts, including VBS with fun themes, camps, Bible clubs, and puppet skits with Vera.

Some of his keen personal interests were spending time playing games with grandkids, fishing, history (mainly Civil War), sports (exclusively, the renowned Green Bay Packers), writing articles, and of course gardening. While in Balsam Lake, he was involved in the Polk County Museum and Pioneer School and he also enjoyed traveling and sharing presentations about Abraham Lincoln.

Larry went peacefully to be with Jesus on February 4, 2025, after a long 14-year battle with heart disease. He was preceded in death by his parents, a sister, Virginia Christianson, and two brothers, William and Donald. He is survived by his wife, Vera, daughter, Laurie (Daniel Vugteveen), sons Mark (Laura), Michael (Natalie), and Mathew (Tiffany), siblings, Antoinette Samuel (Roger), Jerry, Leslie (Karey), Miles Christianson, and Rose Smetak, along with 13 wonderful grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews. He will be dearly missed by his loving family and friends.

Celebration of Life will be held at First Baptist Church, Milltown, Wisconsin, on Saturday, February 22, 2025, at 12 Noon. Visitation will be held at the church from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Please join the family for lunch in the fellowship hall following the service.

Last Update: Feb 07, 2025 1:18 pm CST