Genealogy from [Smithphpgedview.ged]

Occupation: Sheepherder, Postal Clerk Family History written by son, Joseph Theron Smith: George left school at 14 to help his Father herd sheep in Utah and Idaho. He met his wife Hazel Kunz while herding sheep in Williamsberg, Idaho. He herded sheep with his father who worked for owners of large sheep herds. During the 1920's financial conditions caused his father to lose their sheep herd. After his father's tragic death, he worked for a chemical plant before going into the military service at Ft. Lewis, Washington. After World I ended, he worked for the railroad near Grantsville. Having lost his team of horses and most of his livestock one year, he moved his wife and two sons to Herriman, Utah and worked for the Ohio Copper Co. in Lark, Utah until the doctor demanded he leave after developing miner's con in the lungs. He caught a bad case of pneumonia and nearly died. Spring arrived but his health had not, so he bade farewell to the mines and moved to Riverton, Utah to work on a farm for George Dansie. After George Dansie died, he moved back to Herriman and worked again in the mines at Lark, Utah. After working for another two years in the mines, he quit and moved his family into Salt Lake City on 17th South and 11th East. He opened up a lunch stand business and also found employment driving a truck for the Royal Laundry. This was good for his health because of being outdoors so much in the fresh air, both summer and winter months. After his wife's health deteriorated, he purchased a home on 10th East and 3200 South. His wife's health got worse and she had to be operated on for a goiter. The depression and this hospital expense greatly reduced his income and he was unable to make the payments on his new home. Additional expenses forced him to buy a piece of ground on 5th across the street from the Granite High School. A small two room house was built and a garden planted. Still working at the laundry, he managed to keep his head above water financially. While his son, Theron, was on his mission, he was able to finance some remodeling of his home on 5th East. He got a job at the Post Office and an increase in salary not only helped finance Theron's mission but the remodeling of the house. The last job he had was working in the postoffice as a mailhandler. He retired from this work. After his wife passed away, he went on a mission to Canada for 2 years. After serving a successful mission, he was killed in a truck-roll-over accident near Jerome, Idaho. He enjoyed reading about "Buck Rogers" in the daily funny papers but did not live long enough to see the first astronaut fly in a rocket ship. ---------- Email from Linda Druce: Now for the exciting part...Wanda, you were asking about a history of George Stephen Smith...our grandfather. I have a 25 page history of him. It only goes to when your Dad married you Mom, he left for the Army and was shipped to the Philippines and your Mom went to live with Grandpa and ma while he was gone. Somewhere there is more, I am checking to see if he typed more, if Merlyn has some of it...I just don't know at this moment where it is. The history is about all the goings on from the beginning of his life. I know that I have fond memories of him..living in and visiting their home at 3444 So. 5th East, then the move to Idaho and his unconditional help with the farm, even though he had two heart attacks. We would have never made that scene if he hadn't been there to help. Dad was working for the Post Office, after two years of struggling to make a living just farming, which wasn't enough to keep us alive. So, the girls had to have help. I remember picking Grandpa up from your place on "10th East"...if that is correct, that big house that you had there...after he had flown in from Canada from his mission, and taking him up to Idaho, in a pick-up, with two little red-heads...my first two, and pregnant with the third...the crowded time that it was of four hours driving. That was the last time that I got to see him. He reported his mission to the Stake Pres. on that Sun. morning, and took off for Boise and Nyssa the next morning...to visit his kids, was to report his mission the following Sun. in church. He didn't make it. It was such a sad time for me...I was back in Vegas, preparing to move back to Salt Lake, because I couldn't stand to live there and much less have a child there....and we had a note posted on the trailer house that we lived in, from the highway patrol. Oh so sad...my best friend, my grandpa...died in an accident on the slippery roads in Idaho. How sad the day. I guess I will try to write some of my fond memories of him....he was a great person to me. If, when I come to Provo, about every two weeks now, depending on the weather, is there some way that one of you would like to get a copy of this history that I have. As I said, it is 25 pages long...11x17 pages. I will see if I can find the rest of his story. Let me know. Linda (Research):There is no IGI record for the marriage of George Stephen Smith and Hedwig Hazel Kunz.