Stafford woman reflects on the past 100 years

WHITE OAK — Lucy Lois Smith, a Stafford County resident, turned 100 on Nov. 10.

She is hard of hearing and has lost her sight over the years, but is very alert and articulates her memories of the last century quite clearly.

Her first recollection was of the end of World War I.

“I was 10 years old when it was over,” she said. “We always notified people by the church bell of what things happened in Manchester. The church bell was ringing its head off. My mother said ‘run out to church to see what’s wrong.’”

When she arrived, she asked what was wrong.

“Nothing, honey. The war’s over and my boys are coming back. She said, ‘help me pull this rope and help me out.’ I did and it pulled me up. We both pulled on it until our little bodies were wore out.

“It was 1918, Nov. 11, and I said, ‘well that’s my birthday present.’ You never seen such celebrating in Manchester. It was a happy, happy day.”

She recollects the-then president’s campaign promise to keep the country out of the war, and related the public’s displeasure at his failure to keep it.

“We didn’t have any use for him after that,” she said.

Before the war her uncle brought the first gasoline-powered car to Manchester. She estimated the year to have been 1916.

“Everyone came from all over to see it,” she said of the Ford Coupe.

Driving a car was not an easy task at the time as there were no roads. Traveling was “bumpy,” she said.

She also remembers the first train to come to Manchester. Her father helped bring it to the area.

“I rode it for free,” she says.

Her trip lasted two miles, she says. At the end of the two miles, she got off and walked back home.

From that first car and train, it was a short jump to 1969 and the moon landing.

Though she does not remember Neil Armstrong’s statement verbatim as he set foot on the lunar surface, she remembered the gist of and said she and her friends felt a great sense of pride at the time.

“We were living in Florida right across the river from the cape.” she said. “I just cried and thanked the Lord.”

In her late 30s, she was advised by her doctor to seek a better climate for her asthma. She and her husband split their time between Florida and Kentucky, living in Florida during the winter and Kentucky during the summer.

“I was diagnosed with it and I still have it,” she said of the asthma.

One of her daughters, Sarah, graduated from high school in Kentucky, and the other, Jackie, graduated in Florida.

She moved to Stafford in 1992 after living in Titusville, Fla. for 35 years. She presently lives with her two daughters, one widowed and the other married. Her husband, an attorney, passed away in 1980.

Smith said the assassination of John F. Kennedy had a great impact on her life.

“The whole world had been turned upside down,” she said of the tragic event.

But she also saw the resilience of the country.

“We’re a tough bunch of people and we can stand a lot,” she added.

She has voted in 76 elections, including the most recent one, though she did not divulge whom she voted for. Voting is something she said she takes seriously, and indifference to it something she does not tolerate.

“Anyone who doesn’t vote is a slave to the system,” she said..

Her granddaughter by marriage, Sarah Pelfrey, says that Smith is somewhat of a “political junkie.” Before her hearing deteriorated, she listened to political talk shows and to audio books regarding politics.

She appears grateful for her long life, and is aware that it is not a common occurrence.

“The Lord has blessed me with a long life,” she says. “If you want to happy, the Lord is ready for you with open arms.”

She gives her advice for a quality life, too.

“Love your country, love your home and your family. There is nothing a family can’t do.”

Jim Lawrence is a contributing writer at the Stafford County Sun. Reach him at info@staffordcountysun.com.