VOL.. 6 PALMT5R
ALASKA..
OCTOBER 15,1943
MO. 40
XA. SMITH, ALASKA
PIONEER DIES.
T.A. Smith a long time resident of
Alaska and the Matanuska Valley,
became seriously ill while eating
r. meal last night, and expired, soon,
at the Matanuska ^alley Hospital.
Mr. Smith is one of the best known
residents of the Matanuska Valley,
where he has lived and raised a
family. He was a homesteader and the
olr1 Smith homestead is still a land
mark near Palm r. He is survived by
a wife nn-a children most of whom are
'''till hero. The two oldest.sons are
in the U.S. Air Force, another in th
Navy, and the two older married
’aughters live ih Orogcon.
Mr. Smith had a colorful history,
.... was formerly employed by the
Copper River Railroad and resided at|
Cordova and Chitna. Later he came to
the central rail belt and was emp
loyed at the Black Diamond Coal Mine
on Moose Creek and at Chickaloon.
Final he left industrial employment
and engagaed in r gricultral work
near Palmer, but has been operating
a saw mill near Palmer for some time
now. He was very skillful with mach
inery rmr’ imparted this accomplish
ment to'his sons, who are making
very splendid progress rih service.
According to information civen to
the writer in vrrious conversations,
he was raised in thoyStates of Iowa
an"' Colorado, but was firmly attach
ed to Alaska and had a great store
of knowledge of its possibilities.
As we ■Jo not know when the funeral
services will be held we would sug
gest that friends inquire later,so
that tt.ese details can be ascertained
The friends of the Smith Family are
deeply grevied to hear of their
Lcrevement and will be glad to assis
em in any way possiable. Mr.Smith
•« s know for his generosity in thing,
of this kind.
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Or
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OUTSIDE.
DO:
Friends of Mr. and Ers. Foss
Sheely inform us that the Sheelys’
arc leaving soon for the .States for
rn indefinate pcroid, and tb? t they
will go to Arizona whore r<latlV’ s
live,for a visit,and hope to sec
their son Jack, who was cormisoned
as an officer in the U.S. /rmy rec
ently. Their other younger son Joe
is now in the, Army also.
Ross Shoely came to Alaska from
Wyoming about forteen years ago,
,to become The Director of Extern, ion
Work for the Department of Agricult
ure, first,and was located in Fair- -
banks ft the College, howev r he was
able to travel widely in preforming
the duties attached to his ,osition
and undoubtably ha® as 6ood a know
ledge of the possabilities in the
afcricultral line, in Alcslc? , as any
pars on.
In 1935 he was employed by the U.S.
Government to purchase, cl*asify and
survey th"j Ko.ro Tracts in the Fa.tr
nuska Colony Project and about three
months after the Colinists ; rrivec,
v/as appointed to the; Mr.na0 rship of
Alaska Rural uehibilitrtion Corp. to
succeed a former friend Mr. Don Irwin
I/ir. Sheely had charge during the
construction days of the Colony and
opt lined the development program that
was followed for the first several • »
months. In 1937 he resigned from the
A.R.R.C. Management to operate a farm
that he had purchased from A.A. Shon
bcck. But was again appointed Manager
of the A.R.R.C in the fall of 1938,
In 1940 he resigned again rn''1 was
^ucceded by Dr. Herbert C. ilansen,
I.ir. Sheely had been a memb .r of the
Board of Directors of the A.R.R.C.
up t.ill 1940 but resigned frbm this
position at this time, but ;:ns reap
pointed to the Board of Directors
‘again at a later date.
Continued on page six.