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| Martin Blaine Smith |
Martin Blaine Smith
Note: He went by his middle name - Blaine
Parents: Martin Smith (Janus Marinus Elmann Ohlsson) and Ester Elizabeth East
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-M-
Maternal Grandfather |
Born 10 Feb 1915 Ogden, Weber, Utah
Married: complicated, keep reading
Occupations
Tractor operator for the War Department in Ogden Arsenal (1940 census)
Utah General Depot 1941-1958
US Army Depot Warehouseman (1950 census)
Rawson and Lund Garage 1959-1963
Heavy Duty/ Diesel Mechanic at Porter Delton Company Hill Air Force Base (HAFB) at the time of his death.
Note: Blaine was an alcoholic. I mention this because, the way I understand it, the trait can be inherited. My maternal grandfather was a man with many skeletons in his closet and I only mention those that may affect the living and/or combating rumor with truth.
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Arline and Blaine
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He married 1) Arline Mitchell 17 Oct 1936 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah.
Note: He married her under a false name: Jannis Blaine Smith. Where did he get the name? His father's first name was Janus. If you look at his signature on the marriage license (see the enlarged section of the signatures just below), he didn't spell Janus correctly.
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The bogus name he signed on the marriage license.
His mother-in-law, Lurena, was one of the witnesses. |
Arline filed for divorce 25 Oct 1944. It was final six months later.
Blaine was given custody of their four children by 1947.
Note: According to my Aunt Sharon, Blaine was in a relationship with a woman named Molly (?) between 1944 and 1952. She may have been a common-law wife. She had a child, which his daughter, Sharon, tended. Molly worked downtown Ogden and was kind. Sharon and Duke liked her. As he got older, Duke wondered if Molly's girl was Blaine's. At this point, there is no proof one way or another.
Also, there is another story, one that I have debated sharing, but someone may be looking for paternity answers and it may help them. When my Aunt Sharon was a little girl - this would be the 1940's - one day her father took just her for a ride (a rare thing and likely an excuse) and drove to a trailer park. It was the first time she'd seen a trailer. The woman had just had a baby. She couldn't remember if it was a boy or a girl. The baby wasn't well. She didn't know what was wrong with it. Sharon thinks it was a boy, but is unsure.
Now here is the crux of this story: Afterward, her father told her to not tell (and indication that in all likelihood, the child was his and illegitimate) and bribed her with ice cream (if the first part was an indication, this, in my opinion, confirms it). She kept his secret until she told me. As an adult, she has wondered if she has another sibling somewhere. So, if you have ties to Ogden, were born in the mid-1940's and your mother lived in a trailer park, you may be connected to the Smith family.
Hilda was born 4 Oct 1926 in Havre de Grace, Maryland. She was the daughter of Samuel McCrone and Eva DeBaugh.
Blaine married Hilda McCrone 12 February 1952 in Elko, Nevada
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In this picture, you can see what his daughter, Sharon, calls "the East-grey" eyes.
In most pictures, Blaine's eyes look blue.
Death of Hilda: 15 Apr 1955 Dee Hospital, Ogden, Weber, Utah
Note: She was 28 and pregnant (about 3 months) when she died of a heart attack. Blaine (husband) was the informant on the death certificate.
Rumor: Blaine supposedly asked the gender of baby and it was (supposedly) a boy. How this could be, when the baby was not delivered (to my knowledge) so they could see. They didn't have gender identification in the 1950's.
Her daughter, Della and two stepchildren, (Sandy and Duane) were at the house (708 3rd Street, Ogden) when it happened. Sandy, husband Don, and their oldest daughter, Kathy, had moved in while Don was at Basic Training. Lorie went to Sandy when she couldn't wake her mother up. The ambulance was called. Death was declared at 9:35 p.m. My question is protocol: since Lorie couldn't wake her mom, was Hilda already dead and the ambulance merely transported her body, practicing working on it or was it required by law to do this? It will likely remain a mystery for now.
Note: the house where Blaine lived was where his daughters and son lived with him while they were growing up. My mother, Sally, helped him build it.
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Hilda's headstone
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Buried: Smith family plot in the Ogden City Cemetery Sources for Hilda: Death Certificate 1930 US Census Havre de Grace, Maryland (age 4, living with Grandmother) 1940 US Census Havre de Grace, Maryland (age 13, Samuel Harvey is head of household) 1950 US Census Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (married to Dellis Gill daughter Della Gill is listed) |
HISTORY NOTES
Hilda had been married before and had a daughter (Della Lorraine Gill) from a previous marriage. Her daughter's name, Della, was changed to Laurie by Sharon, then to Esther Lorie when Velma Alexander, Blaine's sister, came into the picture. Velma claimed she adopted Lorie. I have not seen any official adoption papers.
The following is the story I heard from my Aunt Sharon, Blaine's youngest daughter: Lorie was born Della Lorraine Gill. Her mother, Hilda, married my grandfather, Martin Blaine Smith. Note: still working on figuring a few things out about the traveling from Wisconsin to Utah, since Lorie was born in Wisconsin).
Blaine's kids (Sally, Sandy, Sharon, Duane) were grateful for Hilda because she cooked nice meals and was kind to them.
Hilda was pregnant and was resting on the sofa when she had her massive heart attack. At home at the time were Sandy (who was living with them at the time), Duane, and Laurie.
I was also told Lorie's name was spelled Laurie until she was older (see picture in memories section of Family Search. It will show the spelling). The story behind this is that Hilda wanted the girls to choose a name for Della and Sharon chose Laurie - named after a pretty girl at school.
After Hilda died, Blaine did not want to keep Della/Laurie (this was a good thing - Blaine was an alcoholic) and took her to his EX-mother-in-law (Lurena Taylor Mitchell) to keep until other arrangements could be made.
***This is where Velma, Blaine's sister, comes into the story. She took Lorie in and supposedly adopted her, changing her name to Esther Lorraine Alexander. Does anyone know the truth? It wasn't mentioned in the obit and I think it would have been if true. Velma's son, Roy, is mentioned in the obit, but Velma is not.
BLAINE'S MARRIAGES CONTINUED
3) Married Patricia Fisher - according to Velma, Blaine's sister, Pat was Mel Fisher's sister. The marriage lasted 30 days according to my Aunt Sharon, his youngest daughter. They were both alcoholics and things didn't work out. Pat remarried. Divorced in Denver, Colorado 22 June 1957 according to the marriage license for Blaine and Zelma
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4) Married Zelma Bennett (ex-wife of George Sprunt) 17 July 1959 Uinta, Wyoming is where the marriage license was applied for. I heard from Aunt Sharon that they divorced, remarried, and divorced again. So, this means they must have married between June of 1957 and 1959. I had heard they married in 1958, but have no legal sources for the marriage. Also, if one counts the months, she was pregnant with Sammy at the time of her second marriage to him, so she might have remarried because Sam was Blaines.
NOTE: Zelma married her first husband, George Sprunt, twice as well - once in 1947 divorced him on 29 Dec 1948 and remarried him in 1949
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| Zelma Bennett Smith and Martin Blaine Smith |
Note: There may have been another marriage for Blaine. If there was, I have not found a legitimate source yet. He was living with a woman by the name of Helen Brane at the time of his death in 1966. She may have been a common-law wife. She was in her 40's and had a baby and lost it. The child may or may not have been Blaine's.
CHILDREN- with Zelma
The following children are my Uncle/Aunt
They were born the same year, but they weren't twins
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| Sam Martin Smith Bailey |
Sam Martin (Smith) Bailey - (a.k.a. Sammy)
Born 4 Jan 1960 Ogden, Weber, Utah
Married and divorced, was engaged at time of death
Died: 9 Aug 2005 in Ogden, Weber, Utah.
Burial: Cremation. The ashes were divided among relatives and some are buried on the Smith plot, hence the headstone.
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| Sam's headstone |
Obituary:
Sam Martin (Smith) Bailey died August 9, 2005. Born January 4, 1960 to Blaine and Zelma Smith. Later in his life, he was legally adopted by Jerome C. Bailey.
He is survived by his mother, Zelma B. Bailey; his two daughters, Misty D. and Cherle V; one son, Michael (Tanya) Kruitbosch; three granddaughters, Madison, Acacia, Alayna; his fiancée, Pam Vaughn; his sisters, Sally Williams, Sandra (Charles) Fowers, Sharon Brandewie, Faye (Mick) Hope, Lynda (Gabe) Vegas, Janet (Mike) Battisti, and Tina (Terry) Heath and three brothers, Duane (Penny) Smith, George N. (Andi) Sprunt, and Gary W. Bailey. Also surviving are numerous friends who are also his extended family.
He was preceded in death by his two fathers, Jerome C. Bailey and Blaine M. Smith, his little sister, Mary E. Smith, and a brother, Scott B. Sprunt.
Funeral Service will be held on Saturday, August 13, 2005 at 3pm at Lindquist's Ogden Mortuary, 3408 Washington Blvd. Family and friends may call an hour prior to the services. Cremation under the direction of Aaron's Mortuary and Crematory, 1600 Washington Blvd.
Sources
Divorce filed by Hilda: Ogden Standard Examiner, Saturday, 28 Aug 1954 p 9
Obituary from Ogden Standard-Examiner
LDS Church deceased member record
Marriage Index: Lorie's marriage to John Paul Frowein
California Divorce Index: Lorie's divorce from John Paul Frowein
Personal Knowledge
Born and Died 15 Nov 1960 Ogden, Weber, Utah
Note: she lived 2 hours
COD: Premature and Bilateral Pulmonary atelectasis (collapse of lungs)
Informant: father, Blaine
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| Mary's death certificate |
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| Mary Ester's Obituary |
Burial: Ogden City Cemetery
Plot: J-7-12-4E
Blaine's information continued:
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| Blaine's dog tags |
Talents: He played the guitar and banjo
Military: Army WW2: Private in Co H 71 Infantry
Note: He temporarily lived with his oldest daughter, Sally, in the 1960's after his divorce from his fourth wife, Zelma.
Died 16 Aug 1966 Dee Hospital, Ogden, Weber, Utah
COD: heart attack
Buried Ogden City Cemetery, Ogden, Weber, Utah
Note: his first and third wife's attended his funeral, though they had married other people in the meantime. Sharon, their daughter, told me about her mom (Arline) attending. Velma, Blaine's sister, told her about Pat Fisher attending.
Sources
1920 US Census page 23 (age 4)
1930 US Census Sheet 41A (age 15)
1935 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Census
1940 US Census for Ogden, Utah (age 25)
1950 US Census Ogden, Weber, Utah (age 35)
Marriage: Marriage License
WW2 Draft Registration Card
WW2 Army Enlistment Records
WW2 Index to Army Veterans of Utah
Ogden, Utah, Directory 1960 listing Selma and Blane Smith
Death: Obituary in Ogden Standard-Examiner
Divorce: Divorce Papers 2nd district court Ogden, Weber, Utah, decree #19872
LDS Deceased member record
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Arline Mitchell age 16
Parents: Frank Hunter Mitchell and Lurena TaylorBorn 21 Jun 1919 Woods Cross, Davis, Utah
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| Jacob and Arline Opheikens |
Married 2) Jacob Opheikens Jr. 1 Jun 1950 Fresno, Fresno, California
No Children
Occupation: Retired from Hill Air Force Base, Utah
Died 13 Dec 2002 Dee Hospital, Ogden, Weber, Utah
COD: heart attack
Buried 16 Dec 2002 Washington Memorial Heights, Ogden, Weber, Utah
Sources
1920 US Census for Woods Cross, Davis, Utah
1930 US Census for Woods Cross, Davis, Utah
1940 US Census for Ogden, Weber, Utah (age 20)
Personal Knowledge
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| Arline and Jake's headstone |
LDS Church deceased member record
Funeral Program
Obituary from Ogden Standard-Examiner
Headstone: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/55712414/arline-opheikens
4 CHILDREN with Arline
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| Sally Lurena Smith |
Born 24 Mar 1937 Ogden, Weber, Utah (4:59 a.m.)
Eyes: Hazel
Hair: Brunette
Height: 5'4" Slender build
Married 1) Robert Charles Taylor 11 Dec 1953 Ogden, Weber, Utah (Divorced 1960, he died 19 June 2019)
Children: 4 pregnancies; one miscarriage, one stillborn she told me she'd have named Christina, and 2 living as of 2023
2) Gordon Grant Evans 24 Nov 1960 Ogden, Weber, Utah (Divorced 1963)
Children: 2 living as of 2022
3) Wallace Dean Johanson 31 Dec 1967 Las Vegas, Clark, Nevada (Divorced 14 July 1974)
Children: 1 living as of 2022, lost twins
4) Dallas Dale Williams 7 Feb 1997 Ogden, Weber, Utah (Widowed)
No Children
Died 9 Nov 2012 @ 443 W 4650 S Washington Terrace, Ogden, Weber, Utah
Buried 12 Nov 2012 Washington Memorial Heights, Washington Terrace, Ogden, Weber, Utah
Note: in the Mausoleum, the bottom drawer, second from left
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Sally's drawer in the mausoleum
(at the back and on the left bottom row) |
Obituary
Paradise glows brighter now with the presence of our mother, Sally Lurena Smith Williams, who entered its gates on 9 Nov 2012.
She spent the last several months of life teaching us her final lessons on endurance, patience, and love. Mom was born 24 March 1937 to Martin Blaine Smith and Arline Mitchell. She married and divorced Robert Taylor, Gordon Evans, and Dean Johanson. She was the widow of Dallas Williams.
She loved music and was an avid dancer. Sally belonged to the Western Two-Steppers dance team, was a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles, and worked as a cook in the Ogden City School District until she retired.
As a single parent, her life revolved around raising her children and she sacrificed much for their sake. Mom thanked her family many times for being by her side as she made her long journey home.
Her parents, grandparents, and one grandchild graduated from life before her and are undoubtedly having a joyous reunion. The family would like to thank everyone that brought smiles and helping hands while she underwent polishing during the last stages of her life.
Sources
1940 US Census Ogden, Weber, Utah (age 3)
1950 US Census Ogden, Weber, Utah (age 13)
Utah Birth Certificate
Utah Death Certificate
Funeral Program
Obituary in Ogden Standard-Examiner 11 Nov 2012
Personal knowledge
Headstone: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/100927408/sally-lurena-williams
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| Sandra Diane Smith |
Born 24 February 1938 (2:36 a.m.) Ogden, Weber, Utah
Occupation: Meridian Publishing, Golden State Casting
Married 1) Donald Blaine Phipps (divorced, he died 1985)
Children: 4
2) Living
No Children
Died 19 Oct 2017 Ogden, Weber, Utah
Buried 26 Oct 2017 Washington Memorial Heights, Washington Terrace, Ogden, Weber, Utah
Obituary:
Sandra Diane Smith Fowers
February 24, 1938 ~ October 19, 2017
Sandra Diane Smith Fowers, 79, passed away on Thursday, October 19, 2017. She was born on February 24, 1938, in Ogden, Utah, to Martin Blaine Smith and Arline Mitchell Smith Opheikens.
She married Donald Blaine Phipps, together they had four children, and they later divorced. She then married Charles D. Fowers on April 15, 1994 in Ogden, Utah.
Sandra worked at Meridian Publishing for 23 years and then at Golden State Casting as a casting finisher.
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Sandy and Charley's headstone
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She enjoyed playing pool, darts, roller-skating, and dancing.
Sandra is survived by her husband, Charlie; sons, Shaun Phipps, Chad (Torri) Fowers, and Michael (Amy) Fowers; daughters, Kathy Gardner, Debra (Mike) Eastman, and Darla (Harold) Vaughan; six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren; brother, Frank Duane “Duke” (Penny) Smith; and sister, Sharon Smith Brandewie. She was preceded in death by her parents; grandson, Raymond Daylin Don Baker; brother, Sammy Smith Bailey; and sisters, Mary Ester Smith and Sally Smith Williams.
Graveside services will be held on Thursday, October 26, 2017 at 2 p.m. at Lindquist’s Washington Heights Memorial Park, 4500 Washington Blvd. Friends may visit with the family on Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m. and Thursday from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at Lindquist’s Ogden Mortuary, 3408 Washington Blvd.
Sources
1940 US Census Ogden, Weber, Utah (age 2) Occupation(s) IRS, CRC Press, Forest Service
No Children
Died
Buried
Sources
1940 US Census Ogden, Weber, Utah (age 1)
1950 US Census Ogden, Weber, Utah (age 11)
Personal knowledge
Living
Born 3:04 a.m. Ogden, Weber, Utah
Married
Children: 3
Died
Buried
Sources
1950 US Census Ogden, Weber, Utah (age 8)
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