Christian Biography of Dorothy "Gene" Smith

Dorothy Gene Smith was born on a farm outside of Stockton Kansas on the Solomon River on September 6, 1917. "Gene" as they called her was named after a well known author, Gene Stratton Porter who wrote many great novels of the day including one that her mother Bessie Borden Fyffe was reading called The Girl of the Timber Lost. Her proud father Orville Butler Dryden smiled as he cradled his newborn daughter.

His mother and father James and Rissie Dryden and Bessie's folks, Ira and Louella Fyffe Hazen were there to welcome Dorothy Gene too. James Dryden had come to this country during the Potato Famine in Scotland… his parents sent he and his brothers to America knowing that they possibly would never see them again. James landed in Stockton, Kansas and became a grocery store proprietor, built his own home, created awesome gardens and stayed there all his life. Bessie's mom, Louella, came to Stockton via Chicago as a "mail order bride" and married Ira Hazen a respected farmer and rancher. All the family was there… It was a grand party….celebrating the birth of Dorothy Gene Dryden.

As a young girl, Gene was put in charge of the siblings, feeding turkeys & chickens and helping her dad and mom with all the chores. Once she was trying to move the stock tank for the kids to swim in and dropped it on her toes. The whole country side heard her scream. She lost both toenails. Ouch! Games outdoors like hopscotch, kick the can, tin can hockey "shinney", riding homemade scooters with roller skate wheels and baseball were just part of the fun of growing up with three siblings. From Stockton, Kansas her family moved to Tulsa, OK where Orville Joined the Rooks/Brandt Construction Company. In junior high, she was a cheerleader and helped her folks get meals ready for the construction crew as they built the 21st street bridge. For those who know Gene well, you will relate to this story. During the construction of the bridge, Bessie and Gene served the crew fried chicken and all the trimmings made from scratch in a makeshift kitchen (a railway car) on the banks of the river. Both Bessie and her mom were wearing heels….as they served the food….can you imagine?

Gene was then on the road with her family as they moved with the construction company blacktopping roads East of Tulsa and into Arkansas. Gene learned to drive at age 14 in a Model T Pickup that had an accelerator lever on the wheel. Because she made friends quickly as she moved from town to town, she became known as the "Blacktop Girl". Her last stop in Arkansas was in Berryville where she graduated from High School. After high school she went to Tulsa Business school and then moved back to Stockton with her family. She accepted a position with a local law firm as a legal secretary for Shorty Osborne. After work one afternoon, Gene was walking home to Grandpa Jims house and heard someone following her. A young man came up beside her and took her arm…she promptly pushed him in the ditch and ran back to town and stopped at the local grocery store that was closed. Banging on the window and yelling for help, a man came to her aid. It was her future husband, Donald Blakely. He quickly let her in and took the damsel in distress home. They were married Christmas Day in 1944 before he was deployed to Europe. Gene took a job as Gen. Smokey's Secretary at Smokey Hill Air Force Base in Salina KS. After the Gene and Don moved into Grandma Blakely's home. Soon William Brian was born in 1946 and Donna Gene in 1948 in Hays Kansas. Don took a job in Salina as a Supervisor for Sunbeam Bread and Douglas Orville was born in 1958 where they lived until 1966.

Don died in 1991 and Gene married Lloyd Smith from Bixby Ok. Lloyd died in 2012 and Gene came to live with her daughter Donna Diamond in Webber, KS for one year. She spent her last year with her son Bill Blakely in Topeka, KS. She enjoyed her life in Kansas and Oklahoma where she made many longtime friends. She was also preceded in death by her two brothers James and William Dryden and one sister Bernice Dryden.

She will be sorely missed by her children, Bill and Suki Blakely of Topeka KS, Donna and Greg Diamond of Tyler TX ; Douglas and Linda Blakely of Pennsauken NJ, Duane and Sue King of Bartlesville OK; Monte and Jolynn Smith of Broken Arrow OK; Lee and Marianna Smith of Cleveland, TN Grandchildren: Michael and Megan Blakely of Council Bluffs NE, Justin and Kelly Howe of Olathe KS , Robbie and Jamie Howe of Denver, CO, Rochelle Blakely of Pennsauken, NJ, Jeremiah and Alyssa Diamond of Athens, TX; Zach Diamond of St. Paul, MN; Josh and Renee Diamond of Clarion, IA; and Carrie Blakely Whittier of St. Paul MN Great grandchildren: Molly Gene and Jack Howe; Willa Blakely; John Thatcher, Eisley Gene and Evie Ruth Diamond; Ella Marie Diamond; Cassandra Glavin; Katie McClintock; Jennifer McClintock and four great-great-grandchildren.

Graveside services were held on Wednesday, August 6, 2014 at 10:00 am from the Webber Cemetery in Webber, Kansas with David Johnson officiating.

Special music was provided by the family as well as the bagpipes.

Pallbearers were Jeremiah Diamond, Josh Diamond, Justin Howe and Mike Blakely.

Interment was in the Webber Cemetery at Webber, Kansas.

Memorials are suggested to go to the Grace Evangelical Free Church in Superior, Nebraska

Condolences may be sent to Megrue-Price Funeral Home, 750 N Commercial, Superior, Nebraska 68978 or in care of www.pricefuneralhomes.com.

Megrue-Price Funeral Home of Superior, Nebraska was in charge of the arrangements.