Harold Alton Smith
Harold Alton
Smith was born on August 29, 1928 in Flint, Michigan. He was the son
of Everett and Lillian Losee Smith. They also had a daughter Lucille
Smith who was born 4 years earlier. Lucille died at the age of six
leaving Harold as an only child. They lived on Term Street in Burton,
Michigan.
Harold lived in
many places in his childhood. His father was a Methodist minister
and he served many churches. As a young boy in the 1930's, he lived
in Genesee Michigan,while his father was the minister at the Genesee
and Ridgefield Churches.
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| Everett, Lillian Harold -1939 |
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| Vacation Bible School at the Genesee Church - 1939 |
In 1943,
Everett was called to go to the Marine City Methodist Church. Harold would finish his high school years here .
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| Lillian and Harold -1944 |
He was very
active in sports at Marine City playing with the football team and running track in the 1944, 1945 and 1946 seasons.
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| 1943-1944 Football Season |
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| 1946 Football Season |
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| 1945 Track season |
Harold ran barefooted for the track season. (I just can not imagine that because his Mother, our Grandmother, never wanted us to be barefooted. She had foot problems which she always attributed to cutting her foot as a child!)
Marine City is where Leah Anderson and Harold Smith met. They were
High School Sweethearts. Leah graduated in 1945 and Harold graduated
in 1946. This picture was taken of the two of them when Harold
graduated in 1946.
They both when
to college. Leah went to Baker Business School and Harold went to Port Huron Junior
College where he got his Associated Degree and he finished his
Bachelors degree at the University of Michigan Flint Branch.
Leah and Harold
married on May 28, 1950 in Marine City. They were married by
Everett Smith.
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| Everett, Lillian, Harold, Leah, Addie, Andrew - May 28, 1950 |
They spent
there first 5 years of marriage in Lapeer. They lived in a Cottage on
Skinner Lake which
was owned by
Everett and Lillian Smith and Harold worked for JC Penneys. A few
months before I was born Harold took a job at a Department store in
Romeo. We moved to a small house on Fritz Drive built by the Fritz
Brothers Builders. (who are still building houses today three
generations later.) Eventually he worked for Engleston's which became
Engleston-Mitzelfelds after Diana Engleston and William Mitzelfelds
married and joined the department store business with his new
father-in-law. When Leslie Engleston retired, it became Mitzelfelds.
Dad managed Mitzelfeld's for 14 years. In that time, Leah and
Harold had six children; 4 daughters – Pamela, Susan, Janet, Sharon
and two son's Mark and Matthew. Harold always spoke about how hard
it was to be an only child and decided early on that he would have a
large family.
In 1968, Harold
moved his family to Imlay City with the intention of buying a
department store called Brownites Department Store. When that
opportunity did not materialize, he decided to purchase the Ben
Franklin Store from William Knight when he decided to retire. Harold
would spend the remaining years of his life owning and operating one
or more Ben Franklin Dime Store. From 1971 – to the early 1980's
he owned his original store in Imlay City.
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| Grand Opening for the Imlay City Store |
In addition he
bought and opened the Harbor Beach store in March of 1975.
( I know that I
have a photo some where of the store after he renovated it but so far
I just have not found it. ) By 1986, Harold and Leah moved to Harbor
Beach and soon after sold the store in Imlay City. Am looking for a photo of the Harbor Beach store. This is one but doesn't show the store front very well.
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| Ed and Louise Heitke - Harold and Leah Smith - Smith Cousins |
On morning of August 30,
1996, Harold died of a heart attack. At the time, Harold was
negotiating the sale of the Harbor Beach store to the Local Drug
store and had purchased the Corner Store, across the street. The
plan was to continue to sell the things that he liked across the
street but not all of the dime store type items that could be sold in
a drug store and he planned to add custom framing to his business.
He had also planned to phase out of the business with Pam taking over
more of the day to day operations so he could maybe...semi-retire.
He is buried in
Rock Falls Cemetery in Harbor Beach, Michigan next to his beloved
wife Leah.
Rest is Peace,
Dad. Think of you everyday...and I know you hear me!
Love, Jan
