Alice Lulu Smithingell

Alice was a daughter of James E. Tuck and Avis A. Hyde. Alice's first husband was Francis Delbert Shorts, whom she married on January 12, 1929. Alice was 16 and Francis was 21 when they married.

Alice and Francis had three children:

1) Laverne Francis Shorts (June 27, 1932 – August 1971); 2) Avis "Chi Chi" C. Shorts (July 21, 1934 – March 11, 1986), who married Wayne Arthur Tuttle. They divorced and Avis went by her maiden name "Shorts" afterward. 3) Theresa "Terri" M. (Shorts) Tuck (February 12, 1936 – May 23, 1984). Theresa married William Clay Bell, Jr.

Alice and Francis divorced about 1937. On September 10, 1942 Francis married Bertha "Bert" Katherine _____ (surname unknown). Alice and her second husband raised Laverne, whereas Francis and his second wife Bertha raised Avis. Theresa was adopted by Alice's parents, James E. and Avis (Hyde) Tuck.

Alice's second husband was George C. Gregory (November 6, 1906 – July 3, 1959), son of William I. Gregory and Lueava Salmans. Alice and George had nine children:

1) Marvin Royal (Gregory) Engen (July 24, 1938 – July 6, 2009), who was adopted by Selmer "Sam" O. Engen and Theresa G. Borrow; 2) George "Jerry" Gregory (b. 1940), aka Jerry Yates; 3) Judith "Judy" A. Gregory (1941 – November 4, 1951); 4) Marsha Gregory (b. 1942); 5) James "Jimmie" Gregory (b. 1945); 6) Eugene "Gene" (Gregory) Cansler (Sep. 23, 1946 - Aug. 8, 2010), who was adopted by James L. Cansler and Mary Knight; 7) Sandra "Sandy" J. Gregory (August 17, 1949 - November 4, 1951) 8) Robert Gregory (b. February 1951) aka Robert Kuhen; 9) Joann Debra Gregory (b. September 21, 1952), who was adopted by John M. Kidle, Jr. and Dorothy M. Harper;

(Both Judy and Sandy died in a house fire at the James Tuck home in Flint, Genesee County, Michigan on November 4, 1951.)

George had been married previously to Marion Ruggles, whom he married in Genesee County, Michigan on November 5, 1928. They had a son Robert Gregory and a daughter Colleen Gregory, who married Norman L. Ross in Genesee County, Michigan, on July 12, 1947.

On June 9, 1959 Alice married her third husband James Martin Smithingell in Genesee County, Michigan. Alice was 47 and James was 46 at the time of their marriage. They had no children.

Obituary:

SMITHINGELL, Alice L. – Of Flint, age 75, died Monday, September 14, 1987, at Hurley Medical Center. Funeral services will be held 12 Noon Thursday at Brown Funeral Home, 1616 Davison Rd. Interment at Riverside Cemetery, Vassar, Michigan.

Mrs. Smithingell was born in Caro, Michigan, April 7, 1912, and had lived most of her life in the Flint area. Surviving are: 7 children, Jerry, Jimmy, Eugene, and Bobby, Marvin Gregory, Marsha Mosley, Jo Ann Kidle; 31 grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren; brother, Russell Tuck; other relatives. She was preceded in death by husband, James Smithingell and children, Judy, Sandy, Laverne, Terri [Theresa], and Avis.

(The Flint Journal, September 1987.)

(Obituary courtesy of Bob Walls.)