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Jasper County, Iowa
Historical and Genealogical Data Exchange
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Thomas Smith, Jr. Prominent
in the affairs of Newton and Jasper County and distinguished as a citizen whose
influence was far extended beyond the limits of the community honored by
his residence, the name of the late Thomas Smith, for a quarter of a century the
able and popular street commissioner, stands out a conspicuous figure.
Characterized by breadth of wisdom and strong individuality, and in all
of his enterprises and undertakings actuated by noble motives and high resolves,
his success and achievements but represented the result of fit utilization of
innate talent in directions effort along those lines where mature judgment and
rare discrimination led the way, and he long enjoyed the confidence and esteem
of all classes, having done much for the general up-building of the city and
community and led a clean, upright life from his youth up. Mr.
Smith was born in England on March 10, 1834, and after a long and busy career he
passed to his reward at Newton, Iowa, on February 25, 1907, at the attractive
modern residence at No. 623 South Farmer Street, where Mrs. Smith still resides.
He grew to manhood and was educated in England, emigrating to New York
City at the age of twenty-one years, but remained there only a short time when
he came west, and, finding Jasper County a place of future possibilities and
delightful surroundings, he decided to make this locality his permanent home,
Iowa then being in her first stages of development.
He first located in Newton Township, but soon afterwards came to the town
of Newton, where he made his home until his death, being very active up to
within a year and a half of that time, having resigned his position with the
city in order to spend his declining days in retirement, ill health forcing him
to take this step. He spent his
early life engaged in agricultural pursuits, having in his youth worked with his
father, Thomas Smith, Sr., a native of England and a prosperous farmer there. In
1856 Thomas Smith, Jr., was united in marriage with Mary Jackson, of Newton,
Iowa, and to this union three children were born, only one of whom survives,
Frank, who is married and resides at Colfax, this County. The
first wife of Thomas Smith, Jr., died in 1872, and in 1874 he was united in
marriage with Martha Hanson, of Newton, who was born September 14, 18491 the
daughter of Thomas Hanson and wife, of Birmingham, England.
To this union four daughters were born, three of whom are now living,
namely: Minnie married John Gardner, a large land owner and farmer of Jasper
County; Ida May married William Gardner, a brother of John Gardner; they live on
a farm four and one-half miles from Newton and have two daughters, Mabel and
Florence; Katie Belle married Guy Finch, of Newton. Mrs.
Martha (Hanson) Smith is the daughter of Thomas and Jane Hanson, of Newton, to
which city they came in 1865 from Birmingham, England.
Here he soon began working at his trade, that of brick maker and molder.
Their family consisted of fourteen children, namely: Emma, Mrs. Liza
Lister, of Newton; William; Mrs. Anna Beach, who now resides in Birmingham,
England; Mrs. Fannie Newton, also of that city; Martha, now Mrs. Smith, of this
review; Mrs. Jane Ferguson, who lives in Adel, Iowa: Mrs. John Woodrow, of
Newton, Iowa; Mrs. Clara Clasby, of Newton: George is deceased; Arthur lives in
Oklahoma; Charles is deceased; Anna Norris is now deceased; Thomas lives in the
state of Washington. Mrs. Thomas Smith, Jr., is the owner of considerable
valuable property in Newton, including a substantial and well furnished
residence, surrounding which are three acres of ground. Mr.
Smith was a Republican in politics and always took an active interest in local
affairs. He was not a member of any
church, being liberal in his religious views, although he inclined to the
doctrine of the Methodists and attended that church in Newton with his family,
they being members of the same. The Past and Present of Jasper County,
Gen. James B. Weaver, Editor-In-Chief, 1912 B.F. Bowen Co., Indianapolis, IN.
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