Ray was born on November 9, 1905 in Mankato, Minnesota. He was the oldest of three sons born to Percy and Angie Middaugh Smith. He also had an older sister, Avanelle. The Smiths moved to the Twin Cities when Ray was a youngster. Ray grew up in Southeast Minneapolis, attending Tuttle school and East High, where he was a member of the gymnastics team. Ray was also active in the Boy Scouts and was a counselor at scout camp. His was the last graduating class of East High, in 1923, when East was replaced by Edison and Marshall High Schools. On June 26, 1926, Ray married Blanche Marie Bennett in Hennepin County. They had a daughter in 1931, who was named Marlene Rae, but the marriage didn't last. They separated and Blanche moved to an apartment on 26th Street. Around 1936, Blanche moved to Oregon with Marlene.
Ray was always very artistic and soon found his vocation as a sign painter. Between local jobs, he traveled to the Dakotas and even as far as western Wyoming, painting billboards and oil storage tanks. Often, his brother Jim traveled with as a helper. Ray liked to tell a story about painting "MAMMOTH" on a large oil tank. He had to move his staging for each large letter and lost track of his "M"s. As he was moving the staging once more, he realized that he had just finished painting "MAMMM" on the tank. Back in Minneapolis, he also painted billboards and signs, working for the Sterling Sign Company.
In 1939, he met and married Violet Mathews. They were married on July 21, 1939 in Northwood, Worth, Iowa. The Iowa marriage was necessary because Ray and Blanche had never legally divorced untill that year. Ray and Vi had one child, a son who was named Kenneth, after Ray's brother who was killed in an automobile accident in 1935. In the summer after Ken was born, Ray took his small family on one last billboard painting trip out west. Many years later, Vi loved to tell how they would pull into a small town in the Dakotas with very little money. Ray would get out his lettering kit and walk down Main Street, drumming up business, painting a window at a restaurant in exchange for dinner, and a sign above the door of a hotel for a place to stay the night. They spent Ken's first birthday at Greenwood Lodge, a resort owned by Ray's parents.
After Ken was born, Ray and Vi lived in an apartment near Loring Park, on Willow. The next summer, they rented a cottage on Lake Independence. In 1942, Ray and Vi bought a home at 3825 Standish Avenue in Minneapolis, the only home they ever owned. During WWII, although Ray was too old for the service, he went to Alaska and worked on the Alcan Highway as a sign painter. Over the years, he had developed what proved to be his specialty, truck lettering. In the 50s, he went into business for himself. His biggest accounts were Fruehauf Trailers and Hertz Truck Rentals & Leasing. He took in a partner, Ed Fournier, and their business, Ray-Ed Signs, was located on Lowry & Howard in Northeast Minneapolis.
Ray was a Shriner, he belonged to the Zurah Temple in Minneapolis. His other hobby was auto racing. He started out owning racing jalopies, and later moved to midgets. His cars were always two tone blue and carried the number 90. Ray didn't drive, but he was the chief pit man and owner. Vi and Ray also travelled extensively, by auto, all throughout the 1950's. They went west to visit Marlene in Portland and some of Vi's relatives in Los Angeles, south to visit friends in Florida and Georgia, and also to West Virginia, visiting Ray's relatives there.
Ray retired around 1970. Soon after, they sold their house on Standish and moved into a four-plex at 3255 Holmes, owned by their son. Ray died there of a heart attack on September 14, 1976, and is buried at Sunset Memorial Park in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Violet died in the spring of 1993, she was hospitalized several times, and passed away peacefully on May 4th. Her ashes are buried with Ray at Sunset Memorial Park in Minneapolis, Minnesota. There is no headstone for her.
Ray was born on November 9, 1905 in Mankato, Minnesota. He was the oldest of three sons born to Percy and Angie Middaugh Smith. He also had an older sister, Avanelle. The Smiths moved to the Twin Cities when Ray was a youngster. Ray grew up in Southeast Minneapolis, attending Tuttle school and East High, where he was a member of the gymnastics team. Ray was also active in the Boy Scouts and was a counselor at scout camp. His was the last graduating class of East High, in 1923, when East was replaced by Edison and Marshall High Schools. On June 26, 1926, Ray married Blanche Marie Bennett in Hennepin County. They had a daughter in 1931, who was named Marlene Rae, but the marriage didn't last. They separated and Blanche moved to an apartment on 26th Street. Around 1936, Blanche moved to Oregon with Marlene.
Ray was always very artistic and soon found his vocation as a sign painter. Between local jobs, he traveled to the Dakotas and even as far as western Wyoming, painting billboards and oil storage tanks. Often, his brother Jim traveled with as a helper. Ray liked to tell a story about painting "MAMMOTH" on a large oil tank. He had to move his staging for each large letter and lost track of his "M"s. As he was moving the staging once more, he realized that he had just finished painting "MAMMM" on the tank. Back in Minneapolis, he also painted billboards and signs, working for the Sterling Sign Company.
In 1939, he met and married Violet Mathews. They were married on July 21, 1939 in Northwood, Worth, Iowa. The Iowa marriage was necessary because Ray and Blanche had never legally divorced untill that year. Ray and Vi had one child, a son who was named Kenneth, after Ray's brother who was killed in an automobile accident in 1935. In the summer after Ken was born, Ray took his small family on one last billboard painting trip out west. Many years later, Vi loved to tell how they would pull into a small town in the Dakotas with very little money. Ray would get out his lettering kit and walk down Main Street, drumming up business, painting a window at a restaurant in exchange for dinner, and a sign above the door of a hotel for a place to stay the night. They spent Ken's first birthday at Greenwood Lodge, a resort owned by Ray's parents.
After Ken was born, Ray and Vi lived in an apartment near Loring Park, on Willow. The next summer, they rented a cottage on Lake Independence. In 1942, Ray and Vi bought a home at 3825 Standish Avenue in Minneapolis, the only home they ever owned. During WWII, although Ray was too old for the service, he went to Alaska and worked on the Alcan Highway as a sign painter. Over the years, he had developed what proved to be his specialty, truck lettering. In the 50s, he went into business for himself. His biggest accounts were Fruehauf Trailers and Hertz Truck Rentals & Leasing. He took in a partner, Ed Fournier, and their business, Ray-Ed Signs, was located on Lowry & Howard in Northeast Minneapolis.
Ray was a Shriner, he belonged to the Zurah Temple in Minneapolis. His other hobby was auto racing. He started out owning racing jalopies, and later moved to midgets. His cars were always two tone blue and carried the number 90. Ray didn't drive, but he was the chief pit man and owner. Vi and Ray also travelled extensively, by auto, all throughout the 1950's. They went west to visit Marlene in Portland and some of Vi's relatives in Los Angeles, south to visit friends in Florida and Georgia, and also to West Virginia, visiting Ray's relatives there.
Ray retired around 1970. Soon after, they sold their house on Standish and moved into a four-plex at 3255 Holmes, owned by their son. Ray died there of a heart attack on September 14, 1976, and is buried at Sunset Memorial Park in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Violet died in the spring of 1993, she was hospitalized several times, and passed away peacefully on May 4th. Her ashes are buried with Ray at Sunset Memorial Park in Minneapolis, Minnesota. There is no headstone for her.
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