Perhaps I was a bit hasty to pooh-pooh the value of the packet I received from the National Archives. For one thing, it puts an end to my speculation that Smith lied about his age to enlist for WW one. It wouldn’t have worked in his case, since there was record of his first enlistment in 1906.
Enlistment document, 1906
And when “The World War” came around, it turns out that Smith was first denied reenlistment.
Appeal Telegram 1918
The appeal succeeded, as we know. With apologies to cousin Aline, who I’m sure used the best available sources, I am leaning toward this birth date of 22 April 1877, rather than the one in “Larsons and Slettens” (14 April 1876).
It also provides at least a piece of evidence (not too reliable) that Smith was actually living and farming in North Dakota prior to the war. Couple that with the statement in his obituary (even less reliable), that Smith “disposed of his farm” to reenlist, and one might look to the year 1918 for the transfer of that land to Isaac.
But that brings into question just where Isaac, Anna, and their first three sons lived until then? In some other, long-gone, house? In “Uncle Smith’s” house (why?)? Any ideas?
Uncle I
Sep 28, 2009
I have not heard of my older brothers mention anything about living any place than where we grew up, other than the approx. three years we lived on the Erickson place 1927-1930. It is my guess that Smith and Isaac built the house on Smith’s property before Isaac returned to Wisconsin to marry Anna in 1912. I can’t imagine Isaac bringing Anna to Isaac’s original homested shack. It would be my guess that all the brothers helped each other build permanent housing.
There were only about 30 acres of tillable land on Smith’s homestead, that being across the creek west of the house, next to the Montana border. I remember that we leased land just across the Montana border to grow crops. Isaac’s original homestead had much more tillable land.
George
Sep 28, 2009
Thanks, Uncle. I was thinking along pretty much the same lines. I guess Smith may have lived in the house with them, or in a smaller structure that is gone now. I still hope to find more details on where and how Smith spent his time between 1910-1918. It is starting to look like he did indeed help with the farming, but I can’t shake the feeling that he didn’t live there year-round. And despite his plea to the Marine recruiter, I also wonder if his health was really 100% during that time.
George
Sep 28, 2009
Oh, one other thing – what was the first name of Mr. Erickson, whose farm you rented after your mother died?
Uncle I
Sep 28, 2009
It was the farm of Olaf Erickson. Olaf’s son, Oswald farmed there after we moved back home.
Lois Larson Hall
Oct 23, 2009
Just was re-reading some of the Smith data. In his telegram requesting that consideration be given to his reenlistment request he mentions “varicosities of lower legs.” Think ahead a few years. He had a leg amputated shortly before his death. Connection here? Could we deduce a possibility that varicose vein problems led to enough damage from limited blood flow and/or blood clots to necessitate eventual amputation?
George
Oct 24, 2009
Good deduction, Lois. It had not occurred to me that varicose veins could be so serious as to lead to amputation. Wikipedia says that “serious complications are rare,” which I guess implies in a left-handed way that they do occur, so it is certainly a possibility.