TheSchmitts.Org!

When I was young, it was the heart of the depression (as an old wood buyer friend of mine called it "the Hoover boom").  At that time we lived in Sterling Illinois which was 250 to 300 miles north of Nashville.  Your Grandpa Al Schmitt always owned an old fliver of some type ,however, he never was able to buy a new car until after World War II, twenty some years after he and your Grandmother married.  In those days a trip of 250 miles was a major undertaking, especially in an old car that was equipped with maypop tires.  The roads were not very good. The few trips we did take from Sterling to Nashville would take from daylight to dark in the summer time.   I can remember about 3 such trips up until 1935.  In 1936 mother was carrying your dad, and not getting along too well.  So we did not get to go south.  As a matter of fact she had a rough time delivering your dad, and was not well for about a year.   Her life was saved by the skill of Doctor Howard McCandliss, for whom your dad was partially named.  I believe we went to Nashville one time, maybe twice,  after your dad was born, and before World War II in 1941.  World War II put an end to all automobile travel.  Rationing allowed each automobile 3 gallons of gasoline per week, and if you needed a tire, well tough luck.  Caroline Schmitt died in 1943, and your Grandpa took a convoluted train trip from Walnut to Nashville for her funeral.  After World War II  I can remember I trip from Walnut to Nashville. I believe. That would have been in the summer of 1946.  Our cousin Roger had just gotten married.  I did not make it back there until I had married and we had some children of own.  That would have been in the late 50's or early 60's.  I don't know  if your dad went back there after the trip in 1946.  For all practical purposes, when I went to the navy during WWII your dad was 8 or 9, and I had pretty well left home. The above is a poor, albeit, a long explanation of why I don't know too much about our Nashville family.  I can remember mother (your grandma) often chastising dad for not writing letters more often to the folks in Nashville.  Back in those days you didn't make long distance phone calls unless it was bad news involving either death or life threatening illness.  Stamps cost 3 cents, long distance calls were several dollars, bread was a dime a loaf.