EJ and ET's Blog

JANUARY 30, 2008

JANUARY 31, 2008

INFORMATION FOR ISU-YMCA ROBINS REGARDING DORIS REINHART PASSING
THE WEATHER:
A 25 year record amount of snow for parts of Iowa has been received.
Indianola area started the year with a 3 inch ice storm that did much damage to trees
and shrubs. 4 inches of snow cover has stayed on all month because of record below
zero temperatures. A January thaw appeared one of the last days of the month.

THE ECONOMY:
Record stock market declines for the first 10 market days of the year have signaled
a possible recession starting sometime during the year. The uncertainty of the national
election candidates and outcome has caused additional concerns.

THE EJ and ET SMITH'S:
We have been well and thankful for the strength and opportunity to help with
The Village programs that serve the needs of over 200 residents.
The 2007 Weekly Blogs will soon be published in book form for the benefit of our
3 grandchildren and hopefully future descendants.
Plans for A Cousin's Reunion with our family and about 15 cousins are in process
for May 16 - 18, 2008 at the Marriott Residence Inn Des Moines West at Jordan Creek
Town Center, West Des Moines, IA.
If you wonder what we do to keep busy besides reading books and napping, here are
some of the activities for January.
Gene: 1 hour men's breakfast and discussion group of 12, weekly at 7AM., Village
PC's(Personal Computer) 50 member group Chief Troubleshooter. Village
Men's Coffee 9AM, 1 hour weekly.
Both: Weekly Methodist Church Service at 8:30AM Sunday
" Village Wellness Exercise Program 1/2 hour 5 days weekly.
" Village Vespers 4:15PM Sunday & Bible Study 10:30AM Thursday.
Eleanor: Monthly P.E.O., Sarah Circle, Monday Club, Shakespeare Club, 2 Bridge
Clubs, Village Solarium & Landscape Committees and 4T's 10AM weekly
(Take Time To Talk)

AND FOR TOMORROW
Good morning - and a Good Day!
May all things happy come your way;
And may the light of this new dawn
Find all your cares and worries gone;
So much the simple words convey-
Good Morning - It's a lovely day!
Helen Marshall

THE LAST CHAPTER OF OUR 60TH YEAR CELEBRATION

Currently our immediate family of Scott Ahlsmith and Pam Miller are both in Luxury Travel businesses in Glen Ellyn, IL, Seattle, Dallas and Boston; Scott’s son Taylor Ruecking produces video and film projects in Santa Barbara and Sacramento, CA.
Sana’s daughter Deanne married Patrick O’Hollearn October 28, 2006; they live in Johnston. Pat works with Allied Insurance and Deanne is accountant at Orchard Place, a home and school for children with special needs in Des Moines. Duane continues the role of single parent since Sana’s death September 11, 1991 and works with the Principal Group in Des Moines. We celebrate birthdays and special occasions with them at a variety of area restaurants.

Next May 16-18th we will repeat the reunion described in the May 21st Blog at the Marriott Residence Inn Des Moines West at Jordan Creek Town Center in West Des Moines. About a dozen Bruene, Koster, Smith, Van Metre cousins have been invited to join this reunion to meet and get acquainted.

ANCESTRY OF OUR FAMILIES - IRISH-ENGLISH-DUTCH

All of Gene’s great-grandparents moved to Iowa and lived within a radius of less than ten miles during their remaining lives. Hayden H. Smith came from Ohio in 1855, coming by team and wagon to Marshall County, IA where he homesteaded 160 acres of prairie land in Liberty Twp from the government for $1.25 per acre. He married Margaret Elizabeth Maple in 1856, who was born near Wheeling, VA. The family later moved to Decatur County IN where they became acquainted with the Smith family. His family originally came to the American Colonies from England about 1745 as soldiers in the King’s Colonial Army. After their service they remained in America, settling in Culpeper County, Virginia before moving to Decatur County, OH. Hayden, in addition to a lifetime of farming also operated a brick kiln with his brother. They made brick for several of the better early homes built in the surrounding area until the supply of clay was exhausted. The picture above is of his brick home finished in native hardwood lumber and a black walnut stairway.

ANCESTRY OF OUR FAMILIES - FRENCH & GERMAN

Eleanor's ethnic heritage is German. All 4 of her grandparents came to America from Germany in the early 1880s as young people without their parents. They traveled to Breman, Germany where they boarded a steamship for the long trip to Baltimore, MD. Altho they probably knew each other, each came at a different time. We have no details of the trips, but some of the "steamer trunks" that carried their belongings have been saved by family members. Eleanor feels honored to now possess the spinning wheel and china coffee pot that Grandmother Bruene brought in her trunk. The spinning wheel is constructed with wooden pegs so that it came apart for the trip.
Since Eleanor's ancestors were farmers, they took a train to Chicago and on to Gladbrook, IA. where each "hired out" to an established farmer. He lived with the family, received his room and board and, in addition was paid a few dollars monthly. Within a few years the thrifty hired man could accumulate enough to purchase land or send some back to help his family or pay passage for brothers, sisters, parents or cousins to America. Germany required young men to serve in the Army; the story is that one of my grandfathers immigrated to avoid service. The other grandfather had 6 brothers and a sister and their father couldn't earn enough as a tailor to support the family. Eventually that entire family came to Gladbrook and each of the boys took title to land to provide a good living for a wife and family. In taking title to land their family name, Koster was spelled with an umlaut over the O and was interpreted 2 different ways. Two brothers signed Koster; the others Koester, adding an e instead of the umlaut O. The brothers farmed as neighbors and succeeding generations have continued the two spellings.

60th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION October 7, 2007

Pictured are Scott_Pam_Duane_Deanne_Pat_Eleanor_Tom_Gene_Taylor was in California
On September 20th, 2007 we had been married 60 years! We had not set that as a goal, but since son, Scott had set up a “Blog” site in late 2006 we decided to write “our story” in weekly segments beginning January 1, 2007. There are probably enough topics left on the list to complete the year.
September 20th fell mid week this year so we polled family members for a convenient date to get together. Sunday, October 7th was between football games for grandchildren, between flights for Scott & Pam and a date when organist Bill Pedrick could come from
Des Moines to provide a concert of “Golden Oldies”. We got permission to pre-empt Village Vespers and invited all Villagers and friends to join our family for “Sundaes on Sunday” at 3:30PM in Smith Fellowship Hall decorated for fall. In addition to our family pictured, Ken Allbaugh, Dorothy Tuttle, Bill & Jean Shields from the ISU-Robins gathered for dinner together in the Village Private Dining Room.

RECOLLECTIONS FROM OUR 60 YEARS TOGETHER

Our relationship began June 8th, 1945 by our meeting in the YMCA Lynn Fuhrer Lodge
located north of the Iowa State College campus. Our first commitment was the delivery and acceptance of an engagement ring on July 25th,1946 in Cleveland, OH. September 20, 2007 marks 60 years since our marriage in the Gladbrook, IA Methodist Church at 7 PM. (All of these special events were described in the February 10, 16 & 25 Blogs)
Observations of the early anniversaries were not remarkable except for cards received from friends & relatives and observance of the traditional gifts of: 1st paper, 2nd cotton, 3rd leather, 4th fruit or flowers, 5th wood, etc., but the 25th in 1972 is memorable because it included a trip to Hawaii. Scott was working for Cartan, a travel company; Gene had served as President of the Indianola Rotary Club and decided to attend the International Rotary Convention in San Francisco, CA. From there Scott planned our vacation amid exotic flowers, luaus, the Polynesian Village and a helicopter ride over the mountains and beaches of Maui and an air boat tour ride among 4 of the islands. Several of our motorhome trips were in September and someone always made the 20th day special with native flowers or a surprise anniversary cake.
Continue reading "RECOLLECTIONS FROM OUR 60 YEARS TOGETHER">/a

RECOLLECTIONS FROM OUR 60 YEARS TOGETHER

FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS IN OUR 83rd YEAR

RELATIONSHIPS IN OUR 83rd YEAR Since our last posting on May 11th, 2007 we have experienced two new events that could only have happened because of our being 83 years old.  The first was a first time gathering beginning Friday, May 11th at 5PM and ending Sunday May 13th at 9:30AM in Branson, MO.  Grandchildren Deanne age 25 and husband Pat O'Hollearn drove from Johnston, IA, Taylor Ruecking age 25 flew from CA to Chicago, IL to join his Dad, our son Scott Ahlsmith age 58 and friend Pam Miller to drive from Bartlett, IL and Tom Danielson age 19 who drove with his Dad, our son-in-law of our deceased daughter Sana Kay (1953-1991) from Urbandale, IA.  All this driving was due to lack of adequate air connections to this popular recreation area but we all agreed that less than 10 hours driving was well worth the trip.  The last time together for some was nearly 20 years ago to never but it did not take long to get acquainted as recorded by Scott's mini video.  The pictures show all of us on Showboat Branson Belle on Table rock Lake and the 4 bedroom Lodge located at StoneBridge on the Ledgestone 18-hole Championship Golf Course, two of the four locations for gathering (others were French Quarter Timeshare and Famous Dave's Legendary Pit Bar-B-Que at Branson Landing). When parting all agreed that next year would not be too soon for a repeat event in Des Moines, IA with air connections and near our retirement home, The Village in Indianola, IA.  Oh yes, we will keep in touch by e-mail as we find a time in busy schedules for the 2008 reunion. The second event mentioned above will be noted on the next Blog.

EXCITING '80s WITH 3 GRANDCHILDREN - DEANNE, TAYLOR & TOM

BEGINNING THE EXCITING 80's