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Jasper County, Iowa
Historical and Genealogical Data Exchange
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John Smith Many
families throughout the United States during the past few decades have gone to
much trouble and expense to collect their records back to the first settlement
of their ancestor emigrant, thus laying the foundation of a permanent family
tree in this country for the benefit and pleasure of all descendants.
There can be no doubt of the importance of this step.
One of these days, in the entailment of estates, such a record will be
invaluable to descendants. It will
be found that those who do not have such a record will not be able to prove
their right to inherit valuable property. The
saving of such a record is simply a matter of self-preservation for the
descendant The Smith family, represented by John of this review, has preserved a
fair record, good enough, perhaps, to make the claim certain in case of suit
over an estate, and this sketch will, to some extent, improve this claim. John
Smith, an honored veteran of the Civil War, long known as one of Jasper County's
leading contractors and builders, who died at his home in Newton, October 11,
1911, was born in Schuyler County, Illinois, February 2, 1843.
He was the son of David and Henrietta (DeLap) Smith, the father a native
of Tennessee and the mother of Kentucky. David
Smith first moved to Illinois in the pioneer days, then to Iowa in 1854,
locating near Burlington where he farmed for six years, later moving on a farm
of one hundred and sixty acres in McDonough County, where he lived until his
death, in 1867, at the age of sixty-eight years.
His wife died at the age of seventy-two, in Newton, Iowa.
They were the parents of eighteen children, a large family even in those
early days; twelve of these grew to maturity, namely: David; Mary Ripptoe, a
widow; Mrs. Harrison Scott; Mrs. Rhoda Gaul, and John, of this review, all
reside in Newton. John
Smith received what education he could in Schuyler County, Illinois, then a
wilderness, in which lived Indians, wolves, deer, snakes, etc. Later he went to
school in McDonough County. During
the summer months he worked on various farms at fifteen and twenty cents per
day. When but a boy he proved his
courage and patriotism by enlisting in Company D, Twenty-eighth Illinois
Volunteer Infantry, and served as a brave and efficient soldier for three years,
one month and five days, being honorably discharged at the close of hostilities,
having seen much hard service, participating in some of the bloodiest battles of
the war, such as Fort Donelson, Fort Henry, Shiloh, Corinth, Bolivar, Vicksburg,
Jackson, Natchez and many skirmishes. Returning
to McDonough County, Mr. Smith purchased a ditching machine, which he operated
for two years, then farmed for four years, and on August 19, 1870, he come to
Newton, Iowa, where he engaged in farming and teaming.
He also learned the brick and stone mason's trade, which he followed for
many years, building and assisting to build possibly as many buildings and
structures in Newton and Jasper County as any other man in this locality.
He helped build every church in Newton except one.
He was known all over the County as a very skilled and conscientious
workman. On
March 26, 1866, Mr. Smith was united in marriage with Mrs. Ursula Dern, widow of
James M. Dern, who was killed in the battle of Bull Run during the Civil War.
She was the daughter of Henry and Mary F. (Gore) Rayburn, natives of Kentucky,
and Mrs. Smith was born in that state. Her father was in the war of 1812 and her brother
served in the Mexican war. She is the sole and only survivor of the family of
which there were twelve children, ten of whom grew to maturity. The others were, Nancy married Alex Bradshaw; McNeal; Amanda
married James Kennison; Henry W.; Mary A. married Benjamin Lamb; John H.;
Belinda married James Pilsher; Henrietta; Merritt C., who was in the Mexican
war, and William Newton. Mrs. Smith
was the eleventh child in order of birth. The parents of these children died in
Ohio. To
Mr. and Mrs. Smith six children were born as follows: Samuel, who lives in
Plattsmouth, Nebraska, is a farmer and traveling salesman; Delia is the wife of
William Fisher, a jeweler of Des Moines; Audrey is the wife of A. C. Mowry, who
is superintendent of the Colfax Telephone Company; Alta is the wife of Walter
Nitche, a stockman of Omaha; Guy H. is a salesman in Omaha; Frank B. is
deceased. By
her first marriage two children were born to Mrs. Smith, both living, Louisa,
wife of John Woodruff, and Alice, wife of Frank Manly, of Grand Island,
Nebraska. Mr.
Smith was a member of the Woodmen of the World and the Grand Army of the
Republic. Politically, he was a Republican. He and his wife have a host of
friends throughout this locality. The Past and Present of Jasper County, Gen. James B. Weaver, Editor-In-Chief, 1912 B.F. Bowen Co., Indianapolis, IN, p. 675. |
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