Wilbur & Aletha Casey Smith

SMITH CASEY COON TUSCHOFF

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 10/18/2010 at 19:05:53

History of Woodbury County, Iowa 1984

Wilbur and Aletha (Casey) Smith
By Brad Smith

Wilbur Earnest Smith was born May 2, 1903, on a farm near Anthon. His parent were Carl O and Florence M Coon Smith.

Carl, a farmer, required Wilbur’s help with the farm work. Wilbur, as the oldest of nine children, had many responsibilities. He attended country school to the seventh grade. His brothers were Donald and Raymand. His sisters were Mrs. Lila Livermore, Mrs. Mildred Forch, Mrs. Vera Fisher, Mrs. Dorothy Lage, Mrs. Bonnie Phillips and Mrs. Evelyn Jerman.

Wilbur enjoyed farming a great deal, and whenever he was able, he was found helping around the family farm.

For recreation, he played baseball on Sundays. Sunday baseball was a ‘going thing’ during the early years and almost every Sunday a game could be found in any of the small towns around. That’s where the people bound their fresh air and sunshine on Sunday afternoon, rooting for their favorites and visiting with their neighbors.

Wilbur married Aletha Casey on December 14, 1948, in the Anthon Church of Christ with her brother, John Casey, performing the ceremony. Aletha’s parents were Charles and Amie Tuschoff Casey. Aletha had attended Woodbury County schools and had spent all her life in Correctionville with the exception of one year in West Central Iowa. She had been baptized into the Church of Christ at Pierson in 1928. Her brothers were Roger, Russell, John and Jim and her sister was Lura Reyman.

After their marriage, they lived on a farm south of Correctionville, where Wilbur worked. Wilbur and Aletha spent their life working at various farms around Woodbury and Cherokee counties. They lived for awhile at Quimby and he worked for Simonsen’s. After a bad fall, which resulted in a broken hip, he retired to Correctionville. They enjoyed raising their own food products and gardening and all the activities of the Church of Christ. Aletha enjoyed her needlework. Aletha passed away May 3, 1969, at a Sioux City hospital, after a long illness.

One son was born to them, Bradley Earnest, born December 4, 1953, while they were living in Correctionville.

Brad married Mary Jean Cope of Holstein and they have one daughter, Amy Caroline, born May 14, 1974. Mary is the daughter of John William and Alice M Gerbers Cope of rural Holstein. Alice is the daughter of Minnie and Henry Gebers, and the granddaughter of John and Hannah Todd of Correctionville.

Brad and Mary lived at Correctionville during their first years of marriage, moving to a farm just east of marriage, moving to a farm just east of Moville in 1980, where they still reside. They enjoy restoring classic vehicles and their pedigreed Shih Tzus.

Wilbur is currently residing at Colonial Manor nursing home in Correctionville.