Bio of Susan Lathrom Smith

Married to Silas D. Smith. We have 4 sons. Sean is 24 and is now attending USU after getting his associate from BYU-Idaho. He served in Peru Lima Central Mission. He wants to teach Spanish. Sterling is 22 and also attends USU. He is married and he and Bronwyn had our 1st grandchild (Britton) in January. He served in the Dominican Republic Santo Domingo East Mission. He wants to teach Physics on the college level. Schuyler is 20 and is also attending USU. He is working on getting his papers in for his mission. He is going into Culinary Arts. Skiffington is almost 17 and is a Junior in high school. He enjoys track, football, and band (sousaphone)

When we were first married, Silas was still in school. I already had my degree from BYU but had planned to stay home with the children. We lived in SLC, LaVerkin, SLC, and then 20 years ago we moved to Grantsville so that we could buy a house. We've been here ever since. Silas and I have been married 25 years this past November. He works for ChevronTexaco as an accountant. It took the first 17 years of our marriage to finish his degree, but he finally got a BS in Business Management from USU. In 1984 I started substitute teaching and then 1988 they hired me 1/2 day to teach Spanish. The next year I also started teaching Family And Consumer Science classes. I have been teaching now for 15 years at Grantsville High School.

I have had a variety of Church jobs but the one I have had the longest is in Scouting. I have been on the Cub or Scout Committee or a Den Leader for 16 years now. I am just waiting for Skif to get his Eagle before I turn in my resignation. I have also played the piano in Primary for 14 years. I served as a counselor in Primary twice and I have taught Relief Society for about 8 years. Right now I am also the ward chorister as well as teaching RS and being on the Scout Committee. Silas was just released from being 1st counselor in the Bishopric. He also has been in Scouting for about 14 years.

For some of us, we live at work. I get there about 7:30 a.m. and never come home before 6:00 or later at night. Most days I really enjoy it. My kids always know where I am. And I usually know where they are in school. This semester I am teaching 2 Spanish I classes and 2 Spanish II classes and 2 foods classes. Since FACS classes are my first love, I am heavily involved in FCCLA (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America). I have been a State Officer Advisor to 8 State Officers including 3 of my own sons. I have traveled from Orlando to Spokane, from Boston, to San Diego to National Meetings. It is a great organization and I have seen it bring out the best in many students. Right now I also serve on the Advisory Board for the state. I am also the HomeStudy Teacher for our school. That's part of why I stay after so much. I am also on my 4th year of being over the Prom. I stay very busy with work.

In our family one of favorite hobbies is to travel. We went to Peru to pick up Sean, We went to the DR to pick up Sterling. We travel to Northern Idaho to see my Mom and to Monticello, UT and San Diego to visit Silas' family. We put lots of miles on the vans and have had lots of fun times together. We listen to tapes as a family and travel day and/or night. (With 6 drivers it is nice to just keep going).

I had my degree in Home Economics Education from BYU before I went on my mission. After my last baby was born, I took some classes at UofU in Counseling. After I started teaching, they told me I had to get an endorsement in Spanish. I ended up commuting to Weber State twice a week for a year, but I finally passed the Spanish at an Advanced Level. About 6 years ago, I started my Master's in School Counseling. I finished in 2000. I chose to not change teaching assignments though because I loved FCCLA too much and wanted to be there for Skif until he got out of high school. Our family is a Scouting family. I still help put up flags on holidays. Our four boys have worked at Scout camps for a total of 21 years.

My companions: I started out with Shauna Peck, and then Alicia Castaneda in David Panama. Then Diana Brandvold (who turns out to be my 3rd cousin) in San Jose, Elzedia Keaveehu in San Francisco de dos rios. Marie Bowen in Costa Rica, Granada and Managua Nicaragua. Sandra Morrison and Sandra Ferre in Tegoose and Tana Martin in San Pedro Sula. Marie and I should have some kind of record. We were companions for 9 of the 18 months of our mission. Sometimes we were in a trio though. Marie and I keep in touch some, and Shauna and I keep in touch fairly regularly.

Areas in which I served: I rode the Ticabus to David, Panama, back to San Jose, Costa Rica, to Granada & Managua, Nicaragua, to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, and then had to fly from Tegoose to San Pedro Sula because my green companion was on the plane.

My mission was a wonderful, but hard experience. The one thing I found interesting was that if you are with someone long enough you really do learn to love them. I know that I have much more self-confidence today because of the experiences of going into very different situations in the mission. I love the Spanish language. I still love the Hispanic people. I love hearing how much the church is growing in these areas. One other thing that made me feel good was the story that after Nicaragua had had the missionaries taken out, the only contact the members had with each other was through the home and visiting teaching program. Marie, Sandra Morrison and I worked really hard there in Granada to try and teach them about the Visiting Teaching Program.