Milliron Monday: The Journals January - March 1980

  

Abbott "Pete" Smith D.V.M.:  

June 16, 1938 - February 22, 2010

Virginia Joyann "Jody" Haley Smith: 

April 2, 1938 - May 9, 2021

Welcome to Milliron Monday where every Monday we celebrate 

the legacy of Milliron Farm and Clinic, 

Dr. Pete and Jody Smith.

A continuation of Jody’s Journals.

There is a four-year gap here – I am missing 1977 through 1979, formative years for the Smith family. Forward to 1980, a year of less journal writing, offering limited documentation of life at the Smith farmhouse. We can glean from Jody’s journal entries that time was of the essence, or she grew weary of writing things down. Nonetheless, the entries are just as sincere – Pete buys a new Cadillac, Jody works at the Clinic more often, enjoying social activities after work, and horses remain her solace.

 

The year begins strong, but then dwindles after March, leaving a few empty, yellowed pages. I hope you can reminisce over specific journal entries and reflect on the pivotal moments that defined the 1980s.

 

January 1980

·        New Year’s Day, Pete took top off vinegar bottle I was lending him for water for running > 8:30 am called LL – got him out of bed, short conversation > looked at gas well site with Mary Connors, let Puff run > J Jones called > fixed ham dinner

·        Worked at Clinic, Pete to Dr. Sarver

·        Gault, grad school application > 11 am, Dr. Wackman, Philosophy Dept > Church > to Mac’s, picked up jacket > picked up Larry at his parking lot > Parsons, lobsters > Pete, Marie (dishes), Larry, Tim, I, to Christian Ed

·        Snow, roads icy, went after Nanette, I worked at Clinic, Beth Bryan, daughter, here for lunch

·        Took Nanette to CE > Epiphany service with Lutherans, sat with Collier’s > Junie bolted, broke harness, I patched it up > K DeWitt, children, sleigh rides > Parsons, oysters

·        Worked at Clinic > 1:30 L. Horsely’s

·        Pete new Cadillac

·        Worked at Clinic > 1:30 Eslocker’s > Pete, Dr. Sarver

·        Church prayer group, Pam, Dan Williams, Helen Marsh, lunch at Strawberry Patch > saw liger, drug groceries up to house on sled > Pete carried salt block over beyond pond > Adventures in Attitudes course, 103 Tupper Hall > Marie Clementine at Clinic

·        Worked at Clinic > went to Columbus after firing iron

·        CE > to Church, annual meeting > J Jones tracked Puff, C Matthews laid track, stayed at end > talked with Ray Jones about ins

·        Worked at Clinic

·        New set of twins, took sheep down to Clinic, dewormed them, left lambs > returned firing iron > ate at ice cream parlor Swardson’s > CABTC

·        Worked at Clinic

·        Luther, Pam, Artifacts Gallery > to Church > took 4 lambs to Seaman’s > ate at Oasis > AA class, OU

·        Osteopathic Clinic > left for Columbus > 5 PM Stan Jones

·        Loaded up lambs, Pat, Carl Lorubbio took them to stock sale, sold goat (wether), picked up Barbara Parsons > stock sale > Pete to Charleston > B Parsons overnight > called Daddy

·        Church, Bishop Krumm, slides of Nigeria, Confirmation – sunlight as Bishop came forward to speak > fed at barn, hauled grain up with Junie on Western saddle > led Barbara on him, rode double briefly > organ/harp concert, sat with Mrs. A. Larson > to Elizabeth Stout’s for tea, cookies > fixed Pete dinner, sat, read by fire

·        Worked at Clinic > John Leslie here, horse ruptured intestine, surgery > called Helen Marsh about Donna > desk, wrote letters

·        To bank, straightened out overdraft computer mistake > picked up June H. Wieman, lunch at Strawberry Patch > Seaman’s, paid for lambs > picked up Marie, toured Vinton County Camp, strip mining, went to Mountain Leather for lamp parts > fed at barn, milked Falene for cats > lovely evening > cut up lambs (broken legged ones)

·        Wrote letters to Betty, Abbott > took vacuum cleaner to Standall’s > 3 pm, Pete up for lunch > fed at barn

 

February

·        Car in shop, Fritz Connor took me in town > to Church > Mom’s Coffee House with E. Sweeney > to Class, Pete on calls, took Puff in car > Bob, Thelma, Mrs. C, Oasis

·        Missed L. Smith, Robin at theater, movie “The Jerk”

·        Clinic, John Hopkins horse at Clinic, Pete vetted dog > J and I tried to get fence out of frozen ground, put one circle around one apple tree, moved wood onto porch, covered with plastic > Geologist, John, pre-vet student, etc., here for dinner > P, Carl, Matt, another boy here overnight

·        Early Church > ate at Perkins with Pete > to Church > fixed lunch, Pete, P, Matt > rode Junie, J rode Apple, over to trailer, to gas line road, saw Pete, Larry Smith > potluck supper, slides of Africa

·        Worked at Clinic > took bank deposit, stopped for cider, no money

·        Worked at Clinic, talked with fellow about oil, gas lease > ran errands, got errands, Pete brought them up hill > got hyacinths for Pete > Pete evening out, I did dishes, washed by hand, cistern dry, Pete home 4 am

·        Mended blue coat, did laundry > Father James called > Pete up for lunch > took bucket of ashes out of woodstove > jumped Puff, Jelea helped me take lumber off broad jump > put up antique mirror

·        Lovely nap by fire/music > went on calls with Pete, to Don Norman, Gassan’s lunch, Horace Karr’s > Carl L, Pete took grain, dog food up hill(s), fed at barn > AA class

·        Dull headache (too much caffeine?) > Pete got sheep for OU osteopathic lab > rec’d 2 boxes oranges, grapefruits from Mom/Dad > worked Puff, got mail > Pete, Marie, project, up till 1:30 am

·        Pete breakfast at Jan’s, dewormed horses > napped > Barbara Parsons went up to feed at barn with me, took Jim, Kanga > napped > read

·        Ash Wednesday service

·        Dave Smart “Your Father’s Mustache” cut my hair > Pam, K. DeWitt, Mom’s Coffee House, Police Station, dropped Ad off at radio station > Pete loaded walnut logs, to McArthur > fed at barn > Adventures in Attitudes > Mr. Bojangles, hot cider

·        Beautiful, beautiful day > put my sheep back in, patched up gate > talked to Lyle Schultheis about gas lease, etc., > Kay Everett, new belt for truck > Eslocker, Warmke suit > Hole in the Wall sub shop, lunch > herded Hilferty’s cattle, goats off 550 into Windy Hill’s pasture > J and I fed, worked on apple trees > Pete and Marie, call to Roger Linscott’s > Pete, J, I, read by fire

·        5 am breakfast > J, Pete, OVMA Columbus > read, did dishes > Apple pulled blue ball off antenna

 

March

·        Murphee’s grandchildren here

·        $10 Lucy Lamb to Judy Lempton > ATC, J Croxford 3 PM

·        Pete to Charleston > lamb milk replacer, Judy Lempton

·        To Church, call from Jan, Easter

·        Calf milk replace, Howard Johnson

·        Call Jan about cat > ATC

Please forgive typos, name or place misspellings; transcription from

vintage handwriting sometimes requires a magnifying glass and random

interpretation.

Connect with Gina

Amazon Author Page

Milliron: The Biography

www.gmcknight.com

www.mondaycreekpublishing.com

Through captivating, powerful, and emotional anecdotes, we celebrate the life of Dr. Abbott P. Smith. His biography takes the reader from smiles to laughter to empathy and tears. Dr. Smith gave us compelling lessons learned from animals; the role animals play in the human condition, the joy of loving an animal, and the awe of their spirituality. A tender and profound look into the life of a skilled veterinarian.