Ina Mae Elaine Smith

Ina Mae Smith, age 91, of Portland, passed away peacefully after a brief illness on Wednesday morning, July 15, 2015 at West Hills Care Center. Ina was born on February 20, 1924 in Mayville, North Dakota as the youngest child of Oscar and Ella (Teigland) Berg. Her father died when Ina was a young girl, and her mother supported the family by running a successful boarding house in Mayville, across the street from Mayville State Teachers College. Among the roomers was Ina’s future husband Byron Smith, whom she met when she was seventeen while working at the boarding house. After graduating from Mayville High School in 1942, Ina entered the newly established U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps at the Kahler School of Nursing in Rochester, Minnesota as her way of helping with the war effort. She graduated in 1946 as an R.N. Ina and Byron were married on July 14, 1945, immediately before Byron was deployed to England as a member of the Medical Administrative Corps. The end of World War II brought his return, and the couple settled in Boulder, Colorado, where Byron graduated with a degree in pharmacy from the University of Colorado, while Ina fulfilled her government obligation by working as a nurse. Byron’s career brought them to Portland, Oregon, where he joined Good Samaritan Hospital in 1953 as staff pharmacist. Meanwhile, Ina and Byron had started a family with the birth of son Gary in 1950, followed by daughters Peggy, Pamela, and Barbara and second son Eric. The family first lived in NW Portland, primarily Willamette Heights, then in SW Portland near the Hoyt Arboretum, and finally in Sherwood, Oregon. After taking an R.N. refresher course, Ina returned to the nursing profession in 1966, working at Physicians and Surgeons Hospital in Portland as a Head Nurse and, later, as Nursing Supervisor. She retired in 1986. In their 60s, Ina and Byron took up and enjoyed running. As one of three women in her age group, Ina competed in and placed in numerous regional races. When their running days were over, they continued their outdoor exercise in the form of lengthy daily walks with their family dog -- in succession, the miniature dachshunds Max, Blitz, and Sam. Ina enjoyed reading, especially history, political autobiographies, and cookbooks of all kinds. She had a green thumb and was particularly successful with orchids. Ina valued family gatherings and had a unique ability to connect with each of her children, whose individual qualities she enjoyed unconditionally. Ina is preceded in death by husband E. Byron Smith, infant son Bruce Byron, and brothers Jerome Berg and Ancil Berg. She is survived by son Gary Smith of Eagle Creek; daughters Peggy Smith of Sherwood, Pamela Smith of Denver, CO, and Barbara Smith (Norm Watt) of Northfield, MN; and son Eric Smith (Sue) and granddaughter Elizabeth Smith of Murietta, CA. The Smith family would like to thank the staffs of West Hills Retirement Community and Legacy Meridian Park Medical Center for their excellent care of Ina.