MAY SMITH LAVERTY- MOVING TO LAUREL!

     Years ago, in the early 1980's,  my mother Doris May Smith Laverty Korte hand wrote a "talk" that was given to one of her organizations that she was a member.  I would like to share it as it has historical value to the community of Laurel, Iowa and the surrounding area.
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       The lesson tonight could be titled-"Down Memory Lane." It was 60 years ago on the 1st of March 1921 that my folks moved from the David and Sarah Smith farm 3 1/2 miles N. E. of Laurel to the town of Laurel. I was a small child anxious to make friends. My grandmother Minnie Schultz promised to help us get acquainted because she had lived there for 35 years. 

     She gave us a very long list of names. and through the years I became acquainted with so many of them and their families.Mrs. Mary Weissenburger lived on the south edge of Laurel in a very large house. Her husband, Conrad, had died earlier. They were of German descent and had either given or sold the tract of land to be the town of Laurel. They were the parents of ten children--**Lena, Kate, Dolly, Ida, Clara, Ed, Henry, Conrad, George, and William. Conrad was Harold McIlrath's grandfather.

     The town of Laurel was almost named Lena in honor of the oldest daughter. Lena married a Maytag and lived in the large home S. of M. Ingram until their divorce. Aunt Lena lived there alone for many years. 

      In my review you may wonder why I refer to people as Aunt -uncle, or grandma or grandpa? We weren't allowed to call married people anything but Mr. and Mrs. so when our friends told us we could call them Grandma or Grandpa we did.

     There were people by the name of Otten-Bulfer-Maytag-McBroom-Buhrow-Schultz-Jacobs-Schnoor-Sietman-Kramme-Schuman-Reifschneiderf-Rodgers-Pattons-Dixon-Kramy(first hotel operator)-Boston-3rd generation-Awtry(built hotel in 1907)-Hahn-Brown-Smith(Dr.)- Fehrman-Otten.

     Around Laurel. Lantz-Bloom-Laverty's-Louks-Schuman-Schmidt-Williams-Korte-Putman-Mann-West-BlyeReifschuede.

    * The foot race run in 1904 with John Donnelson on Market street in July or August. Ball and Blankley promoters-Donnelson won.

     My mother, Minnie Marie Schultz Smith, is the only living person born in Laurel in 1889 in the house her father, William Schultz, built  from a building that had been a harness shop. At age 15 she was chosen most popular girl and Harold Brown was the prettiest baby. Mom won silverware and Harold a diamond ring.

     **My mother had an excellent memory on names and dates. On one occasion in her later years, she was naming a local family with 8-10 children. She got to the eighth one and could not remember the last two and became frustrated. She did her routine of going through the alphabet until she remembered the last two children's names.