Welcome to The Smith Family WebSite
Updated: 3/10/05
The Smith Family WebSite
Prologue
It all began on March 27, 1915 in a small coal-mining town on the left bank
of the Susquehanna River in northeastern Pennsylvania, when a child was born
who was destined to become the patriarch of one of the finest families in all
Christendom. Clad in swaddling clothes, his head was anointed with oil and he
was christened Joseph Charles Smith.
Along with his younger brother, William (Bill), Joseph (Joe) was raised,
guided, and nurtured by his loving mother, Gwendolyn (Gwen) Artis Davis Smith,
through his childhood and young manhood. (His parents were divorced when he was
approximately 12 years old.) In 1933, while Joe (later to be known as Big Joe,
for reasons which will later become apparent) was attending the University of
Pittsburgh, he met and fell in love with Viva (Vi) Linn Obley, a cousin of a
fellow fraternity brother. Inexplicably, Vi succumbed to Joe's entreaties and,
on April 27, 1934, they secretly eloped and were married. A little over a year
later, when Joe graduated from Pitt, Vi took over the reins from Gwen and
assumed the responsibility of completing his upbringing - and she's still
working at it!
Enter the Firstborn
When Vi and Joe married, at 16 and 19 years of age, they agreed it would be
best to wait five years before having a child. Consequently, Elizabeth (Betty)
June Smith waited until August 7, 1939 to enter this world, doing so in
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where Joe was working on the construction of a
power dam on the Yadkin River. Betty (later to be known as Ashleigh Evans -
for stage and business purposes) was a beautiful, talented child and today
retains those traits as the grandmother of four and great-grandmother of one. She and her husband, Dan
(later to be known as Big Dan) Hager, produced two sons: Dan (later to be known
as Little Dan, though half-a-foot taller than Big Dan) and Joe (to be known
after the birth of his son Joe as Middle Joe). Little Dan and his wife Cynthia
begat three children: Bill, Emily, and Sam, while Middle Joe and his first wife
Kim produced the aforementioned Little Joe. Joe's present (and last)
significant-other is one Joan (Joanie) Ragghianti, a life-long resident of the
area, who has blended right into the family. Middle Joe became a grandfather on January 15, 2003 when Little Joe's Rebecca gave birth to a handsome son, Joseph James (Really Little Joe). A little over two years later, on March 10, 2005, Alyssa Jade, a beautiful baby girl, came along, becoming the newest to join the family.
All the Hagers reside in the San Francisco Bay Area, fully enjoying the California lifestyle.
Bill Takes Center Stage
Next to arrive on the scene was son William (Bill) Radcliffe Smith, who was
born on May 12, 1942 in St. Louis, Missouri, where Joe was working on the
construction of a small arms ammunition plant. Bill, handsome and athletic,
displayed great talent and interest as a boy and young man in sports, both as a
participant and as a fan, and this continues to be the case to this day. Along
the way, Bill fathered son Morgen by his first wife, Margaret (Maggie) Huff,
and daughter Kristen (KJ) by his present (and last) wife, Joan (Joanne) Arthur.
Morgen emigrated to California, where he lives with his wife, Mary (nee
Scanlan), in Belmont (which borders on San Mateo) , while Bill, Joanne, and
Kristen remain in East Stroudsburg, a small college town in eastern
Pennsylvania.
Hello Dolly!
Following the birth of the first two children by the equivalent of a
generation, Gwendolyn (Dolly) Sylvia Smith was born on June 28, 1964 in Dayton,
Ohio, where Joe worked in the home office of his long-time employer. Dolly was 
a beautiful and brilliant child and remains the same as a young woman. She and
her ex- husband Tony (christened Anthony) Poole produced son Tommy (Thomas),
who shuttles back and forth between his parents on a joint-custody basis. Later (on 6/25/04), Dolly gave birth to Shannon Elizabeth, pictured with her mother to the right. Dolly and her children live in Albany,
California, a suburb of Berkeley, diagonally across the Bay from Betty and Dan.
A Late Cast Addition
That brings us up to date on the evolution of the Smith family - with one
exception. Along the way, almost the entire family has adopted as one of its
very own: one Debora (Debbie, or "Bubbles") Obley Hager Poole Smith, second
child of Vi's brother Fred (Doc) Obley and his wife Peggy. Debbie is a
beautiful, lively, intelligent, diligent, fun-loving person (much like her
Uncle Joe) who fits into the Smith family perfectly. She lives in Richmond,
California, just up the road (Route I-80) from Dolly and Thomas.
Finale!
You will note that not too much space has been allotted above to delineation
of the worldly occupations and accomplishments of the various members of the
family. This is deliberate, as the main purpose of this tome is to recognize
and honor the entire group for the family values they exemplify and for the
general worthiness with which they conduct their daily lives. If only half of
mankind displayed their traits, including the love and affection they feel for
each other as well as for others, this world would be a much better place in
which to live. To all of the Smith progeny, and their marriage partners and
adopted cousin, your matriarch and patriarch salute you!