Stephen's Smith Family - Ancestors, Descendants and Cousins

Notes

Dorothy Eleanor Crawford

    Dorothy Eleanor Crawford was born on the family's farm 2 miles east of hereford Store, Near hatton, Missouri. In the spring of 1908 the family moved to Auxvass, Missouri, Callaway county, Where her father owned a hardware & tinning business. The family moved again about 1910 or 11, to Bellflower, Missouri in Montgomery county. dorothy attended at least one year of school in Bellflower, and the family moved to Cameron, Missouri, clinton county, the last of August 1915. dorothy attended two years of school in Keytesville, Missouri when the family lived there a short time, Dorothy's older sister Eva and brother Elburt, staying on in the family home in cmeron. Dorothy was an 8th grader and freshman in high school during their stay in Deytesville. She finished high school in Cameron, Missouri, and attended Missouri Wesleyan College there, and received a B.S. degree from Central Missouri State Teachers' College at Warrensburg, in 1928. she then taught school in Everest, Kansas, starting the fall of 1928.
    In 1932 Dorothy married Harry Koger, of near Everest, and they were the parents of two children; Kenneth, born in 1936, and Johny, born in 1946. Harry died unexpectedly, of a blood clot, following successful surgery in 1967.
    In 1974 dorothy married Ralph Schruann, of Effingham, Kansas. Dorothy and Ralph have done quite a bit of traveling. Dorothy has been quite a good photographer, and the family has enjoyed her hobby very much over the years.

Ruth Leona Crawford

According to our family records, I was born near Hatton, Missouri May 20, 1906. The first home I remember was in Bellflower, Missouri. A new house had been built, which we moved into. I remember one neighbor playmate. We would cross a vacant lot to play with her. We would go to their cold cellar where we "sampled" many goodies there. Our Mother always baked the favorite cookies of our neighborhood friends - but could never (to Daddy's thinking) equal his Mother's cookies, a molasses variety.
    A Dr. Bellomy lived across the street from us. His daughter, sister Olga's age, wore the first, long, "Hobbled" skirt we had seen.
   The only school (the first eight grades) was just a block away. On one rainy day, Mother let us take our lunch. I was shocked to see one little boy throw away the yolk of his boiled egg - my favorite part! On a clear night voices carried easily. It bacame a family joke as we recalled a neighbor's voice - a block away - "Henry-e-e. I'll bet a dollar you will wash your feet!"
    Our Dad and a Mr. Murphy owned a Hardware store in Bellflower. I remember Dad coming home one day with his new false teeth. I cried because he looked so different. Another memory, one evening while our parents were away, our brother Elburt was left in charge of sister Dorothy and me. we were impatient when they were late getting home, so Elburt would say "Now they have started. Now they have crossed the street. They are almost home. Now they are coming up the walk. Oh, no! Maybe they stopped to talk to some one." On and on and we were satisfied.
    The winter I was 6 years old our parents took Dorothy and me to Miles, Iowa to visit Grandma Crawford and Aunt Maggie. We went by train. It was the only time we saw our Grandmother. The most remembered thing of the visit was the high bed we slept in. We climbed on a chair to get into the big feather bed. Aunt maggie was a large lady and how whe would laugh when Dorothy and I would try to reach around her waist with a big hug. Aunt Maggie had one daughter, Emma Koch. emma was near our Dad's age. In later years, it was a high light of our day to listen as he and Emma laughed and told of their early years. Of Daddy and his brothers, when coming home late oat night, would tie halves of english walnuts on the cats' feet and turn the cats loose on the bare, hall floors. What a noise!!
    A Mr. Metts had a General store in Bellflower. flies were everywhere. He gave prizes to those gringing in the biggest jar of dead flies. One morning the town woke up to learn that their post office had been moved to a little town north of us, but it was soon returned.
    We moved to Cameron, Missouri for better school advantages. Our house was not ready when we arrived, so we lived at the hotel until it was ready. I remember Mother's concern when a lady living across the street offered to take Dorothy and me for a ride in her car. The lady must have felt sorry for 2 little girls with so little to entertain them.
    In Cameron there were 2 grad schools, one in the North part of town, near the high school, and th other int he South, near the Train Junction. Too often the children attending school there were called "Junction Greasers." We lived just a block from the Missouri Wesleyan college and attended the Grade School near the Junction. Durning that time, the World War came to an end, and when the news reached our school room, our teacher grabbed the nearest pupil and danced around the room.
    During Dorothy's and my high school years, our parents spent time near the farm in Keytesville, Missouri. We rented a house in town so we could go to school. A Miss McCann taught english and was so strict about our written assignments - exact margins. When a special girl friend of mine was ridiculed in front of the class for her messy paper, I felt so sorry for her. Another time, Miss McCann asked that all of the girls stay after school was dismissed. We wondered what wrong we had done. All she said was "Someone needs a bath!" and walked out of the room.
    I attended Cameron High School for my last two years. I took Home Economics and Teacher's Training and received a Certificate to teach school in rural areas. The senior class usually entertained the Faculty and School Board.
 Our class decided it a too expensive project, so discontinued it. As I was president of the Senior girls, we voted to wear white linen dresses, rather than the usual robes. Of course, two came in silk dresses.
    The next fall after graduation, I taught a country school north of Cameron, and stayed during the week with a Mrs. Logue and her daughter. I did not like teaching 8 grades, so refused a second contract. I acquired more college hours at Missouri Wesleyan, and accepted the offer to teach the First and Second grades at Everest, Kansas in 1927. When I got there I found the third grade had been included in my room. At Everest, Wick Sharp, a personal friend and graduate of Missouri Wesleyan was Superintendent. My sister Eva, was head of the High School Music Department and also of the Grade School. Another MWC friend, Mary Bridges taught Home Economics. Eva and Mary had taught in Everest the year before and were living in the home of a widow, Mrs. Morgan. She had only the one extra bedroom so they put in a cot for me. We three took turns sleeping on the cot.
    Eva was dating Milo Brooks, who taught Manual Training, and coached Sports at the nearby town of Robinson, Kansas. The next year Komora Williams, also from Cameron, took Mary's place, as Mary had married during the summer.
As our former landlady had married and moved away, we three rented 2 rooms at a Mrs. Honnells' and ate our meals with her.
    I met Henry Grosfield my first year in Everest. We dated some and he came to Cameron several times that fist summer. That fall he gave me a diamond. We were married May 29, 1929. We were the parents of two children; L. Burton and Naideen. I had never lived on a farm and always had the use of electricity, but we were very happy and accepted the conditions all farmers had at that time. I believe the rural people got electricity in 1938.
    My sister Dorothy, her husband Harry Koger, and their two children; Kenneth and Johny, lived just a mile south of us. Our children attended the country school just south of the Kogers. Some time during each summer we would visit my sister Eva and her husband, Milo Brooks in California or they would come to Kansas. The Brooks had two children, Donna and Richard, when they visited us one very hot summer. Only onions survived in our garden. I remember Milo and L. Burton going out there to eat them. Another year, maybe 1936, Milo stopped in Kansas enroute home from some medical meeting. Milo asked if he could take L. Burton back to California with him. It would have been L. Burton's first year of school. At the last minute I said "no" and was glad for L. Burton soon had a severe case of whooping cough.
    At the time of the death of Henry's mother, we were living on the "corner," a half mile south of the house his parents built when their other son, Oscar, and Eleanor were married. "Grandpa" Ole insisted that we move to his house with him. He lived with us until his sudden death eight years later of a heart attack.
    Henry's health was very good until a kidney stone hospitalized him when we were on a trip to Florida. In 1972 he died following surgery for prostate that proved cancerous.
    I have continued to live on the farm, enjoying children, grandchildren, and now great grandchildren. I keep busy as a member of the Volunteer Red Cross, who does work at the Hiawatha Hospital and 2 nursing homes there, plus the usual church organizations of the Lutheran Church. I belong to the Histroy and literature Club, a neighborhood social club, and the PEO.
    I have traveled a lot. My sister Olga's two daughters, Betty and Kathryn, have been so gererous with their invitations to go with them. One, very special trip, was when Olga, her husband Paul, sister Dorothy and I went with them to Sabula, Iowa where mine, Dorothy and Olga's mother was born, and Miles, Iowa, the boyhood home of our father, to locate family land marks. Another fun trip was when the 6 of us went to the Northwest and down the California Coast. Paul took charge of the loading of suit cases each morning, and found room for all. The trip to Australia and Japan, with sister Dorothy and her second husband, Ralph Schurmann, and Betty, has been long remembered. There was a trip England, Scotland, and Ireland with a friend, Sally McLenon, and in 1984 Gladys Gigstad and I attended the Passion play in oberammergau. Gladys and I have taken other short trips to Hawaii, New orleans, Washington D.
C. at Apple Blossom Time. Our cousin, Hazel Wray was the first to get me interested in planned tours by Travel Agencies. Our first trip was to the Northeast with 2 of her Dakota friends, to see Niagara Falls at night from the Canadian side.
    In January 1990, Betty Smith and I went to california, by car, with my son L. Burton and wife, Pauline, taking the southern route. We visited in Betty's sister, Jeanette & Bob's home. Also sister Eva's daughter Donna and friend Cathy's, and visited Eva at the nursing home. Enroute home we sat for 5 hours on a mountain highway one night. A stalled car ahead of us prevented any passing.
    I continue to enjoy life, and at present am looking forward to the Smith-Crawford reunion in Overland Park, Kansas, in October 1992.

Marriage Notes for Henry Benjamin Grosfield and Ruth Leona Crawford-6713

Miss Ruth Crawford Wedded to Kansan
    Miss Ruth Leona Crawford, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel C. Crawford and Mr. Henry B. Grosfield of Willis, Kas., were united in marriage at the home of the bride's parents Wednesday afternoon. Dr. Gale, president of Missouri Wesleyan, and very personal friend of the family officiated. The newlyweds departed after the ceremony on a short honeymoon and will be at home to their friends at Willis, Kas, after June 20th where the groom has provided a modern country home and where he will continue farming.
    Miss Ruth is one of our most popular and highly respected young ladies possessing unusual charm. She is a graduate of Cameron High, attended Missouri Wesleyan and the State Teachers College at Warrensburg. For the past two years Miss Ruth has been teaching at Everest, Kas., where she met the man of her choice. Mr. Grosfield is a pleasing young man of sterling worth, prosperous in his chosen vocation and holding the respect of those who know him. To the friends of the bride his best recommendation is that he was her choice for a life mate.
    Prior to the ceremony Miss Eva Crawford sang "All For You," Miss Lucile Grosfield, cousin of the groom accompanying on the piano. Miss Komora Williams played softly, "To a Wild Rose" while Dr. Gale said the single ring ceremony.
    The Progress joins a large host of friends in extending sincere good wishes to the bride and groom.
    Out-of-town relatives here for the ceremony included: Mr. and Mrs. O. Grosfield, parents of the groom, Oscar Grosfield, Mr. and Mrs. A. Knudson and son, Virgil, Mr. and Mrs. L. R. Hanson, all of Willis, Kas; Mr. and Mrs. J. G. Jacobson and son, Richard, Horton, Kas; Miss Lucile Grosfield of Everest and Miss Eleaner Stowes of Huron, Kas.