Dianne Winona Smith

By Velma Rose Smith

Hi There! Beautiful Baby! I don’t think any of us really looked forward to another baby, but when they saw you, no one wanted to send you back. You arrived on my 43rd birthday, a wonderful gift, a healthy baby girl. As you opened your eyes and made your funny faces, you activated everyone. You were born during the 2nd World War. Maybe God sent you to me, to help me cope with having my oldest boy in the Service, only 21 years ago he was my baby.

We discussed names, finally chose Dianne, that was picked out by Eileen, and Winona, which Mama Rose and I thought very pretty. You had many callers to see you. Bernice was here to help care for my two babies. Floyd Miller would come over every night and rock the two of you, one on each arm. You loved to be outside and play in the sand and pick wild flowers. Our neighbors, John and Kate Dean would have you down for supper, when you were still in a highchair.

When you were 2, Wayne came home, you were strangers but you soon became friends. Jay left for overseas, and you missed him. You loved your Papa and Mama Rose. If Laura hadn’t have discovered you in time, you were going to cut off one of your brown curls to give to Basil. You were very interested in Phyllis and Laura making baby clothes, and in the babies, your nieces, that arrived when you were 3 years old.

For gosh sakes was one of your expressions, and when I scolded you for doing something, you said, “For gosh sakes, I got to do something, ain’t I”.

When you were 5 years old, you were the Senior Class at Charleston’s mascot, a very pretty little girl. When you were 6 you were John and Wanda’s flower girl, for their wedding. You liked to play with dolls, and had doll furniture, but you liked best to ride on the tractor with Daddy, all day long, in the sun and dust.

You did very good in school and got along good with the kids and teachers. When Mrs. Olson told the class to draw a picture of the wind, you told her you couldn’t “because you can’t see the wind.”

You started helping with farm work at an early age, and drove tractor and an old Willys truck when you were nine. You and Berwyn did most of the farm work so Dad could work away. You had lots of friends, girls and boys, and you worked hard in Youth Fellowship and I believe you were a happy girl.

Dianne’s Writing**I copied this from a paper Dianne wrote for School.**

Sunday, October 17, 1943, my Mother, Velma Smith, was celebrating her forty-third birthday, so I decided to celebrate with her. I arrived at the family home in Whitneyville, escorted by the family doctor, Dr. Leonard Neal. I was a big, healthy baby, 21 inches long; weighing 9 1/4 pounds. I had black hair and blue—gray eyes. I was the 8th baby to arrive at the Smiths, so there were many gathered around to greet this new baby sister. My 21 year old brother, Wayne, was a Paratrooper overseas, engaged in battle at the time. Sister, Wanda, was at Mansfield College. Jay and Eileen were in school. My sisters, Jeannette and Bernadene and my brother Berwyn and foster brother Edward, made up the family. Of course, my daddy, Arnold, was there too.

Mama has told me that Jay claimed me as his baby girl, and when visitors came, he rushed in, picked me up from the bed and showed me off. He had named Berwyn so Eileen named Dianne, an English name, and Winona, an Indian name that Mama and Mama Rose liked. Eileen bought a baby book so Mama could keep my records and pictures.

I had the whooping cough when I was three months old. When I got big enough to walk, Mama says Berwyn and I made mud pies, chased the chickens, spread ourselves with jelly and peanut butter, and picked bouquets of wild flowers for her and sometimes picked bouquets from her garden too. I was only 3 years old when my first two nieces were born. Now I have 14 nieces and nephews, so there are always children around the home. I love them all and enjoy taking care of them.

I am fortunate to have two grandmothers and one grandfather living. From the time I can remember, my Papa Rose, as I call my grandfather, would hold me on his lap and tell me stories. He taught me my letters, and how to read. I asked him, what caused rain, and thunder and lightening, or anything else I couldn’t understand. He always had time to explain things to me.

My sisters, Wanda and Eileen, were both married in July, before I was 6 years old. I was flower girl at Wanda’s wedding. I started to go to school when I was nearly six, at Charleston, with Carrie Olson as my teacher. That year I was chosen mascot for the Senior Class, and they gave me a beautiful locket. The second year I was in Mrs. Kane’s class, and I remember the many good time we had that year, and the things we did and made. I enjoyed being a youngster in school in jeans and pigtails, and now I’m in the 7th grade and the teachers tell me, I am a young lady, and must act like one. I am 12 years old, my mother and I were treated to a surprise Birthday dinner at Wayne’s and Laura’s. It was really nice, and I hope we have many more together.

Wanda and John went to Youngstown to live after they were married. Every summer they would have Berwyn and I spend two weeks with them. They took us to Pittsburgh, to the zoo and to lakes, parks and museums. We enjoyed these trips and learned so many things.

The summer I was 9 years old, I spent two weeks with my cousin, Shirley Rose and her mother, Helen, at Avalon, N.J. on the Atlantic ocean. The next summer I was lucky enough to spend 3 weeks at Avalon. Last summer my Daddy needed me at home, and I drove the tractor and truck for farm work, all summer, until school started.

I was anxious for school to start, for two reasons. I was tired of farming, and I wanted to see our new building.

Dianne W. Smith