Newspapers / Firestone News (Gastonia, N.C.) / July 25, 1954, edition 1 / Page 5
Part of Firestone News (Gastonia, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
JULY 25, 1954 NEWS PAGE FIVE evoted To Her Home, table Interests The garden of her song was an other well-loved pursuit. Because of her work with and admiration for flowers, the famed horticultur ist, David Burpee, named a new species of marigold for her. ON THE NIGHT of Feb. 7, 1938, her husband died in his sleep at their winter home at Miami Beach. Perhaps on the long train ride back, she could think over her life which now had so abruptly and sadly changed. She could think of her birth place, Minnesota City, Minn.—and of her mother and father, George T. Smith, and her girlhood in Jackson, Mich. How proud her mother had been of her father—because he had in vented a process for removing the elements which gave dark color to bread and cake made from mill stone flour. ^ Hi her home was in Jackson when she met her husband-to-be, a dashing salesman, working out of Detroit, for the Columbus Buggy Co. owned by his cousin, Clinton Firestone. They were married on Nov. 20, 1895. The Columbus buggy sold for ^llO while Durant, Dort and Nash names famous later in the auto field—were turning out sturdy ones for $35. A few months after they were J^arried, the Columbus firm failed and he had come home—out of a job. He * I*ERHAPS she thought of the $1»000 they had saved and how With a partner, he risked it to ^'®nt a run-down factory on Wa- bash ave. in Chicago. The partners fitted strips of rubber to buggy wheels. They had a little house—$25 a ^onth. The grocery bill was scar- $5 a week. The little plant prospered and 6 and the men with him— bought the modern nearby plant of Imperial Rubber Co. That was &oing well, too, when the Consoli- ated Rubber Co., forming as a lust to take over all the rubber £^Panies, bought out Imperial. THAT’S WHERE they got the $45,000—the money they had when they arrived in Akron during the snowstorm that night which now seemed so long ago. After his death, she found great solace in her children and grand children. And when they all gathered around for a special holiday—like her birthday—she could say: “For years, all my hours were spent trying to be a good wife and mother. Now I’m trying to be a good grandmother,” Elizabeth and Russell preceded her in death but her four sons and many grandchildren grieve for the woman who had tried to make the best possible job of her life’s work —and did. She leaves her four sons, Har vey S., Jr., now chairman of the parent Firestone company; Leon ard K. of Beverly Hills, Cal., presi dent of the Firestone Tire & Rub ber Co. of California; Raymond C. of Bath, executive vice president of Firestone Tire in Akron, and Roger S., Bryn Mawr, Pa., president of the Firestone Plastics Co., at Pottstown, Pa. There are 16 grandchildren: Mrs. Charles F. Willis, Jr., Mrs. William Clay Ford, Harvey S. Firestone, III, Anne Idabelle Firestone (chil dren of Mr. and Mrs. Harvey S. Firestone, Jr.); Russell A. Fire stone, Jr., D. Morgan Firestone (children of Mrs. Russell A. Fire stone and the late Russell A. Firestone). Kimball C. Firestone, A. Brooks Firestone, Lendy S. Firestone (children of Mr. and Mrs. Leonard K. Firestone); Christy A. Fire stone, Judith A. Firestone (chil dren of Mr. and Mrs. Raymond C. Firestone); Gay I. Firestone, Peter S. Firestone, John D. Firestone, Cinda J. Firestone (children of Mr. and Mrs. Roger S. Firestone). Ray A. Graham III (son of Ray A, Graham, Jr., and the late Mrs. Ray A. Graham, Jr.—Elizabeth Firestone Graham). She also leaves four great grandchildren, Martha P. Ford, Sheila F. Ford, Douglas B. Fire stone and Andrew P. Firestone. MR. AND MRS. Firestone upon their fortieth wedding anniversary, November 20, 1935, when their children celebrated the occasion at Harbel Manor with a musicale and supper for 400 guests. Left to right, Mr. and Mrs. Harvey S., Jr., Elizabeth, Roger, Mr. Firestone, Raymond C., Mrs. Firestone, Mrs. Raymond C., Mr. and Mrs. Leonard K., and Mr. and Mrs. Russell A. MR. AND MRS. Harvey S. Firestone and members of their family at the Chagrin Valley Hunt Club, Gates Mills, Ohio, in 1927. Left to right, Harvey S. Firestone, Jr., Elizabeth Firestone, Leonard K. Firestone, Mrs. Firestone, Raymond C. Firestone, Mr. Firestone and Russell A. Firestone. Mrs. Firestone (An editorial reprinted from the Akron Beacon Joui'nal •July 8.) be f ^ scores a great success in life, usually it will ''"ife that he had the help of a devoted and intelligent car the case in Harvey S. Firestone’s phenomenal of industry. His wife, Idabelle, was constantly a source nv,.®^Sth to him, from the time they were married in 1895 the day of his death in 1938. HO means did Mrs. Firestone conceive it to be her hig participate with her husband in the operation of sijj She was the home maker; the mother of their Firestones were always known for their deriv ^ family life. Unquestionably, the husband and father a great deal of inspiration from his home. years, Mrs. Firestone had the time and oppor- of . exercise her own talents, particularly in the field “If T ^he will long be remembered as the composer of theme You” and “In My Garden,” the distinctive songs of the Firestone radio and television program. among her benefactions is the Idabelle qui^fl Home at City Hospital, but time and again ^ake &ave the few or several thousand dollars needed the campaign for some local philanthropy a success. w of 79 brings to a close the long and ^eiriQ- ^ gracious lady whose proudest success was ^ good wife and mother. WITH HER SONS, three of whom were in the service of their country, Mrs. PMrestone is shown at Harbel Manor on August 3, 1942. This was the day on which the Firestone Company received the Army-Navy “E” Award for high achievement in producing war materials. Mrs. Firestone attended the “E” Award ceremonies at the Firestone Stadium with her five sons. Left to right, Harvey S. Firestone, Jr., then President of the Company; Lt. Leonard K. Firestone of the Navy; Mrs. Firestone, Lt. Raymond C. Firestone of the Army Air Coorps; Lt. Roger S. Firestone of the Navy, and Russell A. Firestone, Gen eral Manager of the Nebraska Ordnance Plant, then operated by P’irestone.
Firestone News (Gastonia, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
July 25, 1954, edition 1
5
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75