Nellie Fay Smith

  General Notes:

Obit -
Nellie was born at Lyle, Washington, Sept 29, 1895, the second of 6 children born to Wilbur Casius (W.C.) Smith and Sarah Adelaide Spitzer Smith. Her father was a Methodist pastor. When Nellie was age 16, she came (1911) with family to Forsyth where her father was the pastor and also took a Homestead on Slaughter House Creek. She and her future husband came to Billings on the train to represent their Forsyth Church Epworth League.
She was married on her birthday, Sept 29, 1915, at Forsyth to Orrel Nathaniel Straw. They Homesteaded on Porcupine Creek until 1930 when they moved to a Billings farm on Alkali Creek (now Spotted Ass Ranch) where they ran a dairy. Eleven children were born to their home and all are still surviving. They moved to a farm at Lockwood and then they moved and settled at 220 Monroe. Her husband passed away in 1964. She died on 23 Sept 1981 in Billings.
Nellie loved flowers and gardening and going to the Fair. As soon as one Fair was over she began planning for the next, and she won hundreds of ribbons and cash or Premium prizes like sugar and linoleum. It was how she bought Christmas presents for her kids...all life rotated around her family... She loved music although she couldn't play an instrument...She traveled to California, Mexico, Vermont and Wash DC and in her 70s took a trip to Hawaii. Loved going to church but never learned to drive. (Her husband thought women shouldn't know how.)
She leaves to honor her memory 1 brother (Wilbur) and 1 sister (Mildred) and eleven children: James Albin Straw, Paul Norman Straw, Wilbur Orrel Straw, Sarah (Sally) Mae Straw Jacobs [Floyd], Dorothy Edith Straw Plath, Margaret Ruth Straw Priestly, Helen Orlean Straw Clark [Kenneth], June Mary Straw Wittman [David], Phyllis Jean Straw Lackman [David], Winifred Ann Straw Lehner[Russell] and Jeanette Rose Straw Richardson. Also 45 grandchildren; 38 great grandchildren and one great great grandchild.
Burial Sunset Memorial Gardens.

SSDI:
Nellie STRAW
Birth Date: 29 Sep 1894
Death Date: Sep 1981
State or Territory Where Number Was Issued: Montana
Death Residence Localities ZIP Code: 59101
Localities: Billings, Yellowstone, Montana
Lockwood, Yellowstone, Montana

Nellie married Orrel Nathaniel Straw, son of John William Straw and Maggie May Hayes, on 29 Sep 1915 in Forsyth, Rosebud County, Montana, United States of America. (Orrel Nathaniel Straw was born on 24 Mar 1893 in Forsyth, Rosebud County, Montana, United States of America, died on 11 Apr 1964 in Billings, Yellowstone County, Montana and was buried in Sunset Memorial Gardens in Billings, Yellowstone County, Montana.). The cause of his death was heart attack.