Johanna Theresa Smith

My mom told me once that her mission in life was to be a wife and mother. She never dreamed of a career however being a wife and mother is one of the hardest jobs there is. My mom was born on the family farm in Lebanon, Oregon. (Near Crabtree) She was the 6th child of Peter and Gertrude Smith. There was about a 9 year gap between my mom and her brother, the next youngest. The doctor had told Gertrude that she should not have any more children but they so wanted more. My mom was named after her two grandmothers: Johanna Smith and Theresa Cliff. About a year and a half after my mom's birth her younger sister and best friend Toni was born. The two girls quickly were given the nickname of "The Twirps" by their older brothers and sisters. On the right is the only baby picture of my mother. It was taken at her first Strawberry fair. On the left and below are the twirps.

My mom's early years were spent living on the farm. They had walnuts and hazelnuts (filberts) as their main cash crop. To help support the family Peter worked at the local lumber mill during the day and ran the farm after work. My mom talked of her childhood often. She always felt loved by her parents. She loved school but she did not consider herself a good student. She and Toni help with the chores on the farm. She said that the walnut harvest was often in the rain and cold. By the end of the day her hands were covered black from the walnut casings. She once told me that she never wanted to marry a farmer.

My mom was raised Catholic. Sundays mornings were spent going to church and then having a BIG breakfast afterwards. Mom remembered always having to be at church early. Her father never wanted to be late. They would wait in the car until it was time to enter the church. After mass her dad, Peter, would read the paper while her mother was making breakfast. She would laugh as she talked about her brothers Don and Bob snitching bacon almost as fast as her mother could cook it. My mom always said that faith is a gift and like any gift it is up to us to use it to our benefit. She learned her faith from her parents and she taught her children her faith by her actions. Not just by going to mass but by saying the rosary and reading her prayer book every morning. She even had a prayer book in her car so she could read while she sat at red lights. She never talked bad of other religions, in fact she tried to understand their practices.

When she was 8 her older brother Don was killed when his ship the Liscomb Bay was sunk in the Pacific during WWII. My mom said that when the telegram came with the news her father cried. This was the only time that she recalled him crying. He felt such guilt because he had signed for Don to enter the Navy. This was a real tough time for the family. They were shaken and relied on their faith to understand WHY? As an 8 year old my mom did not fully grasp the entire situation. What 8 year old would? A couple years before my mom's death I found a book about the Liscomb Bay. After reading it my mom said that she felt closer to her brother. At last she understood what he went through. On the left is Don and the Twirps also known as his "Glamor Girls".

When my mom was in high school her parents sold the farm and moved to town. (Lebanon) They purchased a small house on C Street. Life was much easier in town with no farm to worry about. They did have enough yard to have a small vegetable and herb garden and lots of roses. My granny, Gertrude, loved her garden and took great pride in her roses. Living in town gave my mom more free time to enjoy her high school years. She was active with the youth group at church and was in choir at school. She enjoyed movies and music of the time. She loved going to dances with her family. I guess her parents were quite the dancers!

My mom loved her life. She was so proud of her family. Her children and grandchildren were her source of entertainment. When the grandchildren were little she could spend all day just watching them play. She may not of wanted a career but I am grateful that she was such a success in her career as a wife, a mother, and a grandmother. Mom thanks for being such a wonderful mother and friend!!