2 retired Salvation Army majors honored with Oneonta luncheon

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May 25, 2012

2 retired Salvation Army majors honored with Oneonta luncheon

Jake Palmateer Daily Star The Daily Star Fri May 25, 2012, 10:16 AM EDT

Two recently retired Salvation Army majors were feted with a luncheon Thursday.

Maj. James J. Smith and Maj. Mary J. Smith, who are married, were the special guests at the event held at the Salvation Army headquarters on River Street.

Together, the two have more than 90 years of service with the Salvation Army. They retired earlier this month.

The couple has done a lot for the community, said Sharon Haines, office manager for the Salvation Army.

But Haines said she doesn’t think retirement will slow them down.

“They’re going to find out, I think, that they are going to be busier than ever,” Haines said.

Mary Smith said she and her husband will be visiting family and friends this summer and then “do a lot of volunteer work probably.”

Her husband said they would like to stay in Oneonta for another two years. They have been serving in the city for five years, he said, coming here from Buffalo.

They have also shared in Salvation Army ministry in Herkimer, Watertown and Oswego.

But Oneonta, they said, is a wonderful place.

“It’s very close-knit community,” Mary Smith, 64, said. “People are just out to help each other.”

Her husband agreed.

“What I like about Oneonta is that it is a very, very caring and concerned community,” James Smith, 66, said. “The community is very friendly and warm. It’s a gorgeous place to be.”

The Salvation Army is a church known for its charity work.

In Oneonta, the Salvation Army offers feeding services, operates a thrift store and has aided in disaster response.