Brother Al
Albert Eme (Al) – born April 19, 1915
The fifth child was Albert and they called him “Aap” pronounced, “Op.” Jacob and Albert two boys were always close. We called them “Bop and Aap.” When they were called for supper or to do a chore, it sounded like one word: “Bop’n’Aap.”
Throughout the drought and depression, Al stayed in school and graduated from the eighth grade.
One time Al and Jake rode Daniel’s wagon off the hog house. When it landed, the wheels splayed out.
When Al was 18 years old Pa dropped him off at the train station in Willmar, with no train ticket. There was nothing to harvest and no work in Minnesota, and money for a train ticket. Al rode in box cars and sometimes on top of the train in the box above the train engineer. One time, Al was caught in a long rain storm on top of the Engine car.
While he was in Washington he worked for the forestry.
There was no work away from home and there was nothing to harvest. Al and Elmer Vander Burg went bumming on the railroads. They lived from day to day on handouts, garden thefts, or small odd jobs. They went as far as California and many other states. Elmer got so thin he could fold his hands behind his back. He did have long arms! He later died in the “Death March” from the Philippines by the Japanese captors. After Al’s railroad experiences, he left home at about age twenty to work in California. After Al came back he bought a truck which he used to haul things for farmers. He spent some time working on Jimmy Heinz’ farm. He rented a farm from Dave Hiester and married Elsie soon after that. Ted worked for Al not long after he came back from Alaska.
From Daniel Smith
Al and Elsie were of great help to me when I started college at South Dakota State. They supplied me with potatoes and eggs whenever I hitchhiked back from Brookings, South Dakota on weekends. I cooked for my American Indian roommate and myself on a one-burner hot plate. Neither of us had much money. Sometimes we would eat out for the 35-cent liver and onion special. Our one bedroom with cooking privileges in the closet cost each of us $4 a week.
From Daniel Smith
This story was written by Gary Smith with snippets from Dan Smith, and edited by Susan Metoxen