RUTH (IRENE) JOHNSON SMITH BORN JUNE 12, 1910 (my blessed mother)

LIFE SKETCH OF RUTH IRENE JOHNSON SMITH

Ruth Ethel Lloyd

Oscar Joseph Johnson, a wonderful father of Swedish descent, and Ruth Ethel Lloyd (she went by Ethel), a loving mother of Wales’s descent married 12 August 1908, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Their first child, Joseph Leonard Johnson was born 18 February 1909, in Crescent, Utah. Their second child was Ruth Irene Johnson born 12 June 1910 in South Jordan, Utah where their last two children were also born. Joseph F. Smith was the President of the Church. Irene’s father was a laborer and her mother was a housewife. Violet Marie Johnson born on 10 Dec 1913 and Lois Anna Johnson was born 15 November 1921. Between their third and fourth children, they were married and their children sealed to them in the Salt Lake Temple on 18 March 1915. Lois Anna was born under the covenant. This was the same year the Laie, Hawaii temple site was dedicated.
Irene grew up in South Jordan, Utah.  Irene was a good-natured child and helped her family. Her very important day to be baptized was 7 July 1918, by Gordon S.Beckstead (a high priest) and confirmed by Albert McMullin. She remembered the times the children had whooping cough and they almost coughed their sides out. Her education was in Jordan Schools and she graduated from Jordan High School. She was great at memorizing things and was asked to recite them at different programs.

Russell Smith

Irene learned how to cook and to bottle fruit and to sew. Her teenage summers were spent picking berries and fruit to earn some money. Aunt Mae remembers the summer that her, Irene and Violet and Wanda Holt came with other groups of girls to Lindon to pick berries. They picked for Kirk in his field just below the Lindon Hill. They would bring their own food and live in tents, picking strawberries for 2 or 3 weeks, then going home and coming down to pick the raspberries. Irene was known for being a good worker. She came for several summers. This is where Irene met Russell, as other girls met and married sons of Lindon farmers. Russell lived in the family home, just on top of Lindon Hill, his father would do the same thing, having workers pick and then selling the produce on market in Salt Lake.

The year is 1930 the time of the Great Depression. A worldwide business slump, the worst and longest period of high unemployment and low business activity.  On one hand Irene was wearing a diamond as Russell had asked her to marry him. On 20 August 1930 Russell and Irene went to Salt Lake to get a marriage license and be married by Alonzo Mackay and witnessed by Ellen Fish and Esther Smith. With the depression came little or no extras in life. No wedding gown, or invitations, pictures parties or receptions or honeymoons. Irene came to Lindon to live in the home where Russell was born and raised.

Melvin Smith

Russell’s mother, Clara Tomlinson died on 4 August 1911 and his father, Melvin Smith died on 4 May 1929. They had 11 children, the last one was born in January 1910. Russell had the task of helping raise his brothers and sisters. Two (DeWitt and Clara Verona) married after he did. He helped put DeWitt through college. They lived on a 6- acre farm. They raised fruit and were self-reliant.
Irene had learned from her father to like to work. Russell would take the fruit and berries in to Salt Lake to sell on market. Lots of people were poor as Job’s Turkeys (we say, poor as church mice) and sometimes Russell couldn’t sell the berries not even for 50 cents a case. So on the way home he would stop in South Jordan and give them to Mae. Irene picked berries and fruit for bottling. She was known for great grape juice and tomato juice, and don’t forget the yummy mustard pickles. She made the little red brick house a home. It had a small kitchen and living room, one little bedroom for them and a smaller bedroom for guest. The outhouse was just that, outside. Remember if you had a two seater, instead of one seat, you would think you’re rich.

Joan Irene

Their first born was Joan Irene Smith; she arrived on 14 February 1931, a Valentine’s gift, delivered right in the Smith’s Lindon home. The second child, Melvin Russell was born 14 November 1932, right at home. His birth certificate showed Don Russell and was changed to Melvin Russell. He was blessed by Robert Morton on 5 February 1933. Melvin came to stay only a short time with his earthly family. One day while Irene was stirring homemade ice cream and returning it to the freezer, she turned around to check on Melvin in his walker and Melvin had passed away. They think it may have been a heart attack. He returned to his Heavenly Father on 14 September 1933. He was laid to rest next to his grandpa, for whom he was named, in the Pleasant Grove City Cemetery.

Carol

One year later a blond little girl,Carol, was born at the Smith home on 23 September 1934. You can see by now that the guestroom is the bedroom for two sisters. Irene was busy sewing, reading family stories and sometimes enjoying embroidery and crocheting. She made her own quilts and had a big meal, fit for a king, on Thanksgiving. The Johnson’s would always come for Thanksgiving dinner and the children would enjoy playing together. Irene worked hard and loved to grow flowers. This brought her some spending money on Memorial Day. Melvin had planted apple trees on the farm when he owned it, so there were apples to pick and sort and cider to make. They had the right blend of apples to make it taste just right. Irene made good cider, the state inspector always took one gallon, he said it was the best.



A sad time for Irene when the phone call came saying her mother was extremely ill. Russell and Irene went up to see her. Her mother passed away on 17 April 1936. She was laid to rest in the South Jordan Cemetery. At this time Irene was expecting their fourth child. On 17 June 1936 a boy arrived at the Smith home in Lindon. Calvin J Smith was his given name and he was all boy and “an on the go” kid. Irene loved babies and enjoyed each one, as more were to come to this little red brick home, that now needed a bedroom for a boy. A room was made on to the back of the home and many years later a little room right next to it, for an indoor bathroom.
Gary R. Smith was born on 9 July 1938; he had some health problems, and was in and out of the hospital.

Irene was truly busy with meeting her family’s needs. Her sister-in-law Mae had moved in with Irene’s father, Oscar and Leonard’s sister Lois.  She remembers well the morning that Lois said Good Bye Mom, as she went out the door to catch the school bus for Jordan High School. Lois had been calling Mae, mom, for only a few weeks. Lois was the last one to get on the bus before the school bus was hit by a train. Lois sat by Blaine Page and those in the front were killed. A call was placed to Irene on the cold winter day of 1 December 1938. Carol remembers the bad feeling in the home, as Irene received word of her sister’s death. Joint funerals were held and Lois was laid to rest by her mom in the South Jordan City Cemetery.

Irene was sadden but quiet. She was said to be like her father, the answers to questions were just yes or no. A lady of few words, but a big heart and a love for her family. They were her first priority in life. While Gary was in and out of the hospital, Carol’s prayers were that Heavenly Father would help him be well again. But that was not to be, what they called summer complaint, took Gary home to his Heavenly Father. That night, 5 September 1940, Russell and Irene came home and told the kids that Gary had died. Gary was laid to rest by his brother Melvin on 8 September (2 years 1 month and 26 days old). Irene didn’t break down but had a truly sad and heavy heart. She was six months pregnant with their next child. Taking the trials of life as they come, Irene was carrying on.

The arrival of their sixth child was on 27 November 1940, Dennis Ralph Smith. Dennis was her first child to be born in a hospital, American Fork Hospital in American Fork, Utah. With his long curly blonde hair, and blue eyes, his mother couldn’t bring herself to cut it until he was over a year old.

To help with a little extra money for the family, Irene would cut seed potatoes for a gentleman in Orem. He only trusted her to do the task and brought lots of 100 lb. sacks for her to do. Russell and Irene worked hard for their family’s needs and there was always something on the table to eat. Irene learned to bake carp, stuffed with homemade dressing. They ate lots of fish, as Russell caught and hauled them to feed the mink. The fish were from Utah Lake and one winter, as they drove out on the lake the ice stopped cracking and the truck fell through the ice.   Great fish stories to tell as the couple would meet with their friends and go to the wrestles, or movies, or have them over for oyster soup. Irene made it with a can of oysters, can milk and butter. Carol thought it was great when she got to have some one night. Friends included Mr.and Mrs. Elmo Millar, the Swensons, Mr. and Mrs. Dub Wright and Russell’s brothers.

The family enjoyed Strawberry Days and the rodeo, and parade, the displays of quilts and fruit and hamburgers. Almost every Sunday, Irene would fry a chicken and make potato salad and the family would go for a ride. Sometimes the ride was to the west desert or to Lehi in the river bed; sometimes up American Fork Canyon, and in the fall around Alpine Loop.

Carol and Arlene

Between the work and family came the seventh child, Arlene B Smith on 27 January 1944, at the American Fork Hospital. A year and just over a month later along came number eight, Brent Smith on 5 March 1945. He was born at the American Fork Hospital, and delivered by Dr. Anderson. He was good with math and figured he would be the last boy to this family. The ninth and last child was Claudette Smith born on 31 August 1946 in American Fork Hospital. 

Through the great Depression, World War I and World War II  Russell and Irene had and supported nine children in the little red brick home on Lindon Hill, 50 South and State Street, Lindon, Utah. They raised their kids with rules and discipline…Please toe the mark. Russell said that you should always be honest in your dealings and a man of your word. Fears of the family were of weather, frost, too much or too little water. Children were taught to work.  On Saturday night the family watched Lawrence Welk and the kids would have a hamburger and chips and pop in front of the T.V. Irene enjoyed Pepsi and the children could have two bottles of pop a week.
Family traditions were Thanksgiving dinner with the Johnson’s and a football game in Lindon’s Park below Lindon Hill. Irene, liked the football games on T.V. There was never any vacations, just fun times. If we were working on Sunday, the Sunday school teacher would sometimes, come to the field and give the lesson. Work came before schooling, that was the way it was for all families who lived on a farm. 

If you got sick there was always the red salve to put on your chest and a T-shirt over it. In the morning the T-shirt was red, but it worked. We remembered the mustard plasters too!   The family farm was now mostly apple trees and fruit was sent to Lindon Fair and the Utah State Fair. The Wilson Red June’s were Big Red. They looked nice with color and a favorite to win. Irene was teaching the kids to skin fish. A board with a nail in one end and putting the fish’s head on it. She could do three fishes to the kids one.

Helping at Deanna's wedding

Irene was a good friend and stayed many times with Dub’s wife who was ill, while Dub went to work.   Russell was hauling fish one winter night and the truck was loaded. He was traveling up Center Street in Provo and started up over the overpass, the tailgate of the truck broke and the fish were all over the overpass. They had to pick everyone of them up..that was a memorable night! A memorable day was the only time Dennis and Carol saw their father kissing their mother by the clothes-line.

Irene’s talents were beautiful perfect button hole stitch and blankets and quilts. Her stuffing always had grated carrots and she had chocolate chip cookies and snicker doodle cookies in the cookie jar. For Christmas she made divinity and fudge. Great cherry pies! Now that the family was growing, the Smith’s and Johnson’s were having their own Thanksgiving Dinners.

Times were to change for Irene again. Russell was hospitalized in American Fork and the family took turns staying with him. He passed away on 26 January 1963. He was laid to rest in the Pleasant Grove Cemetery.
Irene’s father would come down often to see them and go fishing up American Fork Canyon. He would never tell where his fishing hole was, but he brought Irene fish every time.


Lanny in chair on left, Arlene and Irene to right of him

The family reunion on Memorial Day was always at Irene's home, all but one stormy day, it was held in Dennis’ barn. The last few years we held it at Steve and Paula Boren’s. 
Irene’s key to good health was good eating habits and eating fruit. She served her Savior by serving her family. Life was built around Russell. Irene made up for things Russell would not do. She never belittled him or ran him down and she never complained. Russell’s temple work was done by DeWitt. Irene had her work and six children sealed to her 9 July 1965 in the Salt lake Temple. The others were sealed 11 January 1967 and 14 August 1973. She enjoyed the time Arlene stayed with her, as Lanny was in the service of our country.   She went to help her children with their new arrivals.

She had a five generations’ picture taken, which is precious and priceless. She always looked nice.  Ruth Irene Johnson Smith, Joan Irene Smith Hamann, Michelle Slaymaker,  Dennette Irene Hamann, and Zachery Slaymaker.

The fall of 1989 Irene had a growth taken off, however it returned a few months later. She told the doctors it was cancer and tests confirmed it  In January 1995, she couldn’t do for herself without help. Her wish was to pass away at home. Her wish was granted, two of her family was with her 24 hours a day and she didn’t complain about the trials. The family knelt in family prayer in a circle around grandma. She taught us you don’t leave this stage of life alone and that we need to know what is taught at the temple. One of her last days she said she hoped she had done right by her children. She asked if her yard was cleaned up and the lawns mowed. With the yards cleaned and Dennis and Maxine mowed the large lawn, the night before. The next morning with her family around her she passed away 24 March 1995 at her home in Lindon, Utah. Irene said just before she passed away, that she hoped she had done right with her children. Her cough then reminded her when she had whopping cough as a child, and she almost coughed her sides out. She talked about making ice cream in the grid and the time she couldn’t find Dennis. He was walking down the road to Swenson’s with his bottle of homemade root beer.  She was laid to rest with her spouse and sons in the Pleasant Grove City Cemetery.
Memorial Day is still a family get-together. A family reunion was held in Mt. Pleasant,

in southern Utah. On one of those nights around the fire, each one took a turn and told of something they remember about Grandma Irene. We enjoyed playing bingo, the numbers were replaced with things about Grandma. Great memories to bridge the time until we see her again. What a great heritage and a great Smith name to carry on. This was taken in part from a biography I believe Maxine wrote, with help from Dennis and Joan. It was Joan and Tom who organized the Smith Family Reunion of 1998 in Mt. Pleasant, Utah. A note from me, Arlene, about my mother:   "Mom had a mind of her own and she spoke her mind when asked.  So if you didn't want the truth, then you didn't ask.  I use to think how am I going to get along without my mother because she had been part of my life for so many years, even at the times when I was back east, or in Georgia and Louisiana with Lanny, or in Moses Lake, Washington. She was always just a phone call away and many times I used it to call her for advice, to tell her about how the kids were doing or just to find out how she and the family were doing. Her picture hangs on our wall in the living room along with Dad's, and Lanny's mother and father. They may not be with us in body, but they are just a thought away.  And we feel their presence occasionally as if they were nearby, and perhaps sometimes they are. Hats off to a great lady.   If I can exit this life half the person she was then I will be satisfied."