When Ida Smiles was a teenager, her daddy sold the farm and moved his family to what just a few years before had been segregated living quarters for the families of black soldiers stationed at Fort Crowder.

Appropriately, the apartments were in the former Lincoln schoolhouse in Northtown Neosho, where black children were once educated separately from whites. Dr. George Washington Carver had attended the original Lincoln School as a child.

Today, as one of the oldest members of the local black community, Smiles likes to remind herself that she is standing on the shoulders of others.

And it’s the main reason, she said, for this year’s black history program, Sunday Feb. 17, in the old schoolhouse at the Newton County Historic Park, one block north of the Neosho Square.

“You know, if we don’t try to keep something like this going, our children won’t have any idea about the shoulders we have stood on to get where we are today,” Smiles explained. “And I think that’s important.”

This year’s event — “It’s A Celebration” — begins at 2 p.m.

Along with refreshments and fellowship, Reggie Tiller, superintendent of the George Washington Carver National Monument, is slated as special guest speaker.

Also, the Second Baptist Church choir will sing a number of spirituals, in addition to a special solo or two from individuals.

A recital of selective poetry — one written by Dr. Carver — is lined up as well for the occasion.

Nearly 80-years-old, Smiles has lived in Newton County all her life. As did her daddy. Her grandfathers she isn’t as sure about, but she knows they both lived in the county when she was a child.

Combined, about 140 years of the local black experience is represented in those generations.

Smiles doesn’t talk too much about the general state of things during her and her family’s years here, except to note there wasn’t the heightened race tensions seen in other parts of the country at different times.

“As far as I know, everything has been real smooth,” she said.

What Smiles does like to speak of, though, is how her daddy played a part in the community.

During her early years — before the 40-acre family farm she was born on near Stark City was bought out — she milked cows, with much of the dairy product sold to the Pet Milk plant in Neosho. At the same time, her daddy drove a “schoolvan,” dropping off Neosho school children in the mornings before going to his other job at an auto shop located where the Neosho-Newton County Library is now. After work, he would deliver the school children safely back home. (On a side note, Smiles remembers that in the wintertime her daddy would have a lit bucket of coal in the back of the van for the kids to keep warm by.)

Through it all, he also managed the farm, raising cows, horses, pigs, chickens, field crops and a vegetable garden large enough to feed six children.

“Us kids, coming up, we learned how to work in a hurry,” Smiles said, laughing her full merry chuckle.

At the same time, however, it was made sure they also learned about some of the great black pioneers, like Dr. Carver.

And that’s something Smiles feels is missing in today’s youth.

That’s why she stresses the value of Sunday’s black history celebration.

“It’s important to me because our children don’t learn much about what black people have done or anything — they don’t teach that in schools much anymore,” Smiles said. “But I’m just thankful that I’m here today because I know I’m standing on somebody else’s shoulders. Somebody has already been through things and did things. And I think people, children especially, need to know about some of those things. And they can (next) Sunday.”

NOTEBOOK

What: “It’s A Celebration” Black History program. Lectures, spirituals, poem recitals, refreshments and more.

When: Sunday, February 17 at 2 p.m.

Where: The Newton County Historic Park and Museum, in the schoolhouse.