Twinkle and Binkle, The Starr News: In memory of my mother's birthday, June 12, 2013 (Irene Smith)

Ruth Irene Johnson Smith

Today is my mother’s birthday. Although she has been gone for forty years, her memory is as fresh as when she had just passed away. I am including a few comments gathered and compiled largely by Maxine Smith. Memorial Day, Thanksgiving Day, the farm, watering the lawn and running barefoot, planting trees, picking apples, sorting them and making cider are common memories we have of my mother. She missed picking apples as she grew older, but continued to mow her big lawn and in the fall rake the many leaves that fell from the trees in her yard. She said it was good exercise for her. And if anyone knew exercise, it was she. She was an avid walker, taking longs walks each and every morning, sometimes four miles at a time and continued to do so up until the time she got very ill.

At a Smith Family Reunion in 1998 while gathered around an evening campfire, we shared memories of Irene and Russell Smith. For now I will focus on those made about Mom: Carol remembers her as patient and understanding, her flower garden kept her alive and she loved babies.

Arlene remembers Irene letting her have a horse and later learning that her mother

hated horses. That said a lot about her desire to make her children and grandchildren happy.

Lanny remembers when you took Grandma out to eat, she would order shrimp. Arlene’s and Lanny and their kids’ last picnicking time with Grandma was at the Heber Creek and Grandma surprised them by taking her shoes off and running on the pebbles in the river.

Dennis remembers the Sunday rides when we would invite a friend and on Sunday we always ate chicken. A favorite picnicking place was in Lehi, where we would play football and we always had food. Grandma always hid the Christmas gifts in the corner of the apple shed.

Maxine remembers the last time Grandma climbed the apple tree to pick apples, she fell and Calvin and Dennis said no more climbing, she could pick from the ground.

Joan remembers her mom had bottled pop in the frig and they would take the lid off and have a drink and replace the cap. As the oldest child, she worked outside. On July 24 Joan was in the parade as a raspberry. She thanked her parents for letting her go with Aunt Mae to the parade.

Tom added on the addition of a new kitchen, bathroom and washroom which Irene liked and enjoyed.

Cindy remembers the sleepovers and sleeping in until Dennis came around. Grandma had good tasting hamburgers. Grandma stood up for her so she could go to a school dance. Thanks! Cindy’s son gave Max (dog) to Grandma. He was there by her side when she passed away.

Steve remembers selling flowers and the kids counted the money for her. Paula remembers helping in the fruit stand and reading a book every Saturday. Grandma was always for the underdog (the person not favored.)

Sandra remembers having a fire in the fruit stand and couldn’t understand why they didn’t have one in the house.

Other grandchildren remembers: Boren =playing in the ditch in front of Grandma’s home. Fox =trying to out-run Grandma. Boren =eating tomato soup, ice cubes, orange, spinach and you had to eat before you could play. Fox = Grandma’s cookies and Grandma made and sold puppet gloves. Others remembered Grandma’s baked carp and she always put carrots in the turkey dressing. Grandma made great divinity and fudge candy and lots of cookies for Christmas. Great memories were made of Memorial Day at Grandma’s, Tom built her an outside fireplace that was used. The families got together with potluck and “bring your own meat”!

Dennette recalls going shopping with Irene and Claudette and learning the value of money and shoes.

Bryce remembers Grandma baby-sitting him, sleepovers with Max sleeping by him, the breakfasts with great pancakes.

Michael remembers Grandma’s cookies and great homemade candies at Christmas time. Great fudge!

Kay recalls Irene was good to him, always made times good for his kids, she was appreciated. Claudette remembers the picnics around the Alpine Loop and with Larson’s and Swenson’s.

Stacey remembers going grocery shopping for ice cream and playing marbles and playing in the irrigation water.

DeAnn recalls the toys at the foot of the kitchen counter. There were wood spools, spice tins, odds and ends for the kids to build objects out of.

Amy loved the bags of cookies for Halloween and at Christmas time and that Max was always by Grandma’s side.

Other memories were cookies made with ice cream tins, and the love she had for babies. Grandma was a hard worker, you can see that in her children. She canned fruit and beans, mustard pickles and beets.

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. Dennis remembers making homemade root beer and mixing cider with it. They put it in the bottles and placed them down in the fruit cellar. Irene couldn’t understand what all the popping in the cellar was! (broken bottles!)