DONA SMITH

The familiar refrain M-I-C-K-E-Y is sure to evoke a smile.

Dona Smith, local resident was way ahead of the present Mickey Mouse mania which is once again sweeping the country. She began collecting Walt Disney memorabilia in 1970 which she laughingly admits, 'was too late to be a lucrative hobby, but is still alot of fun!' Any Mickey Mouse items of any real value, Smith explained, would have to be from the years 1928-1938 and long since have been acquired by the serious collectors as an investment. Smith's hobby is truly 'a labor of love' for the cartoon characters which first burst upon the mass media by the marvels of the silver screen and continued to capitivate the hearts of young and old through radio and television.

Dona's collection began innocently enough with a small Mickey Mouse figurine and has grown today to include telephones, t-shirts, caps and belts. Also there are games, puzzles and books.

In 1982, Dona took her granddaughter Jill to a Mickey Mouse Club Convention in Anaheim, Ca. She has pictures of the animators who provided the voices of Donald Duck, Snow White and Mickey Mouse. Dave Smith, no relation, head of the Mickey Mouse Archives, is still trying to find one of each Mickey Mouse toy that was produced.

Like most people, Dona pointed out, Mickey Mouse has softened with time. The original Mickey had a pointy nose unlike the snub-nosed character that still remains a charmer that erases color, religious and national lines.

Dona who works with husband Lew Smith of Smith Body Shop, occasionally takes time out for a game of golf, but still manages to scout the garage sales and flea markets for another item to add to her collection. She remains the envy of all who are 'young at heart', and who enjoy a nostalgic journey back to a time when nuclear was unheard of, when a loaf of bread was ten cents and another dime bought a ticket to the local movie house where Mickey Mouse was sure to make one feel 'like a kid' again.

M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E!

This article was written for the Drumright Ambassadors by Jimmie Cook, Instructor of English at O.S.U. The Ambassadors will continue to feature interesting people, places and things in the Drumright area and welcome any suggestions.