A Wedding Remembered - Cousin Sharon Smith Waters - June 30, 1957

A Wedding Remembered

Cousin Sharon Smith Waters

June 30, 1957

Thanks to cousin, Laurel Brunken, and his sister Candy, for these memories:

[Click to see enlarged views]

[Click to see enlarged views]

Summer 1955 visit to our Iowa farm home, from their Nebraska home, Sharon and her family.

Families are forever!  ;-)

Wordless (nearly) Wednesday - Another Nebraska Smith Photo

Wordless (nearly) Wednesday - Another Nebraska Smith Photo

About a month ago, I shared a photo of the 1954 Smith family gathering at our Iowa family farm when Smith cousins from Nebraska were visiting there. Our visitors were a son and his wive and grandchildren of my great-uncle, John Joseph Smith.

I included other photos shared with me by his great-grandchildren, Laurel Brunken and his sister, Candace "Candy" Brunken Breed. The following photo recently came to me, from Candy, via Laurel. THANK YOU for sharing!  ;-)

This is 1962 portrait of John Joseph's two sons and their wives:

From left: Laura Alice (Price) and her husband, Lee Arnold Smith with Esther (Swanson) and her husband, Lyman Smith.

In sending me the photo, Laurel said: "This photo was always in a frame around our house when I was growing up. I thought you might enjoy it since Esther and Lyman are in it." Lyman and Esther were our 1954 visitors. 

By the way, Lee Arnold and Lyman had one sister, Beulah.

Families are Forever!  ;-)

Surname Saturday - Smith - Update

Surname Saturday - Smith - Update

From 1954, this was a family gathering 'across' the Michael Smith family. In the back row, Lyman Smith (hat!) with wife, Esther, and daughter Pat and Sharon - our Nebraska cousins! My family is on the left (that's me by Lyman). Dad behind Barry, Mom with Tom, and Lyman has his hand on Jim's shoulder! On the right, is Dad's older brother Willard (Toots!), his wife Mary, and in front, their children Margaret and Dan. On the far right is Judi Hilgenberg, daughter of Dad's sister, Max.

OK, why am I sharing this particular photo, in this way, today? This week, I've heard from another cousin, Laurel Jay Brunken, from the Nebraska branch (2nd cousin, 1(gen) removed) - pretty close, huh? He shared a few interesting photos!

My Great-grandfather Michael Smith's first son with his second wife, Maggie Soderstrom, was my grandfather, William Emanuel (b. 1869). Their second son, John Joseph (b. 1872), moved to Nebraska as a young man (before 1885, when he would have been 13!). Lyman (b. 1903), above, and Lee Arnold Raymond (Arnold) (b. 1901) were his two sons (also had a daughter, Buelah (1907). 

Laurel Jay is grandson of Arnold by his oldest daughter, Joann Ellen (Smith) Brunken.

Here are Lyman and Arnold!

"A few years later" - Arnold, his wife Laura, and Lyman (in 1962) - note Lyman and his hat!:

Laurel also just sent some more recent photos of Lyman's family. Here are Lyman's four children, Shirley, Dick, Sharon and Pat. Pat and Sharon were shown in 1954, above. Sharon is closest to my age; second cousins.

[I thought she was really neat, as I recall, in 1954!]

Sharon and his husband, Don Waters, celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary in June 2007:

A special thanks for Laurel for much family information/updates, and just great family conversation... continuing! ;-)

Families are Forever! ;-)