SMITH, Forrest Edward "Smitty" Sr.

SMITH, RAUCH

Posted By: Kaye Sanchez (email)
Date: 2/23/2005 at 02:33:02

Written by Forrest Smith Sr.:

I graduated from the 8th grade in Huron, South Dakota and went to Mechanic's school, graduating in 1925. At 18 years, I went looking for a job, after helping my father, Frank, put in the spring crops. I worked for very low wages, plus room and board. During the Depression years, I worked at anything to be able to get a bite to eat. I learned to fly an airplane and spent eight years in Minneapolis at Wold-Chamberlain Airport, barn-storming around a four state area.

I would take people up sight-seeing over the city for a fee. The show fizzled out and in 1936, I went to Waterloo, Iowa to seek work and I got a job in maintainence at Rath Packing Co.
On October 31, 1937, I met Esther Ruth Rauch, daughter of John Andrew and Sarah Chasdek (Schastek) Rauch, at a dance, at the Foroum Roof, a local dance hall. We had a six-day courtship and then, ran off to Mason City, IA where we got married by the local Justice of Peace.

Four children were born to us, Forrest Jr, Joe James, Wendy and Marilyn Kay. Joe was a premature baby and I made an incubator for him out of a peach crate and a light bulb, but he wasn't strong enough and he died on his brother's birthday, October 2, 1939. (He is buried at West View Cemetery, LaPorte City, IA)
In 1945, we moved to a small farm near Milltown, Wisconsin and I got a job in the canning factory, working 12 to 20 hours a day. I'd drive home during the supper hour to milk our two cows. Sometimes, the kids would line up to get a shot of milk direct from the cow. We moved to Iroqouis, South Dakota when my father, Frank, died, later that same year, and lived there until the next spring. We raised pure-bred cocker spanial dogs, along with farming. In May of 1947, we moved to Waterloo, IA. What a trip! An overloaded car, a pick-up, Mom and I, Grandma, three children, 3 pups, 3 grown dogs and all the furniture we owned. The first two weeks in June, it rained most every day, and the water came up around the house. The basement was full and it was ankle deep to the outhouse. It was wade or else!

Esther died October 7, 1971 and is buried at West View Cemetery in LaPorte City, IA. I remarried four years later, to Frances Elizabeth (Libby) Shaw.

(Forrest Smith Sr. died June 30, 1982 and is buried along side, Esther in LaPorte City)