Passing of William “Bill” Smith

We have recently learned of the passing of one of the founding members of the Friends of Allensworth, William “Bill” Smith of Fremont, California.

When I first visited Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park on a warm September afternoon in 1994, it was Bill Smith who gave me, my wife Sharon, her mother, and our two children a tour of the park. He unlocked the school house, and told us about the “dignity cup” sitting on the student desks. From there we walked down to the Scott and Grosse Drug Store, which also had to be unlocked. Then we walked over to the Colonel’s house, where he told us how the house had been ordered from a catalog and delivered on the train. We ended the tour at the Mary Dickerson Memorial Library. I still have a picture of Bill and our children walking to the library.

When Bill reached the gates of heaven I am confident that the Allensworth greeting committee was standing next to God and the angels; representatives of the Allensworth family, the Singleton family, the Hackett family, the Stockett family, the Towns family, the Payne family, the Overr family, the Hindsman family , the Archer family, the Hall family and the Cowes family. They were there to say thank you. Thank you for telling our story, the story of how we took a small isolated piece of land and turned it into a community, a community where African Americans could pursue the American dream. A place we could call our own. Thank you for over thirty years of service to Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park, for answering ranger Rod Parsons’ 1979 appeal for people to serve as docents for the newly opened state park. Thank you for being part of that small group of devotees that formed the Friends of Allensworth in 1983. Thank you for organizing fund raisers to purchase furniture for the restored homes, and for organizing park cleanup days. Thank you for everything you have done to make the park what it is today.

In addition to being founding members of the Friends of Allensworth Bill and Susie organized the Fremont Chapter of the Friends of Allensworth. Susie is currently serving as the chapter’s president. She is also the state wide vice-president and membership chair for the Friends of Allensworth.

On behalf of the San Diego Chapter of the Friends of Allensworth, I join the Allensworth greeting committee in saying thank you for everything Bill and Susie have done for Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park. Susie please know that you and your family are in our prayers.

Church Services will be held:

Date:    Thursday, December 29, 2011
Time:    11:00 am
Where: Palma Ceia Baptist Church
             28605 Ruus Road
             Hayward, CA
             (510) 786-2866

Burial Services will be held:

Date:     Friday, December 30, 2011
Time:    11:00 am
Where: Sacramento Valley National Cemetery
             5810 Midway Road
             Dixon, CA 95620
             (707) 693-2460

Please send flowers to:

Chapel of Angels funeral home
40842 Fremont Blvd
Fremont, CA 94538
(510) 897-2439