Harlan was the youngest of 4 sons of Hon. Samuel William Smith & Alida Electa (Deland) Smith, born at the family home at 109 Oakland Ave. in Pontiac.
He grew up in Pontiac and Washington, DC. He later attended the Univ. of Michigan from 1908-12, playing left field on the baseball team in 1910 and the 1911 championship year. He was a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity, and he obtained his B.A. degree in 1912.
The following year he started a career in construction by becoming a partner with Harry M. Pryale in Pryale Construction Co., a large contracting concern in the area; Harlan was Secretary & Treasurer, and also did stints as the construction estimator on larger projects such as Washington Jr. High School in Pontiac.
The world was at war, and interrupted the smooth transacting of this business, and Harlan went to France as an Ordinance Sergeant in the Army.
He during later of these years was acquainted with the Hodges family of Pine Lake, descendants of the original owners of the "Hodges House" hotel in downtown Pontiac; specifically Muriel Mariva Hodges, who he married April 5th, 1924 at the home of her parents on the north shore of Pine Lake.
Harlan built a new family home in the fledgling Seminole Hills subdivision on the west side of Pontiac. It was here they had their only child, Margaret.
After he retired from Pryale, he ran his own contruction equipment renting business in 1940's-60's called "Mixer Park" on Elizabeth Lake Rd. in Pontiac (now called West End Painting). He also installed sprinkler systems made by the recently-founded Rainbird company, which were made of brass metal fixtures.
He spent his remaining years involved in reading, historical research, and enjoying the youth and maturing of his grandchildren, telling them stories and teaching them of the world. He occasionally would tender a bet to his wife on the outcome of a particularly interesting Detroit Tigers game, a wager both seemed to enjoy.
He passed on 2 weeks past his 89th birthday, leaving his widow, a daughter, and grandchildren, as well as a host of bereaved friends and relatives.
The world would surely benefit if more people emulated the Smith "joie-de-vivre", and is a bit less illuminated from their passing.
He grew up in Pontiac and Washington, DC. He later attended the Univ. of Michigan from 1908-12, playing left field on the baseball team in 1910 and the 1911 championship year. He was a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity, and he obtained his B.A. degree in 1912.
The following year he started a career in construction by becoming a partner with Harry M. Pryale in Pryale Construction Co., a large contracting concern in the area; Harlan was Secretary & Treasurer, and also did stints as the construction estimator on larger projects such as Washington Jr. High School in Pontiac.
The world was at war, and interrupted the smooth transacting of this business, and Harlan went to France as an Ordinance Sergeant in the Army.
He during later of these years was acquainted with the Hodges family of Pine Lake, descendants of the original owners of the "Hodges House" hotel in downtown Pontiac; specifically Muriel Mariva Hodges, who he married April 5th, 1924 at the home of her parents on the north shore of Pine Lake.
Harlan built a new family home in the fledgling Seminole Hills subdivision on the west side of Pontiac. It was here they had their only child, Margaret.
After he retired from Pryale, he ran his own contruction equipment renting business in 1940's-60's called "Mixer Park" on Elizabeth Lake Rd. in Pontiac (now called West End Painting). He also installed sprinkler systems made by the recently-founded Rainbird company, which were made of brass metal fixtures.
He spent his remaining years involved in reading, historical research, and enjoying the youth and maturing of his grandchildren, telling them stories and teaching them of the world. He occasionally would tender a bet to his wife on the outcome of a particularly interesting Detroit Tigers game, a wager both seemed to enjoy.
He passed on 2 weeks past his 89th birthday, leaving his widow, a daughter, and grandchildren, as well as a host of bereaved friends and relatives.
The world would surely benefit if more people emulated the Smith "joie-de-vivre", and is a bit less illuminated from their passing.
Harlan was the youngest of 4 sons of Hon. Samuel William Smith & Alida Electa (Deland) Smith, born at the family home at 109 Oakland Ave. in Pontiac.
He grew up in Pontiac and Washington, DC. He later attended the Univ. of Michigan from 1908-12, playing left field on the baseball team in 1910 and the 1911 championship year. He was a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity, and he obtained his B.A. degree in 1912.
The following year he started a career in construction by becoming a partner with Harry M. Pryale in Pryale Construction Co., a large contracting concern in the area; Harlan was Secretary & Treasurer, and also did stints as the construction estimator on larger projects such as Washington Jr. High School in Pontiac.
The world was at war, and interrupted the smooth transacting of this business, and Harlan went to France as an Ordinance Sergeant in the Army.
He during later of these years was acquainted with the Hodges family of Pine Lake, descendants of the original owners of the "Hodges House" hotel in downtown Pontiac; specifically Muriel Mariva Hodges, who he married April 5th, 1924 at the home of her parents on the north shore of Pine Lake.
Harlan built a new family home in the fledgling Seminole Hills subdivision on the west side of Pontiac. It was here they had their only child, Margaret.
After he retired from Pryale, he ran his own contruction equipment renting business in 1940's-60's called "Mixer Park" on Elizabeth Lake Rd. in Pontiac (now called West End Painting). He also installed sprinkler systems made by the recently-founded Rainbird company, which were made of brass metal fixtures.
He spent his remaining years involved in reading, historical research, and enjoying the youth and maturing of his grandchildren, telling them stories and teaching them of the world. He occasionally would tender a bet to his wife on the outcome of a particularly interesting Detroit Tigers game, a wager both seemed to enjoy.
He passed on 2 weeks past his 89th birthday, leaving his widow, a daughter, and grandchildren, as well as a host of bereaved friends and relatives.
The world would surely benefit if more people emulated the Smith "joie-de-vivre", and is a bit less illuminated from their passing.
He grew up in Pontiac and Washington, DC. He later attended the Univ. of Michigan from 1908-12, playing left field on the baseball team in 1910 and the 1911 championship year. He was a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity, and he obtained his B.A. degree in 1912.
The following year he started a career in construction by becoming a partner with Harry M. Pryale in Pryale Construction Co., a large contracting concern in the area; Harlan was Secretary & Treasurer, and also did stints as the construction estimator on larger projects such as Washington Jr. High School in Pontiac.
The world was at war, and interrupted the smooth transacting of this business, and Harlan went to France as an Ordinance Sergeant in the Army.
He during later of these years was acquainted with the Hodges family of Pine Lake, descendants of the original owners of the "Hodges House" hotel in downtown Pontiac; specifically Muriel Mariva Hodges, who he married April 5th, 1924 at the home of her parents on the north shore of Pine Lake.
Harlan built a new family home in the fledgling Seminole Hills subdivision on the west side of Pontiac. It was here they had their only child, Margaret.
After he retired from Pryale, he ran his own contruction equipment renting business in 1940's-60's called "Mixer Park" on Elizabeth Lake Rd. in Pontiac (now called West End Painting). He also installed sprinkler systems made by the recently-founded Rainbird company, which were made of brass metal fixtures.
He spent his remaining years involved in reading, historical research, and enjoying the youth and maturing of his grandchildren, telling them stories and teaching them of the world. He occasionally would tender a bet to his wife on the outcome of a particularly interesting Detroit Tigers game, a wager both seemed to enjoy.
He passed on 2 weeks past his 89th birthday, leaving his widow, a daughter, and grandchildren, as well as a host of bereaved friends and relatives.
The world would surely benefit if more people emulated the Smith "joie-de-vivre", and is a bit less illuminated from their passing.
Inscription
HARLAN S SMITH
ORD SGT US ARMY
WORLD WAR I
SEP 28 1890 OCT 12 1979
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