Peter Smith of Westmoreland County, Virginia: Claude Gerrard Smith, son of Jesse Baker Smith

Monday, July 6, 2015

Claude Gerrard Smith, son of Jesse Baker Smith

The three oldest children of Jesse & Sarah
Merrill, Jesse Jr, Claude

Claude Gerrard Smith, son of Jesse Baker Smith, was born October 20, 1916, at Evanston, Wyoming. On December 15, 1938, in Salt Lake City, Utah, he married Myrtle Easton Rollins, born September 2, 1918, in Evanston, the eldest daughter of George Leon Rollins and Margaret Viola Easton. Myrtle grew up on a farm near Lyman, Wyoming.

Wedding Announcement for
Claude & Myrtle Smith

Claude has for 33 years been a locomotive engineer on the Union Pacific Railroad. He joined the Boy Scouts of America in 1928, and except for a few years, has been active in scouting. Since he went back into it in 1948, he has worked hard with the scouts in his ward and since 1953 has served as director of the Mountain Men Hike, a rugged week's adventure for scouts in the Jim Bridger Council. The Mountain Men Hike is an experience never forgotten by the scouts who take it. The hike takes place in the wilderness area in the top of the Wind River Mountains in western Wyoming. These mountains run southeast from near the Jackson Hole area to a bit beyond Lander.

Claude Gerrard Smith
& Myrtle Easton Rollins

On November 20, 1971, Claude was the recipient of the first Jim Bridger Award at the first annual recognition dinner of the Wyuta District (Wyoming) of the Jim Bridger Council for scouters working at the unit level. At the Jim Bridger Council's recognition dinner on February 3, 1973, Claude was recipient of the Silver Beaver Award, the highest award the Council can bestow on a scouter and a very great honor.

Claude is interested in genealogy, as is his mother (Sarah Ellen Gerrard Smith), and continues to do research at every opportunity. He is head librarian, in charge of the Evanston Branch of the Genealogical Society library in Salt Lake City, Utah, the largest library of its kind in the world. For about ten years he served as chairman of the Stake Genealogical Committee, and before that he served for several years as chairman of the Ward Genealogical Committee. In the latter capacity he organized and taught many genealogy classes. As a devout member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Claude served as High Councilman in the Woodruff Stake for ten years, as bishop of the Evanston Second Ward for five years and, since 1963, he has been financial clerk in the Second Ward.

Myrtle (Rollins) Smith was born in Evanston, Wyoming, at the home of her mother's parents, William and Margaret Hood Easton, who were Scottish immigrants. Grandfather Easton worked in the coal mines in the Evanston area and was for many years mine foreman. At the time of Myrtle's birth her father, George Leon Rollins, was a soldier stationed at Ft. Dix, New Jersey, awaiting transportation to France where he spent eight or nine months' duty in World War I. George Leon's parents were James Watson and Harriet Ann Eyre Rollins. He was a farmer and Myrtle, with her two sisters and three brothers, grew up on a farm near Lyman, Wyoming. Myrtle's chief interests and skills lie in the homemaking field. She learned the art of cooking from "experts" on both sides of her family. An accomplished seamstress, she has taught her daughters to sew as well as cook. For a dozen years she has been 4-H Club leader, and has taught classes in genealogy and family relations to the Laurel Class in the M. I. A. At present, she teaches a Sunday School class in Gospel Doctrine. In addition, Myrtle sings as soloist, in duets and choirs. She estimates that she has sung at 300 or 400 funerals.