Orton Aurlius Smith
Born: 10 Jan 1880 Note: Birth Record states he was born in Grant Twp. Marriage Record states he was born in Victory Twp. 1880 Census:  Grant Twp, Mason Co, Michigan Note:  Living with his parents. 1900 Census: 07 JUN 1900 Place: Victory Township, Mason County, Michigan Note:  Living with his mother and two brothers. Land Owner: Bought 40 acres just east of his mom's farm. Farmed with his twin, Milton, for awhile before Milton moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan. County Directory: 1910-1911 Place: Mason County Note: Smith, Orton, Section 3, 40 acres, value $400, Victory Twp, Ludington RFD4. 1910 Census: 19 APR 1910 Place: Victory Twp, Mason Co, Michigan, USA Note:  Mother, Mary, and a brother are living in household.  Was a farmer.
Marriage: 16 OCT 1912 Ludington, Mason Co, Michigan Note: Charles A. Lemon was the Minister. Marriage Return: 11 OCT 1912 Place: Victory Township, Mason County, Michigan, USA
Birth of Son:  05 SEP 1913 Name:  Otis Cornelius Smith Place: on Eric Erickson's farm, Bordulac, Foster Co, North Dakota
Birth of Daughter:  29 APR 1916 Name:  Marie Emma Smith
Birth of Son:  29 MAR 1918 Name:  Giles Orton Smith
County Directory:  1919-1920 Place: Mason County Note:  Smith, Orton, Section 3, 40 acres, value $1600, Victory Twp, Ludington (4). 1920 Census: 07 JAN 1920 Place: Victory Twp, Mason Co, Michigan, USA Note:  Wife, Teckla, and three children are living in household.
Birth of Son:  11 MAR 1920 Name:  Harold Albert Smith Place: Ludington, Mason Co, Michigan
Birth of Son:  20 JUN 1922 Name:  Francis Alvin Smith Place: on the old homestead on Stiles Rd, Ludington, Mason Co, Michigan
Birth of Son:  08 OCT 1925 Name:  Paul Goodwin Smith Place: Ludington, Mason Co, Michigan
Birth of Daughter:  09 APR 1928 Name:  Iva Mae Smith Place: Ludington, Mason Co, Michigan
1930 Census:  06 APR 1930 Place: Victory Twp, Mason Co, Michigan Note:  Wife, Teckla, and 7 children are also in household. Birth of Son:  09 OCT 1932 Name:  Charles Leroy Smith Place: Ludington, Mason Co, Michigan
Death:  20 NOV 1954 Note: 6:00pm. Died from Heart Attack. No death record on file at the Mason County Courthouse. Obituary: AFT 20 NOV 1954 Place: Mason Co, Michigan, USA Note: Funeral Services were held at Victory Baptist Sunday School with Rev. Robert Luby officiating. Death Certificate: 23 NOV 1954 Note: Was in the hospital from Nov 18 - Nov 20. Received copy of death certificate from Paul Goodwin Smith. click here to see parents:  Cornelius Aurlius Smith and Mary Etta Reynolds

Note: Orton Smith was born in the area known as the plains in Victory Township. His father died when he was young. Orton and his brother Charlie Smith (later to become Aunt Esther's husband - brothers married sisters) built the house that we all remember and lived there with their brothers, sisters and mother. When she moved in, Great-Grandma Smith (Mary Etta Reynolds) said 'It's so good to have a place of my own.'  Orton and Milton were twins.  Orton was a farmer. People would come from all around to have him cure their sick animals.  He chewed tobacco, sucked lemon drops, smiled a lot, and laughed and joked a lot.  He belonged to Victory Baptist Church.  Orton was a lumberjack for years.  Orton would play the harmonica and call square dancing. Teckla thought it was a sin.

Orton and Teckla met when Orton's mom became ill with breast cancer and Teckla Larson, as a teenager, went to take care of her. Orton and Teckla were married on October 16, 1912 by a Justice of the Peace in Ludington. They went by horse and wagon and passed some men who were working on the road. The workmen tied tin cans on the back of the wagon. Later, Orton discovered that he'd forgotten the marriage license and had to go back. He didn't want to pass the workmen again, so Orton hiked across a field to get the license.

Orton and Teckla began married life in the Victory homestead that we remember, but lived there for only a few months before they moved to Bordulac, North Dakota to work on a farm with Grandpa's sister, Aunt Minnie and Uncle George. While there, their first child, Otis, was born. They only lived in North Dakota for two years when they received word that Teckla's father was sick and came back to live on the Victory homestead. The thing that we all remember best about Grandma and Grandpa was their deep religious conviction and love of God. They started to go to church when, what is now Washington Avenue Baptist Church in Ludington, started as a mission church in Victory. It met first in an empty Lutheran Church across from Diamond School (the country school that all eight children attended). This property was sold and the church moved to the Diamond School for several years, until it burned. During this time, Orton and Teckla became Christians. They were baptized in the Washington Avenue Church in Ludington.

The many descendants of Orton and Teckla Smith are grateful for the heritage, moral character, leadership and religious
background which has remained, and which we have followed.  - Carole Smith Richardson (their oldest granddaughter)

Teckla Johanna Olive Larson
Birth: 04 DEC 1894 Victory or Grant Twp, Mason Co, MI. Note: Tombstone says she was born in 1895. 1900 Census:  5 JUN 1900 Place: Grant Twp, Mason Co, Michigan.  Note:  Living with parents, John and Emma. 1910 Census: 18 APR 1910 Note: Grant Twp, Mason Co, Michigan.  Emma and eight children are living in his household at the time. Religion: Was a member of the Washington Avenue Baptist Church of Ludington. Was very religious. Moved to: 1968 Place: Clio, Michigan.
Death: 23 SEP 1974 Beechwood Medical Center, Flint, Michigan. Obituary: AFT 23 SEP 1974 Place: Mason Co, Michigan. Note: The first funeral services were held at the Maes-Martin Funeral Home in Mount Morris. A second funeral service will be held at Dorrell Funeral Home with the Rev. Thomas Cavanaugh officiating. Burial: AFT 23 SEP 1974 North Victory Cemetery, Mason Co, Michigan, USA click here to see parents:  Johannes R. Larson and Emma Christina Olivia Olson

Note: Teckla Larson was born in a log cabin on Town Line Road (what we now refer to as Uncle Otto's house) across from the cemetery.  She wouldn't drink milk.  She used to say, 'When Mother weaned me, she weaned me good.'

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