Aleta Bartunek Smith passed away peacefully at her son's home in Spring, Texas on August, 7, 2007 after a lengthy illness with COPD and Cancer.

Memorial services will be 10:00 a.m. Saturday, August 18 at Brosh Chapel in Cedar Rapids, with inurnment in Czech National Cemetery.  Visitation will be will be from 5 to 7 pm Friday August 17th at Brosh Chapel in Cedar Rapids.

Aleta was born January 22, 1937 to Vincent Bartunek and Blanche Kobalek Bartunek.  She attended school in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City and married Donald Dean Smith in 1957.  Moving to Decorah in 1959, they had three children, Mark, Cheryl, and Jay, they later divorced.

Aleta served her family and community by volunteering as a parent leader with the Girl Scouts of America, Cub Scouts, and Decorah Kilties Drum and Bugle Corps.  She taught Sunday school at the First Methodist Church of Decorah and later worked for the Decorah Chamber of Commerce.  In addition to her family, her personal interests included traveling, canoeing, the beach, family pictures, jigsaw puzzles, animals and making people laugh.

After moving to Dubuque in 1974, Aleta was employed at the John Deere Works Engineering Division until her retirement in 1998 whereupon she relocated to the Houston, Texas area.

Aleta is survived by her son and daughter in law, Jay and Heidi Smith of Spring, Texas; her son and daughter in law, Mark and Darlene Smith of Canton, Connecticut;  her daughter Cheryl Balster of Swisher; Iowa,  grandchildren Jay, Christina, Michelle, Danielle, Evan and Ashley;  brothers Vince Bartunek and his wife Donna of Hot Springs Village, Arkansas, Robert Bartunek and his wife Helen of Naples, Florida and sister Helenka Claypool of Williamsburg. She is also survived by extended family members Kevin Mott and family,

Aleta was preceded in death by her parents, special friend Ken Mott and his daughter Kenya, her former husband and several beloved pets including two poodles, both named Max.

Memorials may be directed to the family.