European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 12, 1968, Darmstadt, Hesse Social Security s oldest customer by Norman Zeisloft he does t Wear glasses. He has no need for a hearing Aid and he gets about with a Spry step. He is tall lean and leathery and 126 years old. A former slave Charlie Smith has been a free Man longer than most me live. He resides in Polk City near Lakeland fla., and is the oldest Man unsocial Security. He does t know his exact birth Date but when he was freed As a slave at the age of 21, he decided that july 4 would be his birthday. Since he was tricked into a slave Shipin Liberia at the age of 10 or 12he has been a slave rancher horse breeder turpentine Farmer Road builder Citrus picker a sideshow attraction Anda Candy store owner. Charlie remembers a Day in 1854when he was that boy of 10 or 12, and was lured aboard an America bound slave ship off Liberia. The Man told us about a frit Ter tree Charlie recalls. He called pm fritters we Call pm pancakes said All you had to do was pick your fritter off the tree. And he said you could take your plate to another tree pull open a Leaf and there was Charlie and his friends swarmed aboard the ship and climbed Down the hold to see the fabulous fritter below deck the Hatch slammed shut and the ship set sail. After awhile the human cargo was allowed on deck. My god remembers Charlie when we looked Back there we could see nothing. We was out on the the ship docked at new Orleans an Charlie was sold at a slave auction to a texan from Galveston named Charl Ssmith. The rancher gave Charlie h i s name and raised him As a member of the family. My Boss gave me his name i told him How old i was and where i was born and he wrote it All Down in the family Bible along with the rest of his family he said. Charlie sometimes Calls him dad and sometimes Boss in his recollections. When Freedom came dad told me iwas my own Man. I was 21 then he said. Charlie has been married three times his son Chester is his Only child. Char lie was about 60 when Chester was born. It was t until 1956 that Charlie qualified for social Security. He was 112 years old climbing ladders and picking ranges when he was asked for his social Security number. He did t have one then and so Madean application. By working that year and the next he qualified under the rules applying to fruit pickers. My Fiance and i have Bee planning our wedding for Sev eral months. We wanted it Tobe in june but my Mother persuaded us to wait until july and be married on her 25th wedding anniversary. It sounded like a Good idea at the time but now i m not so sure. Last week my Mother announced that she has tried on her wedding gown and it still fits perfectly. She wants to Wear the gown to my wedding and make it a double ceremony with her and dad repeating the vows. 1 did t know what to make of it but Mother assured me that Many couples remarry for sentimental reasons and she thinks it would be a truly moving experience for us All. Dad was not very pleased but usually he goes along with what mom wants. My Fiance does t like the idea and has said so. When i told Mother she accused me of being selfish and not wanting to share the spotlight. If 1 a wrong please Tell me and i will try to make my Fiance see i that Way. Right now i am so Page 14 heartsick i m ready to Call of the wedding and Elope confused girl dear girl a Bride should i t have to share the spot i lit with anyone. Discuss this problem with your Clergyman and ask him to speak to your Mother. If your Mother wants to remarry your father for sentimental reasons she should do it on her own time and no Thorn in on your Day. I lost my husband two year Sago and have been seeing a very interesting Man who joined the firm where 1 am a private Secretary. Aaron is excellent company shares my interests and we Are of the Sam religion. He never married and seems to enjoy my two teen age children a great Deal. Aaron has asked me to marry him but something is holding me Back. He seems to be terribly Hung up on superstition. He has turned around in the Middle of the Block to prevent a Black cat from crossing his path. He will walk across a Street to avoid stepping under ladder. When he drops the Salt and Pepper Shaker he Al ways tosses a few grains Over his left shoulder. Recently he passed up a Choice apartment because it was on the 13th night we were walking Down the Street and Aaron was careful not to step on a crack because it would break his Mother s his Mother died five years you think this indicates an unstable mind or is it just ignorance Geraldine of Billing dear Geraldine superstition bears no relation to stability or intelligence. From your description he sounds like a prom Ising Prospect. Knock on Wood. Confidential to taken advantage of once too often who raised these vegetables you children Are disgustingly selfish and Lazy because they have never had to accept any responsibility. Your husband Isa pretty Good leaner too. So Long As you Are willing to carry the whole Load for these slobs they will be Happy to let you do it. The stars and stripes furlough a Frankfurt Agency offers the Pendency Day july 3 evening july 4 Paris by bus in 4 Days from $33 to incl Rihino a Paris Versailles of Rheims and Verdun a snarf sight see i of Wiesbaden Frankfurt Heidelberg Mannheim tsp Points Jelweh Lan Stuhl and Homburg evian Nyeim Kaiserslautern. Vienna by train 4% Days for $72 including hotel a Lecept one lunch sightseeing of Vienna and of fit Frankfurt Hanau Ascha Bur Stern \ rail shopping in Florence for breakfasts and dinners a future Switzerland by bus for $56 including Berne Lausanne Treux Interlaken Lucerne and Zurich. Departure s Are Baden Frankfurt Mannheim Heidelberg Kaiserslautern Ramstein Lan Stuhl Copenhagen by bus and boat in five Days for $78 including sightseeing of Copenhagen Elsinore and Hamlet s Castle 3 7 overnight in Hamburg departure is july 3 from Frankfurt ibs Berg Kaiserslautern and Ramstein. 1qel London by bus in 5% Days for $79.50 including sightseeing of London Stratford on Avon and Brussels with departure july l from Frankfurt. A j Berlin by air for three Days july 3-5, from Frankfurt or Stutt Gart for $55 up including flight hotel All breakfasts one lunch extensive sightseeing of West and East Berlin. Ask for descriptive literature on the above Tours at the Taurus District special services Tours office . Farben building apo09757, phone Frankfurt military 8630 or civil 592450, or Contact the american Community Center Wiesbaden phone military 23651 or phone Ramstein military 6330, Sembach military 7571, Hahn Mili tary 7129, or Span Dahlem military 6207. Be Sabre no club at Hahn air base is sponsoring seven Day trips to a resort area on the italian Riviera. Cost of Atrip is $55, which includes round trip transportation hotel and three meals a Day for seven Days. For full details phone hah military 7566 or 7197, or write the club at Apo 09109. London is Britain s new 55-acre gardening Center Atsion House eight Miles West of London has opened to the Center s chief attractions include an 18,000-Square-foot Hothouse a Long Lake bordered by Graceful Trees and planted with water lilies a display of open air sculpture and a Rose Garden with 10,000 Center will be open daily May 1 through oct. 31 except tuesday Sand weekends from nov. 1 through feb. 28. Goren on Bridge both vulnerable. West 0 q83 10 9 6 5 4 Westa a q 4 2 s k 8 7 60 10 qj82 East a j 10 8
