Toward the end of the gathering, people reflected on how an oak tree was an appropriate memorial for Clark: it is strong, it is long lasting, it is an important food source for the natural world, it has a variety of practical uses and people can seek comfort in its shade.
The dedication for a tree planted in memory of Clark Otis Smith (CO) took place on Saturday morning, June 3. The type of tree selected was a swamp white oak.
There were 18 people present including three family members.
Ed Nizalowski, director of the Bement-Billings Farmstead, began by saying how such occasions are a mixture of joy and sorrow; the sorrow for the loss of an individual but the joy of having a fitting memorial and having an opportunity to come together to share memories.
Ed continued by expressing thanks for all the work Clark had done at both the Farmstead and at the Depot. Clark was also from the same background and era as Ed’s father, having grown up on a farm in upstate New York and becoming a veteran of World War II.
Marcia Kiechle, a key member of the Historical Society and the organizer for Depot Friday Nights, expressed her admiration for how Clark along with Ray Shaver, Denny Dyer, and Denny Riley spent hundreds of hours together in building the Welcome Center, the Sycamore Bridge and a variety of other projects. Denny Riley, who passed away in 2015, has a pin oak that was planted in his memory last year.
In showing how Clark’s sense of history has been passed on, his grandson Otis Smith, Scott’s son, has expressed this view, “Don’t even think of selling that acre and a half we have in western New York that is located on Otis Smith Road.” The historical acorn didn’t fall far from the tree and is alive and well.
Scott Smith, the youngest of Clark’s five children, spoke at length of how much he had learned from his father and his admiration for his work ethic, his resourcefulness and his ability to work through obstacles that others might never try to attempt.
Smith shared, “He bought this British rototiller at an auction for $10 because nobody knew how to reconfigure the machine for an American tractor. He did some modifications and welded a few brackets and ended up with a machine that was worth $1,500. I use it to this day. His mind was always at work. Even the last week he was alive he was telling me how to modify a piece of machinery to make it more efficient.”
One of Clark’s singular accomplishments was the restoration of a Case “ground hog” threshing machine, one of the first that Case ever produced. It belonged to Clark’s great-grandfather and was something he took from the family farm in Western New York years ago. Although all the wood was gone, Clark brought it back to life and used it to thresh barley being grown on Jim Mead’s farm.
Kelly Smith spoke with great emotion on how she felt about her father, stating, “I still love him very much and miss him every day. Whenever I have a task before me I think ‘WWDD’: What would Daddy do. It helps me succeed.”
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