Ruth Smith - Eureka references
Mom’s name appears rarely in the Aberdeen American News. Most of her adult life was spent raising eight children and managing a household. Dad may have been the King of his Castle, but Mom was the Grand Vizier. Newspapers reported Mom’s hospital stays, mostly after childbirth. Some clippings relate to her political ambitions. Mom ran for State Representative twice. Once as a Democrat, the next as an Independent. Democrats were generally unloved in McPherson and Campbell Counties. Not sure why that was so.
Dad’s name frequently appeared in newspapers. Since there were so few articles about Mom, I am chronicling what I know about her for the next generation. Hopefully this won’t be a repeat of what I have written earlier. What was she like? Mom was quieter than Dad, but not quiet. Where Dad was outgoing, Mom was more introverted. She had a great Irish sense of humor, and the family was her world. Sometimes Dad would tease her for having no sense of humor. Some jokes Mom found unfunny, even when Dad claimed his buddies ‘all roared’ at the same joke. She was a kind person with a big heart. I won’t use the word ‘sainted’ because that suggests someone who is a dour, old sourpuss. That was not Mom.
Hmmm. I wonder who else in our family inherited Dad’s dry sense of humor?
Mom’s children gathered together one weekend before her first election. We split in groups with orders to canvass and solicit votes. I drove one car and had at least one little sister traveling with me. We covered Herried and Mound City.
We knocked on doors and asked people to vote for Ruth Smith. One older gent answered the door, eyeballed me and my companion(s), looked at my car and complained how this was yet another example where Democrats brought in out-of-state volunteers to solicit votes. I told him Ruth Smith was my mother and my car had Minnehaha (SD) plates. He slammed the door in my face. My guess is he voted for someone else! I don‘t recall if we gave him one of Mom‘s election flyers. Mom had my vote.
Mom rarely drank, or at least I rarely saw her drink. When she did imbibe, Mom preferred Hamm’s beer. She liked it, but that stuff gives me gas. It was sold in the Dakotas and claimed to have been brewed in “the land of sky blue water… water … water”. As I was writing this article a local liquor store ad appeared on TV showing a six-pack of Hamm’s Beer. So I know it is still sold today.
Mom planned on having only two children. However, that plan went out the window after giving birth to twins. Dad wanted to name one of his boys ‘John’ after his grandfather, John Smith. Mom might have considered it at one time; however, she changed her mind after one doctor’s visit in Sioux Falls. She was sitting in the doctor’s office waiting for her appointment. The receptionist yelled “Mrs. John Smith”. The waiting ladies snickered assuming Mom was using an alias. Mom, 7 or 8 months pregnant with twins, had a hard time getting out of the chair which caused more laughter. From that time on she vowed never to name any of her boys ‘John’. As you know, VJ’s middle name is ‘John’; however, Grandpa Frank Ryan hated the name ‘Vincent’. A ‘Vincent’ was also Frank Ryan’s arch-enemy, so Grandpa Frank starting calling this baby ‘VJ’.
Years ago Eureka had a priest named Father Bequet. Dad called him ‘Father Birdseed’ because he liked to sing at Mass. “ Old school” Dad did not like singing priests. One Sunday Dad was so angry with the singing he threatened to convert his family to Lutherans! Mom calmed him down. Years later Mom could not attend church services due to her disability and illnesses. The local Priest, a gossip, assumed Mom was ‘hitting the suds’ for missing so many Masses. Catholics are expected to attend Mass each Sunday. As a reminder, Lutherans who attend services only on Easter and Christmas still consider themselves good Christians. Hmmm. I wonder if the Smiths thought it still too late to convert!
Mom did not learn to drive until after Dad died. She learned out of necessity and not because she had any desire to drive. At some point all the older siblings gave Mom driving lessons. I visited one weekend and Mom asked me to give her lessons. She said Steve had no patience with her driving!
The following lists subjects familiar to the Smith Siblings:
? Mom mostly slept during automobile rides. If she was not sleeping then she was singing along with the radio.
? How many of us recall Mom’s song that called her children in for lunch or dinner? Mom sang “Timmy, Terry, Barbara, VJ”. Later she added “… and Stevie” to the end. How many block away could this be heard? Even the neighbor kids knew and sang Mom’s song.
? We all remember Mom’s countdown, “10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Here I come!” She only counted down when we misbehaved upstairs. You never wanted Mom to say ’1’. This was her warning of dire consequences. Once she hit ’1’ Mom would climb the stairs with belt in hand. Sometimes we tried outsmarting her. During one episode we placed pillows on our behinds and covered up with blankets. Didn’t help. Another time everyone hid in drawers, except for one child who somehow escaped unnoticed. That ruse actually worked. Mom figured we were just one step ahead of her and finally gave up.
? Mom’s soprano voice could be heard above everyone else’s in church.
? Mom would describe herself as ‘gangly’ or ‘gawky’ as a child. At 5 foot 4 inches Mom was one of the tallest in her family.
Few news articles were written about her. Perhaps the following bylines/headlines (some tongue-in-cheek) could be suggested:
? Young Ryan girl shot in eye by wild-eyed BB-gun toting neighbor boy
? Mrs. Smith climbs tree to save baby sparrows after Schaeffer boy kills mother bird
? Bacon burned beyond recognition served to unsuspecting children
? Eureka housewife describes herself as a “compendium of useless information”
? Library Board member burns “Portnoy’s Complaint” in backyard trash barrel. “Trash barrel too good for this book”.
? Kimball woman graduates with Bachelor’s Degree from the University of South Dakota
? Local housewife has read every book in Eureka Public Library
? Ryan girl skips two grades and graduates at top of her Senior class
? Lawyer’s wife sees dead people
Growing up in Eureka I do not recall Mom working outside the home. After Dad died Mom worked as a substitute teacher, Green Thumb worker, and at the Luncheonette. Mom also took courses at Northern State College to recertify her teaching credentials.
Dad was a smart man who graduated from Harvard Law School. One time Dad asked Carey Lapp for his college major. Carey said ‘English’ whereupon Dad started ‘speaking in tongues‘. Once finished Dad asked Carey if he understood what was said. Carey said ’No’. Dad said, “I though you said you were an English Major. That’s Beowulf in Old English.“ Dad was no intellectual slouch, but I think Mom might have been smarter. She had an IQ in the high One Sixties. Dad’s was only in the One Forties.
Mom loved telling a story about the twin’s first spoken words. After one frustrating day, Dad belted out “Son of a Bitch”. Immediately the twins parroted these words back to both parents. Dad stood stunned and silent. Mom and Dad simply ignored these outbursts waiting for the novelty to wear off. Several days later the twins stopped ‘cussing’.
One time I was watching Television in the living room when I heard this loud laughter coming from the kitchen. I asked Mom what was so funny. She came over and showed me a cartoon inside the Atlantic Monthly. A little boy was pointing at his father dressed in hunting gear with duck in hand. The boy exclaimed, “Big deal. Daddy got a duck.” Mom found this extremely funny!
Years ago I talked to Mom and Dad about the Priesthood. Both parents suggested I think about it and not make any rash decisions. Mom always worried about me, especially since I looked so emaciated as a young adult. She confided to one of her children that she wished she would not have talked me out of becoming a Priest! Mom figured I would have eaten more regular as a Priest!
When I was 4 years old Mom took me to the Captain 11 show. Captain 11 was a children’s television show in Sioux Falls hosted by a man dressed in a blue pilot’s uniform. A wall mural showed three children in their living room watching us on their TV. I imagined it was my own siblings watching me on TV. The Captain yelled out, “Where are you from?” I stood silent while Mom egged me on whispering, “Say Eureka”. Finally, it got quiet and the Captain was getting ready to show a cartoon. I yelled out “Eureka”. The Captain said, “Who is from Eureka?” Mom pushed me forward. The Captain picked me up and asked me who I was and what I was doing in town. I told him my name (Tim) and my brother Terry was in the hospital getting an operation for birth defects. He let me turn a knob on his control panel to play the next cartoon.
I have just one final story to add. Dad died in December 1978, and I went back to visit Eureka the following May. By accident, it was the same weekend date as Mom and Dad’s wedding anniversary. I did not say anything as I did not want to bring it up. Near dinner time Mom pulled out a bottle of champagne and announced it was her anniversary. So both of us drank the champagne and celebrated her anniversary.
Other siblings may have their own stories to add. If I sat down and thought about it harder I could come up with more stories. However, these are the first stories that come to mind.
Birth announcement of Wendy
Ann and Mom in Hospital (birth)
Ruth Smith participating in Rally. She ran on the Independent ticket.
Merida birth announcement. Ruth Smith in hospital.
Ruth smith admitted to hospital (Wendy).
Election Results for county races.
The ballot. All of these documents can be accesssed by clicking on thumbnails on right.
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