Hattie Belle Smith

Service:

Memorial Service on Sat 3/3/2012 at 11:00 am at First Christian Church »

Oct 1905 - Feb 2012 »

Hattie Belle Troxel, of Turlock, was born in Almeira, Nebraska, one of seven children born to Harvey Lincoln and Laura May (Thomson) Troxel. Only the girls survived: Fannie, Johnnie, Addie, a baby boy and Anna. Her dad died in 1921 when she was 16 and Hattie quit school and went to work to help her mother. She first worked as a cleaning lady at Wortel Hospital, a private hospital in North Platte, NE. Dr. Wortel, noticing her personal interest in the patients, trained her to become a practical nurse.
In 1926 she joined the First Christian Church in Turlock and was a member until her death. She enjoyed daily Bible reading and credited the Lord for the many blessings in her life.
In 1929 she moved to Santa Ana, CA with her sister Addie’s family. There she was amazed at her first sighting of the ocean. She also experienced her first earthquake and talked about sleeping in the yard because of aftershocks. She became lifelong friends with the Peters family after renting a room from them while working in their home.
She travelled by street car to Long Beach to listen to band music and enjoy the ocean view. It was there, at a dance, that she met Orin G. Smith, a farmer and a fiddle player. She and Orin were married in July, 1946 in Riverside, CA. They raised chickens at his place in Santa Ana. Orin had four grown children: Bertha, Marguerite, Orin Jr., and Sidney.
In 1949 Orin and Hattie moved to Denair and grew peaches. They lived in a shed that Orin had converted to a one-room cabin and Hattie said they had to get along because there wasn’t enough room for them to fight! They later moved to a large house and planted walnuts and peaches.
Orin retired in 1970 and they moved to Turlock. She remained in their home after he passed away in 1973 until 2011, when she moved to Bel Air Lodge, her final residence.
Hattie’s favorite color was pink. At Christmastime, her favorite time of year, she loved to decorate. She always enjoyed having balloons in her room to provide color and movement.
She was loved by many relatives and friends gathered over the course of her long life. She was known for remarkable upbeat spirit and her gratitude for all the blessings in her life, as well as her wonderful sense of humor and fun. While heaven welcomes her home, many here will miss her deeply.
Memorials may be directed to First Christian Church, 180 South Denair, Turlock, CA 95380. A Memorial Service is scheduled at First Christian Church in Turlock on Saturday, March 3rd at 11:00 am. Please leave memories and condolences at www.allenmortuary.com.

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