Last Thursday I attended the "unveiling of the portrait" for Federal Judge Ortrie Dale Smith in the Federal Court House in Kansas City. After serving several years on the bench, judges are promoted to senior status and get their mug shots hung in the court house. In typical humorous fashion, he referred to it as the "hanging of Ortrie Smith."
Pastoral care memories emerge. I was with Ortrie when B. J. (Brittany Jane) was born and he almost lost Kris in child birth. I experienced the anxiety with Dr. Greenlund, Dr. Thompson, and Ortrie. Thankfully, Kris lived and B. J. joined the other three, Mikki, Casey, and Angie. Casey is also an attorney and B. J. is in her third year of law school.
Fun memories emerge. Ortrie was the one who got me into jogging in the early 80s. We jogged with guys who were called the "Southside Jogging and Debate Society": Chris Hoberock, Fred Seewoester, Jerry McBeth, and Howard Carter. The initial jogging was in preparation for snow skiing. Neither of us had done it but Marie and I and Ortrie and Kris (and later our families) took several Colorado trips together.
Encouragement memories emerge. Once during a sermon, I mentioned I was empty. I felt like a milk shake and everyone had a straw in me. While I was greeting people as they left, Ortrie handed me a giant milk shake. He had sneaked out early!
Leadership memories emerge. Ortrie touched about everything in the community that needed leadership. At a time of inertia at FBC, he became chair of a feasibility committee to determine how to proceed. The proposal to re-locate had been defeated by a narrow margin. He came into my office and asked, "So what do you want to do?" I replied, "We need to stay together as much as possible and move forward!" Both of us were propoents of re-location but he surmised, "You may not like how it turns out." I answered, "I know." But here we are today.
People who know him will smile. People who did not know him will ask, "Why would anyone ever name a baby Ortrie?"
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