Fayte and Nettie Smith picture, Picture is believed to be taken about 1943
1954 = Valvin Michael Smith death notice
1954 = Valvin Michael Smith Obituary
Monday, August 24, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
Family Photos of the Ernest Brower and David Smith
1940 = Ernest and Ezila Brower family picture.
1943 = David and Rosie Smith family picture
Front Row left to right = Norma Ray, Beulah Malm, David Smith, Harvey Smith in front of David, Rosie Sheppard Smith, Vera Stewart
Back Row left to right = Reid Smith, Elwin Smith, Norris Smith. Carroll Smith, Doyle Smith.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Heber Chase Smith Death Certificate and Head Stone Photo
1921 = A record of Heber Chase Smith's Death recorded in the family history special collections files.
1921 = A picture of Heber Chase & Amanda Jane Wiser Smith's head stone located in the Ashton/Marysville cemetery.
1921 A closeup picture of Heber Chase & Amanda Jane Wiser Smith's head stone located in the Ashton/Marysville cemetery
1921 = A picture of Heber Chase & Amanda Jane Wiser Smith's head stone located in the Ashton/Marysville cemetery.
1921 A closeup picture of Heber Chase & Amanda Jane Wiser Smith's head stone located in the Ashton/Marysville cemetery
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
My Grandparents, Caroll LaGrand Smith and Ruby Elizabeth Nielsen Smith
Carroll LaGrand Smith and Ruby Elizabeth Nielsen Smith married August 19, 1941 in Idaho Falls, Bonneville Idaho
Around 1945 and during World War II, Carroll LaGrand Smith was drafted to the Army in Fort Douglas Utah and was trained and stationed in Texas during his service he left the Army to join the Air Force. Because of a leg injury during maneuvers he was unable to be shipped out with his company to fight in the war. This injury probably saved his life. His whole company was killed in a attack shortly after their deployment. Carroll was called an told that he was the only remaining survivor of his company.
Around 1945 and during World War II, Carroll LaGrand Smith was drafted to the Army in Fort Douglas Utah and was trained and stationed in Texas during his service he left the Army to join the Air Force. Because of a leg injury during maneuvers he was unable to be shipped out with his company to fight in the war. This injury probably saved his life. His whole company was killed in a attack shortly after their deployment. Carroll was called an told that he was the only remaining survivor of his company.
December 1977
This picture reminds me of when Grandpa purchased his toupee, or as we knew it his hair hat. For some reason it bothered him that he was going bald. I hated his hair hat and remember having Monty help me hide it all the time or I would remind grandpa that he should take his hat off in the house and that the rule is for hair hats too. Grandpa would chuckle and say love my paperweight (my nickname).
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Photo of Heber Chase Smith and Marysville Store in Idaho
1916= Heber Chase Smith that was sent to Joe Stewart by Betty Brower Albertson. This picture is estimated to have been taken about 1916.
1920= Marysville Store in Idaho. Fate Smith and Zina Brower are the two people standing in front of the store.
1920= Marysville Store in Idaho. Fate Smith and Zina Brower are the two people standing in front of the store.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Pictures Featuring the Reid Smith Family
Three pictures featuring the Reid Smith family. These picture are taken from the DVD sent to Joe Stewart by Anne Bailey.
1956 picture of Reid Smith and his parents.
1956 picture of Reid Smith, his Mom and Collins arm.
1956 picture of Reid & Rhea Smith and Collins.
1956 picture of Reid Smith and his parents.
1956 picture of Reid Smith, his Mom and Collins arm.
1956 picture of Reid & Rhea Smith and Collins.
Vera Smith Stewart Memories of David and Rosie Smith
1912 = Vera Smith Stewart's personal history before her married life began. Joe Stewart does have her history for the rest of her life but did not send it at this time.
VERA AMANDA SMITH
Birth to Marriage history
Written by Joseph S Stewart 1986 to 1993
Vera Amanda Smith is the oldest daughter and third child of David Amanuel Smith and Rosie Sheppard. She was born 2 May 1912 at her parent’s home located in Darby Canyon, Teton county, Idaho. She had seven brother and two sisters. The photo is of Vera A Smith in 1914.
Vera's parents were employed mostly in agriculture and hauling freight while they were starting their family. They moved several times while having and raising the family. In 1913 the family moved from Darby Canyon to Marysville, Idaho where David Smith was employed hauling freight for the construction of the Jackson lake dam Located near Moran, Wyoming. David also acquired part interest in a forty acre farm in partnership with his brother Michael.
David sold his interest of the farm to his brother and bought a forth acre farm for the Smith family in Cache, Teton, Idaho for $50 per acre.
In 1919 David sold the Cache farm for $100 per acre and bought a two hundred forty acre dry farm located in Bitch Creek, Teton County, Idaho for $50 per acre. The family was unable to make a living farming this dry farm land and lost their investment during the next three year.
Some of the first memories that Vera has of her childhood are when she was seven years of age just starting school. Her mother was very concerned for Vera's safety because of the distance to and from school and would not allow her to attend school regularly. The Smith family had just move to the Bitch Creek farm which was located near Tetonia. The kids had to travel to Judkin to attend school. The Teton valley land was not completely settled and there was some fear of unknown people who wandered through the back trails. Vera was not promoted to the second grade at the end of the school year because of her poor attendance.
David built a horse drawn surrey for the kids to drive to and from school. His father had owned and operated a black smith shop and David had been trained in those skills. The kids used the Surrey to ride to school during the spring and fall. During the winter months they used a bob sled that was pulled by a team of horses. Vera remembers that on one of these trips to school they tipped the bob sled over which dumped them all out in the snow drifts. They got up brushed themselves off, turned the sled back on its runners, and proceeded on their way to school.
While the Smith family lived at the Bitch Creek farm, Vera had a couple of accidents that she remembers. One time she was playing in the hay loft of the barn and she fell through an opening in the floor of the hay loft. On the way down, she caught a nail that was sticking out from a board with the corner of her eye and tore a gash in her temple. Another time she just about got one of her fingers chopped off. One of her brothers was trying to chop wood with a hatchet. He missed the block of wood and hit her finger instead. The finger was not lost and has been normal except for the scar that is still visible.
3 July 1920 Vera was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. The baptism took place in an irrigation canal. Two other boys were baptized the same day. Vera was frightened after being dunked under the water and ran off down the road as soon a she could get out of the canal.
One day Vera's sister Beulah ran into the house very excited repeating the words "Clip Peasa". Rosie went back out side with her to see what was causing the excitement. Rosie found the family pony, whose name was Clip, standing on the crotch of Norris's trousers. Norris was unable to even get out of his trousers to get away from the horse. No one ever quite figured out what Beulah was saying except she may have saved her brother from being stepped on by the horse.
In 1921 the Smith family moved to Warm-River, Idaho for a short time. Reid and Elwin had the responsibility of herding the live stock from Bitch Creek to Marysville. There were two wagons filled with the Smith family possessions to move from Bitch Creek to Marysville. David drove the lead wagon team of horses and Vera was given the job of driving the second wagon team. Beulah rode in the wagon with Vera to take care of the family pet dog.
During the trip in the wagon to Marysville, they would stop occasionally to rest the horses and let the dog relieve himself. On one of these stops the dog ran around allot but did not take care of the call of nature. Shortly after Vera and Beulah got back on the wagon, Vera tried to help the dog by squeezing his sides. It worked and he went in her lap. Luckily she had on an apron which she removed and through off the wagon on the trail.
While moving from Bitch Creek to Marysville, Clip the family pony got loose and ran off. He was never seen by the Smith family again.
After spending a short time in Marysville, the Smith family moved to a rented dry farm which they operated for two years. The owner sold this land after two years and the Smith family had to move again.
The 22 February 1922 the Smith family was blessed with a new baby boy who they named Carroll LaGrand Smith. Rosie was failing in her health. David took Rosie, the baby, and Russell Heber a 15 month old boy to his brother’s home located near Marysville, Idaho where she could receive the medical attention that she needed.
The older Smith kids, including Reid Edward age 13, Elwin M. age 12, Vera Amanda age 10, Beulah Christine age 8, Norris William age 7, and Norma Irene age 5 were left home alone part time on the Warm-River farm for about two months while David traveled back and forth between warm River and Marysville. David made several trips so that he could be with and attend to the needs of his wife Rosie.
Vera remembers that during this time the Smith kids had some good times and some bad times. Vera got so upset with her brother Reid one day that she threw a kitchen knife at him. Since good luck prevailed, the knife missed him and stuck in the wall of the house instead of Reid.
Another experience Vera remembers during her Mothers illness is that her brother Elwin ask her to go hunting bear with him. Elwin and Vera got the family 3030 rifle and walked over a couple of hills in back of the family home. They did not find any bear but Elwin decided to fire at a target. The kick of the rifle sent Elwin flying backward onto the ground.
During Rosie's illness, Russell Heber took sick and died. Rosie always felt that if she had not been down sick in bed that she could have save Russell from death. Russell's death had a lasting effect on each of the Smith family members.
The Smith kids had to go four miles to and from school each day. During the winter months they would tie two skies together to form a toboggan. This would allow them to slide down hill most of the way to school which was located in the valley near the Warm River. In the evening they would walk up the slopes and pull their toboggan home. They had a lot of fun and made a lot of memories during these trips.
While attending school in Warm River, several of the school kids dug holes in the snow drifts. Vera got into one of these holes and the kids packed snow around her legs up to her waist. The school bell rang and all of the kids hurried off to their school classes except for Vera who was trapped in the snow. It took a long time and lots of wiggling before she could free herself from the snow bank. She was soaked to the skin and had to finish the
school day very wet.
One day Vera and her sister Beulah decided to go skinny dipping in an irrigation ditch located near the Smith Warm River farm home. About the time they were getting into the water some men came riding towards them on horse back. They had to scramble to get back to their cloths located on the canal bank so that they would not be discovered in their birthday suits. They had to climb through a barbed wire fence to get to their cloths. Vera got one of the barbs from the fence stuck in her back and still has a scar to remember the experience.
David Smith depended on Vera and her two older brothers to help with the farm work. Because she enjoyed this out door activity, Vera gained a reputation as being a Tom Boy. She remembers a fight that she had with a long haired blond girl. All of the girls were rooting for the blond while the boys were rooting for her to win the fight. There was no winner declared because a school teacher broke the fight up before it was finished. Vera also got in a fight with one of her boy class mates and was declared the winner.
The 29 March 1923 another baby boy was born in the Smith family. They named this child Doyle Bryon Smith. Since Carroll and Doyle were very close in age they were buddies through their growing up years.
In about 1923, the owner sold the Marysville farm that the Smith family operated. They then moved to Victor, Idaho where David went to work for the Utah Idaho Sugar company hauling Lime rock from a quarry to a rail road loading dock. The Rock was freighted by rail road to Lincoln, Idaho and several other sugar processing plants in the Upper Snake River Valley to be used in processing sugar from sugar beets raised in the area.
In 1924 David moved his family to Ashton, Idaho. Rosie came home one day and discovered that she had contracted the mumps. Every member of the family came down with the mumps before this family epidemic was finished. David tried to return to work to soon before he was completely better and developed complication which put him in bed for about three weeks.
In 1925 the Smith family moved back to Marysville, Idaho. One day while living in Marysville, a man who was an acquaintance of the family came to the door and ask if Vera could come to Drummond, Idaho and look after his pregnant wife and his children. Vera went to help the family for about two month. This experience was very rewarding and educational for Vera. It gave her the opportunity to see and learn that every family has their own set of problems.
Vera started her first real job away from home working is a store at Marysville. She enjoyed this experience since it gave her the opportunity to earn her own spending money. Members of the family had always worked hard for survival and didn't have much to spend. They always had food that was grown or traded for and clothing that was home made.
Vera purchased her first store bought coat at age 14. Rosie had made most of the children cloths from used flower sacks or other material that become available. Vera remembers being teased because she wore some flower sack material that had been dyed yellow.
Vera learned to sew for her self and for other members of the family at a very young age. Her mother would cut out clothing from what ever material she could get and have Vera sew the clothing with their white treadle sewing machine. Vera enjoyed sewing and learned to be a good seamstress. She also learned to make the patterns for the clothing by cutting them out of paper. Vera has used this talent through out her life to help friends and family.
The Smith family moved back to Victor, Idaho in about 1926. There were now eight living children, David, and Rosie in the family. David freighted lye Rock again for the Utah Idaho Sugar Company from the quarry to the rail loading dock so it could be hauled by rail road to the sugar beet processing plants located through out the Upper Snake River Valley.
In March of 1927 the Smith family left the Teton Valley and moved to Osgood, Idaho. Four of Rosie's brothers, William, Clarence, Hyrum and Archie Sheppard, moved to Osgood with the Smith family. These families settled on separate farms that were owned by the Utah Idaho Sugar Company. The Osgood irrigation project had started in 1920 and was increasing in acreage which made room for additional farmers to lease the farm land. Rent payment for these farms was paid to the Utah Idaho Sugar Company in sharing a percentage of the crops that were produced.
Vera remained behind in Teton Valley with a family whose name was Christiansen until May of 1927 so she could finish the seventh grade of school. She did house work for the Christiansen family for her room and board while she lived with them. She did not enjoy these two months and was anxious to be able to move to Osgood, Idaho with her family.
When Vera arrived in Osgood, she was a bit disappointed because of the desert environment. She had been raised close to the mountains and forest which she enjoyed. It was a real change to live in the desert where the wind blew the dry soil until it drifted in small piles on the window seal of their home. The Smith home was located two miles north and one mile west of Osgood community center next to the dusty dry farm land.
The Smith kids had to walk or ride horses three miles to and from school, church, and social events that were held in the Osgood school or church. They soon got involved socially with the Osgood people and enjoyed their new community. The Osgood LDS church and the school provided dances and social events for both the youth and the parents.
Vera started dating and attending social events with several of the local boys. Many of these dates were group activities where several boys and girls would get together and attend social activities. During the winter months, they did a lot of bobsledding in the abundance of snow that Osgood always had. These activities proved to be a lot of fun and provided many memories.
Vera attended the eighth grade of school in Osgood. She graduated from the Osgood grade school in 1928. Vera's teacher, Mr. Conrad Toland hired Vera to baby sit for he and his wife several times. He also talked with her to encourage her to continue her education.
In preparation of starting high school in the fall of 1928, Vera's aunt Mable Smith tried to help out by making her cloths to wear to high school. The cloths did not turn out very well since they were to small and not very good quality. Vera felt very self conscious about wearing them.
Vera moved to a boarding house located on North Water avenue in Idaho Falls, Idaho to start high school. She did not have a very good selection of cloths and felt self conscious about her appearance. Her family was struggling to keep their large family clothed and feed and could not do much about the situation.
For initiation to high school the new students were required to have a tug of war across the Idaho irrigation canal which flows through Idaho Falls. Vera never did talk about being dragged through the canal so she must have been on the winning team.
Vera decided to terminate her schooling in December. She stayed at the boarding house for one week following her termination from school before she got the courage to tell her parents. When she returned home she found her mother very ill and unable to do much because of her illness. Vera and Beulah took over the house hold duties for the family.
Beulah patched a pair of trousers for one of her brothers. She made the mistake of sewing through both layers of leg material. The boys could not get their legs in the trousers until Vera helped remove the stitches and sewed the patches through the first layer of material.
Vera got a job with Mrs. Eddington who run a boarding house located two building north of the Osgood cross roads grocery store. She washed dishes and helped with the cooking. She also baby sat and did other miscellaneous house hold chores.
In 1929 Rosie Smith got seriously ill with stomach trouble and had to have surgery to remove most of her stomach. She was in the Idaho Falls hospital for six weeks. Vera and Beulah took over the house hold responsibilities for their mother. Vera also helped her father by driving a team of horses to mow hay and to pull sugar beets from the ground. All of the kids worked in the fields thinning and hoeing sugar beets and then harvesting sugar beets and potatoes. They pooled their money to pay the $500 medical bill that resulted from their Mothers surgery.
Vera took on the job of canning food produce for the Smith family winter food supply. The family went to the foot hills east of Idaho Falls and gathered chock cherries and huckle berries. Vera squeezed the juice from these by twisting them inside a towel. She bottled over two hundred quarts of juice during the harvest season.
In April 1930 Reid the oldest boy in the Smith family was ask to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He was called to the Denver, Colorado Mission which included Colorado, New Mexico and other surrounding territory. All of the Smith family worked together to earn money to support their son and brother on this venture. The experience help pull the family members close together, a trait that they have kept over the years.
In 1931 the Smith family had their tenth and last child born. This baby was a boy whom they named Harvey Lloyd Smith. The family now included three girls and seven boys. Russell the seventh child had died in 1922 while the family lived in Cash, Idaho.
When Reid Smith returned home from his church mission, he was very determined to improve his education. He talked his brother Elwin into going back to school with him. They were both older than most of the other students in high school but stuck with their education goals until they not only finished high school but also went on to graduate from the Ricks academy. This attitude was contagious to the other members of the Smith family. Many of them went into the teaching profession.
Vera, whose picture is shown, in 1931, began dating Joseph Reed Stewart who lived in Osgood. Their friendship continued to grow over the next couple of years as they worked and socialized together. They often got together with their friends and had many good experiences. They traveled to Idaho Falls, Ammon, Iona and some times stayed at Osgood to attend community socials. They decided to marry and planned their wedding for Christmas Day of 1932. Because Vera's brother had taken the car keys out of town they were unable to get their Marriage license on time and had to delay the wedding two days.
VERA AMANDA SMITH
Birth to Marriage history
Written by Joseph S Stewart 1986 to 1993
Vera Amanda Smith is the oldest daughter and third child of David Amanuel Smith and Rosie Sheppard. She was born 2 May 1912 at her parent’s home located in Darby Canyon, Teton county, Idaho. She had seven brother and two sisters. The photo is of Vera A Smith in 1914.
Vera's parents were employed mostly in agriculture and hauling freight while they were starting their family. They moved several times while having and raising the family. In 1913 the family moved from Darby Canyon to Marysville, Idaho where David Smith was employed hauling freight for the construction of the Jackson lake dam Located near Moran, Wyoming. David also acquired part interest in a forty acre farm in partnership with his brother Michael.
David sold his interest of the farm to his brother and bought a forth acre farm for the Smith family in Cache, Teton, Idaho for $50 per acre.
In 1919 David sold the Cache farm for $100 per acre and bought a two hundred forty acre dry farm located in Bitch Creek, Teton County, Idaho for $50 per acre. The family was unable to make a living farming this dry farm land and lost their investment during the next three year.
Some of the first memories that Vera has of her childhood are when she was seven years of age just starting school. Her mother was very concerned for Vera's safety because of the distance to and from school and would not allow her to attend school regularly. The Smith family had just move to the Bitch Creek farm which was located near Tetonia. The kids had to travel to Judkin to attend school. The Teton valley land was not completely settled and there was some fear of unknown people who wandered through the back trails. Vera was not promoted to the second grade at the end of the school year because of her poor attendance.
David built a horse drawn surrey for the kids to drive to and from school. His father had owned and operated a black smith shop and David had been trained in those skills. The kids used the Surrey to ride to school during the spring and fall. During the winter months they used a bob sled that was pulled by a team of horses. Vera remembers that on one of these trips to school they tipped the bob sled over which dumped them all out in the snow drifts. They got up brushed themselves off, turned the sled back on its runners, and proceeded on their way to school.
While the Smith family lived at the Bitch Creek farm, Vera had a couple of accidents that she remembers. One time she was playing in the hay loft of the barn and she fell through an opening in the floor of the hay loft. On the way down, she caught a nail that was sticking out from a board with the corner of her eye and tore a gash in her temple. Another time she just about got one of her fingers chopped off. One of her brothers was trying to chop wood with a hatchet. He missed the block of wood and hit her finger instead. The finger was not lost and has been normal except for the scar that is still visible.
3 July 1920 Vera was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. The baptism took place in an irrigation canal. Two other boys were baptized the same day. Vera was frightened after being dunked under the water and ran off down the road as soon a she could get out of the canal.
One day Vera's sister Beulah ran into the house very excited repeating the words "Clip Peasa". Rosie went back out side with her to see what was causing the excitement. Rosie found the family pony, whose name was Clip, standing on the crotch of Norris's trousers. Norris was unable to even get out of his trousers to get away from the horse. No one ever quite figured out what Beulah was saying except she may have saved her brother from being stepped on by the horse.
In 1921 the Smith family moved to Warm-River, Idaho for a short time. Reid and Elwin had the responsibility of herding the live stock from Bitch Creek to Marysville. There were two wagons filled with the Smith family possessions to move from Bitch Creek to Marysville. David drove the lead wagon team of horses and Vera was given the job of driving the second wagon team. Beulah rode in the wagon with Vera to take care of the family pet dog.
During the trip in the wagon to Marysville, they would stop occasionally to rest the horses and let the dog relieve himself. On one of these stops the dog ran around allot but did not take care of the call of nature. Shortly after Vera and Beulah got back on the wagon, Vera tried to help the dog by squeezing his sides. It worked and he went in her lap. Luckily she had on an apron which she removed and through off the wagon on the trail.
While moving from Bitch Creek to Marysville, Clip the family pony got loose and ran off. He was never seen by the Smith family again.
After spending a short time in Marysville, the Smith family moved to a rented dry farm which they operated for two years. The owner sold this land after two years and the Smith family had to move again.
The 22 February 1922 the Smith family was blessed with a new baby boy who they named Carroll LaGrand Smith. Rosie was failing in her health. David took Rosie, the baby, and Russell Heber a 15 month old boy to his brother’s home located near Marysville, Idaho where she could receive the medical attention that she needed.
The older Smith kids, including Reid Edward age 13, Elwin M. age 12, Vera Amanda age 10, Beulah Christine age 8, Norris William age 7, and Norma Irene age 5 were left home alone part time on the Warm-River farm for about two months while David traveled back and forth between warm River and Marysville. David made several trips so that he could be with and attend to the needs of his wife Rosie.
Vera remembers that during this time the Smith kids had some good times and some bad times. Vera got so upset with her brother Reid one day that she threw a kitchen knife at him. Since good luck prevailed, the knife missed him and stuck in the wall of the house instead of Reid.
Another experience Vera remembers during her Mothers illness is that her brother Elwin ask her to go hunting bear with him. Elwin and Vera got the family 3030 rifle and walked over a couple of hills in back of the family home. They did not find any bear but Elwin decided to fire at a target. The kick of the rifle sent Elwin flying backward onto the ground.
During Rosie's illness, Russell Heber took sick and died. Rosie always felt that if she had not been down sick in bed that she could have save Russell from death. Russell's death had a lasting effect on each of the Smith family members.
The Smith kids had to go four miles to and from school each day. During the winter months they would tie two skies together to form a toboggan. This would allow them to slide down hill most of the way to school which was located in the valley near the Warm River. In the evening they would walk up the slopes and pull their toboggan home. They had a lot of fun and made a lot of memories during these trips.
While attending school in Warm River, several of the school kids dug holes in the snow drifts. Vera got into one of these holes and the kids packed snow around her legs up to her waist. The school bell rang and all of the kids hurried off to their school classes except for Vera who was trapped in the snow. It took a long time and lots of wiggling before she could free herself from the snow bank. She was soaked to the skin and had to finish the
school day very wet.
One day Vera and her sister Beulah decided to go skinny dipping in an irrigation ditch located near the Smith Warm River farm home. About the time they were getting into the water some men came riding towards them on horse back. They had to scramble to get back to their cloths located on the canal bank so that they would not be discovered in their birthday suits. They had to climb through a barbed wire fence to get to their cloths. Vera got one of the barbs from the fence stuck in her back and still has a scar to remember the experience.
David Smith depended on Vera and her two older brothers to help with the farm work. Because she enjoyed this out door activity, Vera gained a reputation as being a Tom Boy. She remembers a fight that she had with a long haired blond girl. All of the girls were rooting for the blond while the boys were rooting for her to win the fight. There was no winner declared because a school teacher broke the fight up before it was finished. Vera also got in a fight with one of her boy class mates and was declared the winner.
The 29 March 1923 another baby boy was born in the Smith family. They named this child Doyle Bryon Smith. Since Carroll and Doyle were very close in age they were buddies through their growing up years.
In about 1923, the owner sold the Marysville farm that the Smith family operated. They then moved to Victor, Idaho where David went to work for the Utah Idaho Sugar company hauling Lime rock from a quarry to a rail road loading dock. The Rock was freighted by rail road to Lincoln, Idaho and several other sugar processing plants in the Upper Snake River Valley to be used in processing sugar from sugar beets raised in the area.
In 1924 David moved his family to Ashton, Idaho. Rosie came home one day and discovered that she had contracted the mumps. Every member of the family came down with the mumps before this family epidemic was finished. David tried to return to work to soon before he was completely better and developed complication which put him in bed for about three weeks.
In 1925 the Smith family moved back to Marysville, Idaho. One day while living in Marysville, a man who was an acquaintance of the family came to the door and ask if Vera could come to Drummond, Idaho and look after his pregnant wife and his children. Vera went to help the family for about two month. This experience was very rewarding and educational for Vera. It gave her the opportunity to see and learn that every family has their own set of problems.
Vera started her first real job away from home working is a store at Marysville. She enjoyed this experience since it gave her the opportunity to earn her own spending money. Members of the family had always worked hard for survival and didn't have much to spend. They always had food that was grown or traded for and clothing that was home made.
Vera purchased her first store bought coat at age 14. Rosie had made most of the children cloths from used flower sacks or other material that become available. Vera remembers being teased because she wore some flower sack material that had been dyed yellow.
Vera learned to sew for her self and for other members of the family at a very young age. Her mother would cut out clothing from what ever material she could get and have Vera sew the clothing with their white treadle sewing machine. Vera enjoyed sewing and learned to be a good seamstress. She also learned to make the patterns for the clothing by cutting them out of paper. Vera has used this talent through out her life to help friends and family.
The Smith family moved back to Victor, Idaho in about 1926. There were now eight living children, David, and Rosie in the family. David freighted lye Rock again for the Utah Idaho Sugar Company from the quarry to the rail loading dock so it could be hauled by rail road to the sugar beet processing plants located through out the Upper Snake River Valley.
In March of 1927 the Smith family left the Teton Valley and moved to Osgood, Idaho. Four of Rosie's brothers, William, Clarence, Hyrum and Archie Sheppard, moved to Osgood with the Smith family. These families settled on separate farms that were owned by the Utah Idaho Sugar Company. The Osgood irrigation project had started in 1920 and was increasing in acreage which made room for additional farmers to lease the farm land. Rent payment for these farms was paid to the Utah Idaho Sugar Company in sharing a percentage of the crops that were produced.
Vera remained behind in Teton Valley with a family whose name was Christiansen until May of 1927 so she could finish the seventh grade of school. She did house work for the Christiansen family for her room and board while she lived with them. She did not enjoy these two months and was anxious to be able to move to Osgood, Idaho with her family.
When Vera arrived in Osgood, she was a bit disappointed because of the desert environment. She had been raised close to the mountains and forest which she enjoyed. It was a real change to live in the desert where the wind blew the dry soil until it drifted in small piles on the window seal of their home. The Smith home was located two miles north and one mile west of Osgood community center next to the dusty dry farm land.
The Smith kids had to walk or ride horses three miles to and from school, church, and social events that were held in the Osgood school or church. They soon got involved socially with the Osgood people and enjoyed their new community. The Osgood LDS church and the school provided dances and social events for both the youth and the parents.
Vera started dating and attending social events with several of the local boys. Many of these dates were group activities where several boys and girls would get together and attend social activities. During the winter months, they did a lot of bobsledding in the abundance of snow that Osgood always had. These activities proved to be a lot of fun and provided many memories.
Vera attended the eighth grade of school in Osgood. She graduated from the Osgood grade school in 1928. Vera's teacher, Mr. Conrad Toland hired Vera to baby sit for he and his wife several times. He also talked with her to encourage her to continue her education.
In preparation of starting high school in the fall of 1928, Vera's aunt Mable Smith tried to help out by making her cloths to wear to high school. The cloths did not turn out very well since they were to small and not very good quality. Vera felt very self conscious about wearing them.
Vera moved to a boarding house located on North Water avenue in Idaho Falls, Idaho to start high school. She did not have a very good selection of cloths and felt self conscious about her appearance. Her family was struggling to keep their large family clothed and feed and could not do much about the situation.
For initiation to high school the new students were required to have a tug of war across the Idaho irrigation canal which flows through Idaho Falls. Vera never did talk about being dragged through the canal so she must have been on the winning team.
Vera decided to terminate her schooling in December. She stayed at the boarding house for one week following her termination from school before she got the courage to tell her parents. When she returned home she found her mother very ill and unable to do much because of her illness. Vera and Beulah took over the house hold duties for the family.
Beulah patched a pair of trousers for one of her brothers. She made the mistake of sewing through both layers of leg material. The boys could not get their legs in the trousers until Vera helped remove the stitches and sewed the patches through the first layer of material.
Vera got a job with Mrs. Eddington who run a boarding house located two building north of the Osgood cross roads grocery store. She washed dishes and helped with the cooking. She also baby sat and did other miscellaneous house hold chores.
In 1929 Rosie Smith got seriously ill with stomach trouble and had to have surgery to remove most of her stomach. She was in the Idaho Falls hospital for six weeks. Vera and Beulah took over the house hold responsibilities for their mother. Vera also helped her father by driving a team of horses to mow hay and to pull sugar beets from the ground. All of the kids worked in the fields thinning and hoeing sugar beets and then harvesting sugar beets and potatoes. They pooled their money to pay the $500 medical bill that resulted from their Mothers surgery.
Vera took on the job of canning food produce for the Smith family winter food supply. The family went to the foot hills east of Idaho Falls and gathered chock cherries and huckle berries. Vera squeezed the juice from these by twisting them inside a towel. She bottled over two hundred quarts of juice during the harvest season.
In April 1930 Reid the oldest boy in the Smith family was ask to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He was called to the Denver, Colorado Mission which included Colorado, New Mexico and other surrounding territory. All of the Smith family worked together to earn money to support their son and brother on this venture. The experience help pull the family members close together, a trait that they have kept over the years.
In 1931 the Smith family had their tenth and last child born. This baby was a boy whom they named Harvey Lloyd Smith. The family now included three girls and seven boys. Russell the seventh child had died in 1922 while the family lived in Cash, Idaho.
When Reid Smith returned home from his church mission, he was very determined to improve his education. He talked his brother Elwin into going back to school with him. They were both older than most of the other students in high school but stuck with their education goals until they not only finished high school but also went on to graduate from the Ricks academy. This attitude was contagious to the other members of the Smith family. Many of them went into the teaching profession.
Vera, whose picture is shown, in 1931, began dating Joseph Reed Stewart who lived in Osgood. Their friendship continued to grow over the next couple of years as they worked and socialized together. They often got together with their friends and had many good experiences. They traveled to Idaho Falls, Ammon, Iona and some times stayed at Osgood to attend community socials. They decided to marry and planned their wedding for Christmas Day of 1932. Because Vera's brother had taken the car keys out of town they were unable to get their Marriage license on time and had to delay the wedding two days.
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