Thales Sessions Smith

Thales Sessions Smith was born at his Aunt Julia’s home in Byron, Wyoming, to Silas Thales and Elvena Sessions Smith. Being the firstborn, he was a hard worker and very reliable.  He attended the Old Stone Schoolhouse near his parent’s ranch east of Greybull. After attending two weeks of high school in Greybull, he had to quit because of a bad accident he had had. He was riding his horse in the dark and ran into a highway warning sign and injured his leg, which caused him problems the rest of his life. He went to Lovell to be cared for by Dr. Croft. After a month’s time, he was able to start school again at Lovell High School where he graduated. He served a mission in the German-Austrian Mission, returning home in 1939, in the midst of turmoil caused by the Nazis. He attended BYU and graduated with a BS in agronomy. He was a rancher, farmer, and school teacher. Thales met Clara Allred while attending BYU and married her in the Salt Lake Temple, September 18, 1940. They had a beautiful family of seven children, two sons and five daughters, one daughter having passed away at birth. The children are: Judith Ann, Darrell Thales, Marie, Carol, Margaret, Mark A., and Jeanne. They supported their children on missions and in college. He worked with the county agriculture agent and taught agriculture classes for the farmers at the county high school in Wyoming. He served as one of the seven presidents of seventy in the Wyoming stake. He spoke throughout the stake and was responsible for church services in Yellowstone Park. He and Clara taught school in Wyoming and in California, Thales teaching fifth grade in Porterville and Corcoran, California. He was on the ward council and volunteered to meet the new people in the ward, before they were assigned home teachers. In the Bakersfield Stake in California, he was the stake Junior Sunday School Coordinator. They attended the temple in Los Angeles for many years, taking friends in the car with them, and staying with Clara’s cousin, Sterling Allred.  He befriended the youth in his ward and was kind to nieces and nephews. He loved art and spent a little time sketching and painting.  Thales and Clara made their home in Pleasant Grove, Utah, after retiring from teaching. Thales and Clara served a mission to Iceland, 1982-83, and he served as an assistant mission president in Iceland. He also served for years as an ordinance worker in the Provo and Mt. Timpanogos temples. His yard was always well cared for and he raised a beautiful garden every year, sharing his bountiful harvest with family and friends. He was a master horse shoe player, and spent many happy hours with friends and family at his pit in the backyard. He was a friend to everyone and took time to serve others. He was disciplined and orderly, and exercised every morning. Thales suffered a stroke in April, 2001, and passed away December 24, 2001.

Taken from family records and memories of Thales by Darrell and Sherilyn Smith.