Vivian Green Smith, 95, Lowville

Vivian Green Smith, 95, of Park Avenue, passed away peacefully at the Lewis County Residential Health Care Facility on Sunday, October 12, 2008, where she had been a resident for several months.

Mrs. Smith was a retired school librarian and author of children’s books.

She was the wife of C. Oliver Smith.

They celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary in June of this year.

Mrs. Smith was born in Lowville, January 21, 1913, daughter of Rinaldo Jonathan (R.J.) and Grace Proper Green.

She was a graduate of Lowville Academy, St. Lawrence University, library school at SUNY, Geneseo and did graduate work at Teacher’s College, Columbia University.

Prior to her marriage, Mrs. Smith was a school librarian at schools in White Plains and Lake Mahopac, N.Y. Later she was the school librarian at Copenhagen Central School for two years.

From there she was hired at the newly opened elementary school at Lowville Academy to organize a school library system for grades k-6.

She retired in 1973 after 27years. Children who frequented the library, could not find books about a new sport in the north country-snowmobiling.

Mrs. Smith preceded to write stories to show children how to have winter fun on their sleds and learn safety rules as well. SNOWMOBILE KID and SNOWMOBILE SCRAPE, were published by Story House Corp., in 1969 and 1971 respectively.

They were the first stories on this sport to be published and have been popular in local schools across the North Country.

In 1971, Mrs. Smith, accompanied by her husband, took a sabbatical trip to Europe to research childrens’ literature.

She prepared a film travelog of the locale of famous authors in folklore and fiction from Switzerland to the Black Forest of Germany; Vienna, Austria; Italy; Denmark and the Netherlands. She contributed articles to professional magazines and was listed in Who’s Who of American Women.

Following her retirement, Mrs. Smith began a mail-order business in her home called HANDEE FOR YOU.

She designed a line of easy-to-put-on, attractive fashions for disabled women, and carry all pockets for wheelchairs, crutches and walkers for the handicapped.

Mrs. Smith was a member of the American and New York State Library Associations.

She was past chair of the North Central Zone librarians, New York State Teachers Association, past president of the Lowville Academy Teachers Association, past president of the Lowville Civic Club and vice president and a director of the Lewis County Historical Society as well as editor of their journal.

She wrote the book WITH HAND AND HEART, edited from love letters written by Frankin D. Hough (author of a history of Lewis County).

Mrs. Smith was a member of the First Presbyterian Church for 70 years and a former member of Esther Circle.

Mrs. Smith is survived by her husband, Oliver, a son and two daughters; C. Dennis and Judy Smith, Clayton, NY; Jan and Tom Wolski, Cambridge, NY, and Heather and Steve Bailey, Pennington, NJ; four grandchildren and two great grand children. She was preceded in death by her sister Francis (Frisky Miller), and a grandson Chris Wolski.

Mrs. Smith has willed her body to Upstate SUNY Medical Center for research.

There are no calling hours.

There will be a memorial service held at First Presbyterian Church, Lowville on Saturday, October 18, 2008 at 11:00 A.M.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be sent to the First Presbyterian Church Memorial Fund, 7707 N. State Street, Lowville, NY 13367or to the Lewis County Historical Society, 7552 S. State Street, Lowville, NY 13367.