May-June 2003

This is Tuesday the 27th of May 2003, we didn’t make it to the Frontier Mi. cemetery on Memorial day to clean up the graves of our family, but we plan on going down this Thursday to do that. Ardis's sister Evelyn wants to go with us, so be it. People reading this will think the old boy had a spurt of adrenalin to be able to congregate a few words so close to the dates of one another even though they mean practically nile it will give the reader a positive reaction of what's coming next, and that’s what this honorable declaration is all about, yeh, kilroy was here. Thought I would add a couple of current events while I am thinking about it, Deanna and Pat left for Montrose Colorado the 30th to visit Barb her old friend of school days, they flew to Denver and rented a car and drove the rest of the way, I called her a couple of times while they were in route on the highway ( Route 70 ) She told me the speed limit was 75 but still it took them 9 hr. to get there. Her cell phone was clear as a bell, amazing. We put 12 items on E-Bay for sale yesterday and one to-day. My thinker has thunk out again, However, I want you to know that I really appreciate you taking the time to read my autobiography, you know it certainly is not a thing of exhilarating beauty that forces your mind to adjust to the fact that the writer rarely knows what the next paragraph is going to be.>>>>>>>>>Kilroy was here!!! 6/ 3/ 03

May 2003

This is a current event that is worth mentioning, maybe because I was one of the individual's taking part in the maneuver. Bill Launtenslager, Al Cornwell and myself went on a fishing trip to Berrien Springs Mi. on the St. Joe river fishing for steelhead's, we left Marshall at 3:30 A.M. the 23rd of May and arrived there around 5:00. The captain of the boat we were on was a fellow by the name of Bob Warner, a very capable charter boat individual, we went up the river a couple mile, in fact it was just 24 mile from lake Michigan. We had fairly good luck as each one of us caught two fish with an average weight of 12 lb. each. Goooooooood eating.

Incidently, this is Memorial day weekend and Ardis is setting up her flea market extravaganza at Cornwell's Turkey farm and restaurant, she had made pretty good so far, has one more day to go..

We also received an e-mail from Dick Baker from Florida in answer to one I had sent him several weeks ago, he mentioned that it was or has been for a couple of weeks in the 90 degree temp. range .He and Norma Jean (my niece) live in Titusville, Fl. which is on the East Coast of Florida about 50 mile from our mobile home at Dade City.

Bill said he plans on going up to his cabin at Lovell to-day (Sat.) 25th of May to stay for five days then, coming home for a doctor’s appointment. He's having considerable problems with his lower back. I told him to tie up a big old gobbler for this fall hunt, it would be likely too that he would do that.

Carol's wedding is comming up fast, the 21st of June, we have all the presents; we shopped early for them. It is now 12.:01 Sunday the 26th of May 2003 and my thinker has tinkered out again, except I might mention my old barber (Bob Palmer) passed away this last week, he cut my hair for nearly 40 yrs.

he was 92 yrs old. I went to the family visiting afternoon session, saw Pappy Miller (Wayne) there, he's in pretty tough shape, but I believe he is 91, wow the year's are creeping up on us old farts.

For now, that's it I'm going to hit the sak I'll struggle up some more facts soon as they creep into my noggin. There's a lot of amendments to this thing, I hope the people that read it don't get squirmy and quit, probably would be best to start reading it after you have had a severe nervous breakdown and need the mother of all laugh's to regain composure to start living again.

May 2003

Yesterday was the 11th of may,2003, Dennis and Marge asked the whole family to come for dinner at 5:00. Ardis and I, Deanna and Pat, Jeanne and Perry, John and Carol, Nick and Karen all were there-----I took many pictures of the clan, all had a good time. Dennis has certainly made a lot of improvements to the woods around the house since he has retired, cleaning them out and cutting the brush etc.

Bill and I plus a friend of Bill's by the name of Pete Burrows went up to Bill's cabin at Lovell's turkey hunting May 4th and 5th and stayed for four days, did'nt see many birds this year and none to shoot.-----

The weather hasn’t cooperated yet to play any golf so loafing has been the agenda since returning from Florida----- I'm getting set to do a little fishing when the weather clears and gets warmer .

Ardis is all set to flea market this season again when the weather gets better, she will be going to Cornwell's and Thurston's probably all summer.

Well, I'll tell you now that the old thinker has thunk out for the time being, but when it become's connected again we'll spin out a few more facts. By the way the date is12th of May 2003 8:57 PM.

Kilroy was here>>>>>>>>>>!!

April 2003

This is the 19th day of April 2003, I will jot down some of the things that has happened this year, we had to wait until after Dec.14th (Karen's wedding) to get ready to leave for Florida, so we left the 19th and arrived the 21st of Dec.. Everything was hunky dory at the mobile home, the weather was perfect for about a month, then it got a little cold for a couple weeks, but all in all the weather was fine all during the time ( four months ) we stayed. I played golf on Mondays and Thursdays every week, in fact I had my best game ever, since I retired--- an astonishing 18-hole 76, not bad for a old f----- Eh!!!

Ardis hasn’t played for the last 2 yrs. because she says she can't hit the ball far enough. She got her exercise by walking about 2 to 3 mile a day.

Our old friends and my golfing buddy Jim Crane only played the two games a week that the Park had scheduled because of a serious brain tumor operation he had last summer, they removed a tumor the size of a golf ball from his brain at John Hopkins hospital in Maryland. It's amazing how fast he has recovered; however, he has problems and is under a doctor's care and will be for a long time.

We didn’t have any family come down this year. We did have some people visit, my niece Norma Jean and her husband Dick Baker came over from Titusville, Fl. over on the east coast , also, Helen Lyon came over for a few hours from her son's park just east of Dade City. We managed to eat out about once a week mostly at the Golden Corral in Dade City, they featured sirloin steak all you can eat every night.

We came home earlier than we had planned because of a Easter dinner the family had scheduled the 18^th of Dec. We started home the 15th on a Tuesday and arrived Thursday PM . It rained all day the 16^th making it tough driving, we stayed all night at La Grange, Ga. the first night and at Seymore, Ind. the second night then on home the third morning.

Outside of the fact that my mind can't seem to muster any more facts or fiction, I'll stop for the time being. Talk to you later.

Harriet E. Smith

Here's something that should be recorded in this report that has to do with my grandmother on dad’s side of the family, its her obituary.

Harriet E. Smith, daughter of Andrew and Elizabeth Kaneour was born in Cumberlain County, Pennsylvania November 30th 1847 and departed this life, Nov. 17 1937, aged 89 yrs.,11 months and17 days. In 1850 she with her parents and their family moved to Northwestern Ohio, where she made her home until about 1869. Feb. 14, 1867 she was united in marriage to John W. Smith and two yrs later moved Amboy Township Hillsdale County ,Michigan where she made her home until her death.

She was the last of a family of seven children. To this union were born four children. Her husband preceded her in death in 1885, leaving her care for the children in the early years of their life. Elizabeth passing away at 11 yrs. . She leaves to mourn their loss, two suns and one daughter, Jay of Frontier, Frank at home and Lettie Robinson of Hillsdale.,12 grandchildren, 25 great grandchildren, and seven great great grandchildren besides many neighbors and friends.

Granddaughters

This is the 25th of Nov. 2002 and I'm trying to think of something interesting to jot down, but can't get my mind in gear, will try later.

I mentioned somewhere back, my grandaughter's Carol and Karen. They are the love of our life and the only grandchildren we have and will probably ever have. Carol graduated from MSU and is now teaching music in Grand Rapids, Karen will be graduating this Dec. 2002 and then getting married the 14th of Dec 2002. Carol is planning on a June wedding. We have followed the girls through every phase of their education especially high school and college, I'm sure they will never forget the profitable handshakes that they so timely deserved on the high school plays and the college concerts.

It's getting quite late, 1:00 am and my thinker has thunk out so until next time. Kilroy was here>>>>>>>!!

Cabin In the U.P.

Somewhere along the line I failed to mention that I built a 12 X 12 hunting cabin in 1952 when we lived on West Hanover St. It was made in sections so it could be dismantled and reassembled in a matter of minutes. We took it several years on a trailer or pick-up into the UP deer hunting setting it up in many different locations until we met a old fellow one day in Paulding Mi. not very far from where we were hunting, he lived just outside Paulding and remarked that we could store the cabin in his barn for the summer instead of carting it back and forth every year, this we did, in fact I bought a acre of land from him and installed the cabin on it and put a permanent roof on the cabin and we used it for more than 20 years. The old fellows name was Paul Kaiser, he passed away at 94 years of age, I cut his hair every year before we left for home, I don't think he cut it until I got there every year. We hunted in a area that was called The Interior which produced many big bucks I got 20 in that area. Paulding is located on rte. 45 between Bruces Crossing and Waters Meet 600 miles from Marshall either around thr'u Chicago or over the Mackinac bridge in northern Michigan.

Just four miles east of Paulding is Bond Falls Basin a beautiful place to visit and see, the falls are second to Toquamin Falls in the eastern UP. Might mention here that before the Mackinac bridge was built, sometimes there would be ten or twelve miles of backup traffic waiting for the ferry's to catch up, taking five or six hours of waiting for your turn to get into the UP.

The date is Tuesday 29th of October, 2002 I believe that I have highlighted about most of the important occasions in my life so far. Maybe future generations will have a general idea of what old man Smith and his family was made of---just common honest endearing god-fearing people which you can find most anywhere on this green earth.

Today, we had a appointment with our attorney, Tom Plaising in Battle Creek to up date our living trust. Nothing had to be done regarding our move to the Condo, however, it is necessary to notify the banks that we are using to recognize our joint account status, which he will do. ( Oct. 30, 2002 ) Last up date was in Sept. 1992. Don't know yet about the next ten years, I'm willing!!!!!!! Be that as it may, I'm going to let things coast along for awhile until a world renowned Calendar of events open my brainwashed noggin to historical Smith recollections, whew, glad that’s out of the way.

>>>>>>>>

Just realized this is Armistice day, and I recall what one of the little things I accomplished 58 years ago to-day at a gloomy rainy muddy place called Arrow-court in France, I carved my initials and date on the steering wheel of my half track, however, the most important and exciting event that took place, we shot down a German Fouk Wolf fighter plane that came in straffing our position, he came directly over my track taking several rounds of 50 Cal. machine gun bullet's in his belly, he hit the ground about 200 yards from us disintegrating the plane and pilot. Other than that, it was just another ho hum boring war day.

Yesterday, Ardis went to Port Huron, Mi. with Dennis and Marge to a shower for Karen. Date 11/10/02

Bill Lautenslager called this morning, we will be going North to Lovell's deer hunting Thursday morning for a few days Date 11/11/02. Maybe, just maybe we will take a gun, don't do much trapsing thr'u the woods any more, feel that we have bagged our share of game anyway.

Until next time, on hold.

I should mention that on many of our vacation trips mainly the ones to Las Vegas and to Hawaii we went with our very good friends Art Merkle and wife Lou, Art was vice president of engineering at the company, we worked together for many years, not a nicer couple in the world>>>>>indisputable the most honorable scotch drinkers on earth.

As you can see, things keep cropping up now and then so will keep on putting them down, until later.