THE THEODORE SMITH FAMILY

Theodore Smith was a native of Lanesville, Ind. When a young man, he walked from Indiana to San Francisco during the gold rush to help build houses and shops. When he decided to return to Indiana to marry his girl friend, Catherine Shuck, he walked back, occasionally catching a ride with a wagon train. After the wedding and a few years in Indiana, he and his young wife with their four children, Della, Leroy, Myrta and Yuell, came to Kansas in a wagon. They settled on a farm five and a half miles north and one half west of what is Rozel. After getting settled, three children were born on this farm, Golden in 1888, Minnie in 1891 and Velvet in 1894. All the children attended District 46 school.

Della left home at an early age.

Leroy later moved to Protection and owned a garage machine shop there.

Yuell built a garage and machine shop in Rozel in 1912. He left during World War I to work in an ammunition plant back east. He died in 1918.

Golden married Clara Norman from Burdett, August 11, 1912. They lived with his parents, working the farm and also helping Yuell in the garage. While on farm they had three children, Lillian, Rosalie, and Chester. In 1918 Goldie bought the garage from Yuell and moved his family to Rozel. They had three more children born in Rozel, Erma, Eula and Nell.

Goldie (as he was called by friends and family) remembered the years on the farm as a child, watching Rozel grow. He saw the first trains that came through from a high hill on the farm. Later he was to see a home built that had a post office in the front and also a new depot was built. The only road that lead into Rozel at the time ran north and south. The post office was run by Mrs. A. E. Sufficool. Eventually homes were built and people began to settle in the town. At one time a Lamed newspaper ran an article saying that Rozel had sunk into a large hole in the middle of main street and was now a salt well. Later it was said the newspaper printed a story saying Rozel now had sides and a bottom to the hole because some people by that name had moved there.

Goldie saw many prairie fires, tornadoes, floods, grasshopper plagues, blizzards, along with rattlesnakes and other varmints. At one time he witnessed a cattle drive from Texas to Abilene. After the cattle moved through their garden there was nothing green left and the ground was as hard as pavement. Goldie had no idle moment and being a practical man he made tools when necessary, sometimes designing a new one. He also invented a gun turret to be used as a burglar defense mechanism, a wind charger he first called an air motor for generating electricity. He made them for himself as well as farmer friends. He used them for charging batteries in his garage as well as supplying electricity for his shop and his home. He found he could save quite a bit of money using them. Goldie had other interests as he was once a baseball pitcher, played his violin for dances and church services; he like fishing, hunting, writing poetry, reading and taught Sunday school adult classes. During World War II they moved to Wichita so he could do his part by working in an aircraft factory.

His retirement days were spent in his small garage on the back of his home lot, working on all sorts of machines. He was able to read until the very last days of his life and read his Bible daily.

Clara was born in Manhattan, Kansas to Edward and Rosalie Mitten Norman, September 1893. Her father was a teacher there. He also quarried Manhattan stone for buildings as well as fences. They moved to Burdett and lived on a farm north of there.

She spent her childhood on the farm going to Elmdale school. One of her tasks at the age of 10 was to herd the cattle, a task that had many dangers and one that no one really relished. She grew up to love music as her father taught music to many of the neighbors. She played the piano and organ for dances as well as church. She married Goldie in her grandparents rooming house at Burdett called the Mitten Rooming House Aug. 11, 1912. She had two  sisters, Jessie and Nellie, and two brothers, Lewis and Edward.

Clara lived on the Smith farm with Goldie and then they moved to Rozel. She loved to design and sew clothing for herself and her family and was a fine seamstress. She loved gardening, flowers, reading, music, art, writing poetry and working in her church. She taught the ladies class for years.

Not only was she a homemaker but worked as bookkeeper for the garage and was the office attendant. After their son Chester s death in 1935, she took his place at Goldie s side working on car motors in her overalls and pulling cars. After their retirement she continued to maintain her home and yard, finding time for art and making things for her children and grandchildren. She continued to read until the last few days of her life. Golden died in 1980 and Clara died in 1985.

Lillian married Louis Wells (deceased). She is retired from working at Lamed State Hospital and lives at Garfield. Rosalie married Kenneth Hull and works with him among the Indians of Arizona.

Erma married Laverne Garrison (deceased) and lives in Wichita. Eula is married to Grant McIntosh and lives in Wichita.

Nellie Brownewell lives in Longmont, Colorado, where her husband is associated with insurance.

Note: They were written by an Aunt for Pawnee County 100 year old anniversary book. submitted by Barb Ziegenmeyer