Memorial Tour

The holiday weekend found our family in the car once again; this time we were Oklahoma-bound. Our "little" boy didn't join in on our journey since he was headed to Joplin, MO, with our church to assist with disaster relief efforts. We missed having our son with us, but are thankful that he can go lend a helping hand. (I might have to share some of his Joplin photos and stories at a later date, if he allows me to do so.)

On this trip, Mr. Smith was surrounded by girls -- four of 'em! Mr. Smith's cousin, Linda, flew to DFW from SFO to join in on our Enid excursion. The destination? Three cemeteries in the greater Enid, OK, area were on our "must see" list. Would it be in poor taste to say it was a grave experience? Hmmmm. Actually, it was a rather cheerful outing. No somber moods were allowed. :-)

To honor my mother-in-law, we happily carried on her tradition of decorating each and every family member's grave site. Our car was loaded with flowers and American flags (Thank you, Hobby Lobby!) and a tasty picnic lunch (Thank you, Mr. Smith!).

It doesn't seem like it's been a year since we said our goodbyes to Grandma Florence. She is missed.

One of the highlights of the Memorial Tour was getting to visit Zion Lutheran Church in Lahoma, OK. The church was built over 100 years ago. The Krueger side of the family has worshiped here for as long as the church has been in existence. Mr. Smith & Cousin Linda found many interesting photos of relatives, and learned more about their Okie ancestors. 

Although this is a picture of a picture, it shows what the church looked like in 1908.

Things look pretty much the same today; only in color.

This family photo of Mr. Smith's great grandparents and their offspring was hanging on the wall inside the church. Millie observed that these people just don't look happy. I guess toothy grins were not fashionable during this era. Or perhaps the photographer made everyone grumpy.  Just for fun, I'd like to try out my Photoshop skills and add in some smiles, but that's a project for another day.

No visit to the Smith/Krueger/Wehrmann "motherland" is complete without also visiting the Krueger family farm in Lahoma. Our city slicker girly-girls actually like getting out and exploring with their cousins. Both of our girls had dirty feet and contented smiles after tromping through the fields.

OK wheatfield -- almost ready for harvest

I had fun "shooting" the cousins -- Millie, Suzanna, Liesey, and Rebecca.

Outstanding in their field? Or out standing in their field?

This field is growing beautiful young ladies in addition to wheat. Looks like the harvest is plentiful.

Cousin Linda posed with her cousin Eugene.

It is always a pleasure to visit with friends and family in Oklahoma, but there just doesn't seem to be enough time to get everything fit into one weekend. It's a good thing we live relatively close. And it's a good thing we like taking road trips. We'll be back. Gotta keep those wheels rolling.