NATCHEZ — Whether they like to admit it or not, children pick up a lot from their parents.

Frank Smith picked up a life long love for using his hands from his mother, the late Alma Smith.

And he carries on that love through wood and metalworking.

When The Dart landed on Montebello Drive in Natchez on Sunday, Smith was home on a break from his job as a sergeant for the Adams County Sheriff’s Office.

Smith’s wife, Stephanie Smith, was quick to point out the work he has done around the house.

“I am proud of the things he has made,” she said. “I want to show him off.”

Among the many things that Smith has built are a bench swing for their back yard and a table for their son Dale’s fraternity house.

“It had to be stable because who knows,” Stephanie said. “People will probably be dancing on it.”

“It’s survived so far, it has one year under its belt,” Smith said.

Smith picked up these skills early in life.

“My Dad was away a lot working in the oilfields,” he said. “So my Mom did everything around the house.”

That included building and fixing furniture.

“We used to piddle around in the wood shop together,” he said.

“She was a handymom,” Stephanie said.

One of the ways Smith remembers his mother now is by keeping her old tools in a display case in his shop.

While his mother began the hobby out of necessity, for Smith, the hobby serves as a distraction from his busy life.

Along with working for the sheriff’s office, Smith also cuts grass around town.

“I have been working for the sheriff’s office for going on 25 years and I still love it,” he said.

“But it can be stressful. This is how I relax.”