Lester Smith and his Clover Farm Store

Lester J. Smith was the son of Charles V. Smith (1879-1964) and Lillie Cordrey (1882-1942).  Charles Smith was a rural mail carrier. Mr Lester Smith graduated Delmar High School in 1929,  The class consisted of 9 girls and 3 boys. Miss Pauline Ellis was Valedictorian and Catherine Spry was Salutatorian.  He started his work career as a clerk in a grocery store.  In the late 1930s he would work at the grocery store of George Spicer.  In 1938 he married Irene Virginia Parsons, daughter of Mr and Mrs S. C. Parsons of Delmar.  In 1939 he became affiliated with Clover Farm Stores.  By the mid 1040s George Spicer had moved back to Laurel to run a grocery store in the Laurel House.  It may have been at this time Mr Smith took over the store.  The store was located in the now abandon building at the corner of State and Pennsylvania.  It was typical of the small grocery stores of the period.  Meat cutting and selection in the back, dry and can goods on shelves in the center part of store, and the check out counter by the door.  I was unable to find a photo of the store.

above 1988

The Clover Farm organization was an organization in which the grocery store that wanted to be part of it would buy at least one share of stock and them they could order the Clover Farm brand grocery items.

above example of Clover Farm Brands at a Clover farm store that was in Illinois.

In 1979 Lester Smith retired and the grocery store was turned over to his son Jimmy Smith.  Lester Smith was active in the Delmar Chamber of Commerce.

Lester Smith and his wife had for children; Constance, Janet, Craig, Calvin  and James.