Eighth Generation

621. Donel Pierce SMITH was born on 27 Apr 1917 in Pine Bluff, Jefferson Co., AR. [NEED TO DEFINE SENTENCE: Military Servic] He died on 29 Dec 1990 in San Antonio, Bexar Co., TX. He is reference number 431-16-6898. He was in Engineering Tech.. [NEED TO DEFINE SENTENCE: Social Security] Donel Pierce Smith this is the father of the compiler. I have talked
to him a great deal about his childhood but I feel there is a great deal
more to his life and his relationship with his father. I know that about
1938 he moved from his family home to Tyler Texas, to live with his aunt
Willard (Bill) Gilmore.
Social Security Number 431-16-6898


Date: July 1, 1934
He took business law at George Gleason, BS Univ. of Ark. and passed
with a grade of B+. He was in Civilian Conservation Corps Company 1704,
in Jessieville, Arkansas. I also have some old pictures of his buddies in
C. C. C. camp.


Date: August 26, 1936
He received a "Military Training Certificate" from the "Citizens'
Military Training Camps" at Camp Pike, Arkansas in a basic course of
infantry, conducted from July 28th to August 26th 1936. It is signed by
John S. Sullivan, Col. Infantry, Commanding.

Date: March 22, 1939
A letter from Soil Conservation Service Monticello, Arkansas
"To Whom It may Concern:
The Bearer, Donel Smith, worked for me on an engineer-
ing detail in the Civilian Conservation Corp during my
term as
Camp Engineer at Magnolia, Arkansas.
His duties were progressive from Stake man through
rodman
to levelman. The work consisted of running terraces,
profiles
and staking out vegetated channels for control of run-off
water.
At all times he was a courteous, effective and
dependable
workman. I heartly recommend him to anyone for any position
for which he is suited.

R. S. Whitaker
Asst. Dist. Engineer
Soil Conservation Service


Date: March 24, 1939
He received an Honorable Discharge from the Civilian Conservation
Corps at Camp Pike, Arkansas, for Expiration Terminal Enrollment, (For
convenience of the government).

Date: June 10, 1941
On this date he entered the U. S. Army at Dallas, Texas.

Date: Jan. 17, 1942
A letter from 2nd Lt., Army Air Corps, Asst. Adjutant of
Headquarters, Air Corps Replacement Training Center (Air Crew) Kelly
Field, Texas
"To Whom it may concern
This letter is to certify that Private Donel P. Smith
(18040750) was under my command for a period of three
months.
I have watched this man work and he has been under my
continual
daily observation.

It is my opinion that I cannot recommend this man too
highly for any training he may request.

John L. Moran"


Date: February 23, 1942
A letter from State Agricultural and Mechanical College, Third
District, Magnolia, Arkansas
"To Whom It may Concern:
I am glad to recommend Private Donel P. Smith
to you as a desirable applicant for the Air Corps.
Donel was in school here for about two years and
during that time I was in the dormitory and I
do not recall a single disciplinary action taken
against him. I found to be honest, reliable
and very dependable. I do not hesitate to
recommend him to you for the Air Corps.

Milton P. Talley
Supervisor of Student Employment"

Date: March 12, 1942
A letter form First Baptist Church, Magnolia, Arkansas
"To Whom It may Concern:
This is to certify that I have known
Donel P. Smith for about one year. I regard him as being
honest, upright and reliable. This opinion is based on my
limited knowledge of him and his work, yet I believe
him to be faithful in the discharge of his duty in any
position that he may be placed. I would have no hesitancy
in placing him in any position that he is qualified to
fill.

E. B. Jones, Pastor
First Baptist Church
President of Columbia
Baptist Bible School
Magnolia, Arkansas"


Date: September 4, 1945
According to his Army separation papers, which I have a copy on
hand, he was separated from the Army Air Corps on 4 September, 1945. In
the "Summary of Military Occupation" section of his separation papers it
states: "CLERK GENERAL: Performed a variety of duties in different types
of army offices. Handled personnel records, operations records, duty
rosters, morning reports, and sick reports. Filed correspondence. Served
in the European Theater for about three months."

Donel Pierce SMITH and Ina La Verne BROWN were married on 2 May 1942 in San Antonio, Bexar Co., TX. Ina La Verne BROWN was born on 24 Nov 1923 in Bedford, Lawrence Co., IN. She died on 26 Nov 1992 in Houston, Harris Co. TX. She is reference number 2510. Ina LaVerne Brown, the daughter of Alanzo William, and Lois
Elizabeth (Brown) Brown, was born in Bedford, Lawrence County, Indiana,
and married Donel Pierce Smith on 2 May 1942, in San Antonio, Bexar
County, Texas.
Ina had a very turbulent childhood. She was born to a preacher's
daughter, and was the fourth of four children. Her older brother, Donald
Omar, and one of her older sisters, Lloyd Ruth, were both born, as was
she, in Indiana. Her sister just older than she, was born in West
Liberty, Muscatine County, Iowa.
After my grandmother Lois, divorced my grand father Lon, she married
a man named Floyd, They moved from Indiana, to El Dorado, Union County,
Arkansas, when my mother was a very small child. My step grandfather,
Floyd, had made the move from Indiana to Arkansas, in a stolden car and
was caught in Arkansas for the theft and extradited back to Indiana to
stand trial for grand theft auto. My grnadmother obtained a divorce from
Floyd and then set up house with her sister, Ida Whitright's son, Joseph.
Accordin to my mother Ina, Lois was deathly afraid of her ex-husband
Floyd, and Ina's older brother Omar, for a joke one day came to my
grandmothers house and left a note that he wrote as Floyd, saying to the
effect that Floyd was back and had been to the house and would return.
This note scared my grandmother so bad that even though her nephew Joe,
whom she was living with, had a very good job at the Lion Oil Refinery in
El Darado, Lois told Joe that Floyd was after him to kill him (which she
knew to be a lie, she thought Floyd was out to kill her), they imideately
moved to Tipton, Iowa, and later to Stanwood, both being in Cedar County,
Iowa. At this time my mother was about the age of six.



After my father died mother decided to live alone. She lived alone
in their rented house in San Antonio, Texas until August of the year she
passed away. At what time she asked Catherine and I if it would be
alright for her to move in with us in Pasadena, Texas. We were more than
happy to have her and it took a great deal off our minds with her living
in San Antonio, Texas all alone. Donel Pierce SMITH and Ina La Verne BROWN had the following children:

+755	i.	Bill SMITH.
756	ii.	Judy SMITH was born on 22 Nov 1945 in Selma, Dallas Co., AL. She died about 1946 in Pine Bluff, Jefferson Co., AR. She is reference number 2520.
+757	iii.	Jill SMITH.