Note: The Following Tribute Was Written By Betty Smith Sparks K.P. (Kitchen Philosopher) A COMMON ORDINARY MAN He was a very ordinary looking man, not too short nor too tall. There was nothing imposing about his appearance; in fact he was a very common sort just as his name which was Smith replied. He was among the younger children of a family of twelve. He had little education having only finished the fifth grade, yet he had a store of worthwhile knowledge and common sense. He had done some traveling during his younger days just as many young men go but to see the world. He lived for a while in Cal- ifornia, but returned to the old home town to settle down. The depression years hit him hard. He married in 1930 but found himself out of work much of the next two years. He walked two miles before daylight to catch a truck to ride out to a WPA con- struction site just on the chance that he might get a job. Finally he did and was happy to be able to earn a dollar a day for twelve hours of hard labor. He managed to save a little money and build a small house which he added on to whenever he could afford to do so. As prosperity returned, he built up a good business as a painting contractor. But he was never overly ambitious. He was, how- ever, very exacting in his standards. He refused to use inferior materials to cut costs and insisted upon the finest quality of work. some people thought his priced to high, but that didn't bother him. He always had steady customers who know and appreciated his work and called him in every few years to redo their houses. Having known unemployment, he disdained buying things on credit, instead he bought when he had the money and did with- out when he did not. Having grown up on a ranch, he loved the outdoors. He was never happier than when he was fishing or hunting. He took care never to get too busy that he couldn't take a few days off for these passtimes. Deer hunting was a special favorite and he was an expert at it. In fact, he enjoyed the hunt so much that he often spent days hunting but waited until the last of the season to kill his deer. Why kill too early in the season and miss out on hunting for the rest of the time he reasoned. He was sick a great deal of his life for he suffered recurring attacks of stomach ulcers. Yet he bore these sick spells with his usual calm. He was not a religious man, yet he seemed to have a deep belief in a God who had a plan for everything. He was quiet and softspoken, but loved to talk about things he was interested in. He was respected by those with whom he worked and by those in his family. He taught his children not by talk but by example. when his final illness came, he entered the hospital knowing that he would not return home again. But he was ready for the final adventure and serene in his acceptance of what was to come. He told his love ones that he was worn out and could not enjoy hunting and fishing and so it was time to go. He told his wife what kind of a funeral he wanted. He died as he had lived with no great fuss. I am proud to have known this man Smith. From him I learned many things about life and death. I am proud to say that he was my father. By Betty Smith Sparks
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