Poverty and Pride: 52 Ancestors 2026 Prompt “What This Story Means to Me”

 

Privations of Missionary Life Helped by Charitable Gift from the East

Lorene Edith Smith:1903-1994 (Maternal Grandmother)
Cora Leachman: 1864-1943 (Maternal Great-Grandmother)
Rev. Willis Smith: 1853-1928 (Maternal Great-Grandfather)

 

As I was reading Lorene Smith’s memoirs, I ran across a story from her childhood that resonated with me. The story dealt with the Christmas season, and since we had just celebrated the Christmas holiday two weeks ago, it held extra meaning.

Lorene had been describing her parents’ difficult years homesteading and serving as missionaries in the U.S. Territory of New Mexico in the mid-1910s. They were living five miles outside the town of Melrose, and were desperately poor, trying to support themselves by raising chickens and cattle and growing vegetables and fruit trees. 

Main Street in Melrose, NM around 1908

Despite their efforts, they were barely getting by.  Lorene recalled:

“We got poorer and more destitute, and for several years before Christmas Mother would receive forms which she could have filled out to get a mission box from the Tulpahocken Missionary Society in a Presbyterian church in Philadelphia. My father was considered a home missionary so we qualified for home mission donations from the East. Each year Mother would toss these forms away saying, "We're not that bad yet," expecting the gifts to be others' castoffs. But finally in the fourth year she broke down and sent in the forms, giving the names and ages of all the family.

When we got word that the box had come by freight to the railroad station, Mother said, "We'll go for it after dark because I don't want anybody to see it and ask questions." We brought the box back in a wagon. It was a heavy wooden box, which must have been four feet high and two and a half or three feet square. It was filled with everything anyone could desire--nice bedding, blankets, towels, a silk comforter, dolls, games, books, and toys--all of fine quality. Those things lasted for many, many years. Mother and Dad and all of the children were very grateful for these gifts. I saved many of the books and games to adulthood. They built a platform for the box so that it could be used as a food cooler in a window where Mother kept her milk and cream. Later When we moved to Kentucky the box was used again for shipping.”

 

Melrose NM Train Depot where the Smiths picked up their Christmas box

I can relate to her mother’s reluctance to ask for help. I too always try to get by on my own, although I never faced such serious circumstances as the Smiths did while homesteading. I was a bit surprised, however, by the line, “’We’re not that bad yet’, expecting the gifts to be others’ castoffs.’” That goes beyond pride to a bit of disdain for poor people—Cora seemed to be trying to separate her family from other poor people. She felt she was better than charity cases, and so was too proud to accept used items. While I can be too proud to admit I need help from someone, at least I was never too proud to shop at garage sales or accept hand-me-downs from friends or family. I didn’t see myself as being too good for used things.

I laughed at the family sneaking off to the train station at night so no one would see them accepting charity. They were concerned about their position in the community, but ministers’ families can be trapped in a delicate situation. The community expects a minister’s family to set a better example, and perhaps Cora and Willis felt accepting charity may not have been the sort of example their neighbors would understand.

While the Smiths were reluctant to reach a point where they would accept charity, I loved that the family felt gratitude for the gifts, and appreciated their fine quality. Their pride did not interfere with their ability to make good use of everything they received. I loved how Lorene kept some of the items she received that Christmas well into her own adulthood. Even the container holding the gifts became a deeply appreciated and useful item for the family. Those details really touched me.

The Smiths in front of their Melrose, NM home

This story was a reminder that giving to those in need can bring great joy to both the giver and the recipient, especially during the Christmas season. Our retirement community collected gifts for local foster children this past Christmas. I hope the children enjoyed their gifts as much as the Smiths did over a century ago, and that the foster children didn’t let their pride spoil the pleasure of receiving the gifts from loving strangers.  

Sources:

Lorene Smith Jandy Memoir

Vintage postcard of Melrose Train Depot.