Kern County CA Obituary Project Obituaries.....Smithson, Clinton C. "Smitty" October 11 2004 ********************************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/obits/obitsca/obitsca.htm ********************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: K T bluewolf@onemain.com October 23, 2004, 2:08 am The Tehachapi News CLINTON C. "SMITTY" SMITHSON April 1, 1918 – Oct. 11, 2004 A funeral service was held on Friday, Oct. 15, at the Wood Family Funeral Service Chapel for Clinton C. "Smitty" Smithson, 86, who passed away peacefully on Oct. 11 in Tehachapi after a courageous battle with cancer. His family was by his side. Clinton was born in Braggs, Okla., on April 1, 1918 to Tim and Maggie Smithson. He lived on a farm with his family out in the country. As a young man, Clinton joined the Conservation Corps where he met his wife of 65 years, Alpha Marie Williams. They were married on April 15, 1939 in Eufaula, Okla. They came to California in 1942 in search of a better life for themselves and their family. They settled in Tehachapi where Clinton began work as a 1st class repairman at Monolith Portland Cement Company. Clinton was drafted into the United States Army in 1944, where he served in the Central Europe Campaign during World War II. Music was very important to him. Clinton used to play the harmonica on a radio show in Oklahoma. He also played the "juice harp.” Clinton loved to garden and always had something growing. He liked to be in the outdoors. When he was younger, he enjoyed hunting with his sons, but his favorite pastime of late was fishing. Clinton was a quiet and reserved man, never one to waste words. But his word was always good. His love was a quiet kind of love that his family always knew was there. Clinton was loved very much by his family and will be greatly missed by them and all those that knew him. He was a devoted member of the Apostolic Faith Church. Clinton is survived by his loving wife, Alpha Smithson of Tehachapi; sons, Elbert Smithson and his wife Pam of Grass Valley and Timothy Smithson of Fairfield; daughter, Marilyn Kaminski and husband Paul of Tehachapi; grandchildren, Steven and Lonnie Smithson, Karen Rivera, Justin and Timmy Smithson and Joseph and Jennifer Kaminski; great-grandchildren, Lonnie Jr., Kayla, Aaron, Steven Jr., Justin, Joshua and Jacob; sisters, Minnie Nichols of Lemoore, Gertrude Brown of Hanford, Janie Reed of Bakersfield, and Edna Points of Haskell, Okla.; brothers, Leo Smithson of Warner, Okla., and Eugene Smithson of Keefton, Okla.; numerous nieces and nephews and many wonderful friends in Tehachapi. Pastor Mark Staller officiated at service. Interment followed at the Tehachapi Public Cemetery, Eastside. Wood Family Funeral Service handled the arrangements. Additional Comments: Volunteer submission - No relation to the deceased. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/kern/obits/gob2210smithson.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/caobfiles/ File size: 3.2 Kb