Orle Smull and Ruth Cagley, Part I

PETER SMULL > JOHNATHON SMULL > FRANKLIN SYLVESTER SMULL > ORLE SMULL m Ruth Cagley

Orle Jay Smull was the eldest of Franklin Sylvester Smull and Clara Orcutt. He was born 27 Dec 1893 in Bellevue, Jackson County, Iowa, during one of Frank's times away from Plainfield. Two sisters and a brother would follow Orle.

Plainfield 1912 Baseball
Top Row: Earl Holmes, Orle Smull, Lawrence Smith, 4?, 
Ferrel Jenibric(?); Bottom Row: Clio Holmes, 
KennethThompson, Nathan Chester, John Burke, Gayland Mellinger

Orle enjoyed a typical Iowa upbringing full of work and enough play to make things interesting. He was very interested in sports, especially football, but played baseball in Nashua (at least in 1912). At least two family names are on this team - Lawrence Smith and Nathan Chester.

During World War I, Orle joined the cavalry. On August 1, 1917, he departed from Plainfield to Waterloo, where he would then go on to Jefferson Barracks in St Louis. He was assigned to the 328th Auxiliary Remount Depot, Quartermaster Corps, at Camp Bowie in Arlington Heights, Texas. Camp Bowie was built in 1917 to accommodate training for the 36th Infantry Division.

Orle (left) and three fellow cavalry members at Camp Bowie, 1917

"Camp Bowie's greatest average monthly strength was recorded in October 1917 as 30,901. On April 11, 1918, the Thirty-sixth went on parade in the city for the first time. The four-hour event drew crowds estimated at 225,000, making it possibly the biggest parade in Fort Worth's history. For about five months after the departure of the Thirty-sixth for France in July 1918, the camp functioned as an infantry replacement and training facility, with monthly population ranging from 4,164 to 10,527. A 
total of more than 100,000 men trained at the camp. Greble's retirement in September 1918 began a fairly rapid turnover of commandants that did not end until the camp ceased operation (ed note: 1919)."1

It doesn't appear as though Orle made it any further than Camp Bowie, and was discharged in March of 1919. Two years later, he would marry into the Cagley family, taking Ruth Vivian Cagley, granddaughter of pioneer Jacob Cagley and Martha Cuffel Cagley, daughter of Frederick Elmore Cagley and Miriam Ellena "Ena" Ingersoll Cagley, as his bride on 11 Nov 1921 in Oelwein, Fayette County, Iowa.

Their young life was chronicled by Ruth in a personal family memoir and I will excerpt a couple of bits from that, provided by Ruth's granddaughter.

"Orle J Smull and I were married in Oelwein, Ia Nov 11, 1921 at the Baptist Parsonage. That was a very cold year. We had had several snow storms and traveling was difficult for snow plows were not used then. Guess, one might say that our honeymoon was the ride from there to Waverly and there on to Plainfield, by train. We stayed with my folks for a month and by that time, our little house was finished. We had two rooms - one downstairs and one upstairs with a folding stairs so as not to be in our way. All the furniture we had was given us, a drop leaf table and a set of 4 chairs that had been Orle's Grandmother's, an old 2-burner kerosene stove to cook on in the summer, and a 2-hole laundry stove in the winter. It also served as a heater and I had a second-hand rocker. For the bedroom upstairs, a bed, dresser, and cedar chest that I had bought while teaching. The upstairs hadn't been plastered yet and we could see light in a few places where shingles gaped." 

Orle had been working in the cement business (most likely with the Orcutt's, who owned such an

Ruth Cagley Smull

establishment there in Plainfield), but times were tough and people weren't building, so Orle decided to become an auto mechanic. He rented a building that was totally unsuitable for winter use, did quite well, and then had to find another location that would provide some warmth. The old "Doc Ford" building was available and they purchased that building, knocked a large garage door in the wall, and fixed up two rooms upstairs. The outhouse was out back!

Ruth had saved money from her teaching jobs prior to her marriage and was able to outfit the family with an oak buffet, table, six leather-bottomed chairs, and a kitchen cabinet and they were able to use them in the Ford building.

Ruth, Orle, and young Norma stayed in that building until the fall of 1926, when the Charles Farnsworth buiding became available. Charles Farnsworth was the town blacksmith (his father, also a blacksmith, was one of the town's pioneer settlers). Since they still owed $150 on the Ford building, they used the last of Ruth's teaching money to pay off Mrs. Ford. Then, they borrowed $2,000 from Orle's uncle Sanford Orcutt to purchase the new building.  Ruth would say that this was a disastrous financial and personal move for them. Needing repairs, drafty and uncomfortable summer and winter, they made their home there anywhere for 19 years. Ruth took in sewing to make up the money needed for extras for the now three kids for shoes and other necessities.

After purchasing two lots for $200, the Smull's sold the business when a $2,000 offer was made for their business in 1945. Maybe Ruth would get the nice house she'd always dreamed of. Stayed tuned...

Fred, Ruth, Ena, and baby Howard Cagley

1 https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/qcc03

More on Franklin Sylvester Smull

Time to update the suit?
Franklin Sylvester Smull

PETER SMULL > JOHNATHON SMULL m Mary Jane Cooper > FRANKLIN SYLVESTER SMULL m Clarissa Belle "Clara" Orcutt

I talked about Franklin before, here. Now, we have a photo to go with the name. The sleeves on his suit made me chuckle. Looks like he had it for a while and grew a little.

Franklin seemed to be a typically law-abiding citizen, but like many farmers, had little side businesses going. In June of 1889, he was arrested by Deputy US Marshall Hopkins for bootlegging. Since no mention is later made of a jail sentence, he most likely lost his still and paid a fine.

Also located, thanks to one of my amazing cousins on the Smull/Cooper side, is a photo of Sylvester and a young Clarissa Belle "Clara" Orcutt, his bride on their wedding day. They were married in the Smull home by Justice M. Roberts on Feb 15, 1893. The Orcutts were a large and early pioneer family.

I followed Franklin through about 20 years of adulthood. He opened and closed multiple barber shops, farmed some summers on rented farms in Jackson and Bremer counties, and seemed to do what he could to raise his growing family. There was nothing exceptional in his life other than that he was a young man, with five children, who did his best to raise his family. His life was tragically cut short by illness at the age of 39.

Franklin and Clara Orcutt Smull on their Wedding Day

Ralph, Orle, Opal, baby Maude (Irma  hadn't
arrived yet)

Another Cousin Meetup

SMULL, PETER > SMULL, Johnathon m Mary Jane Cooper:

Click to increase size.

Franklin Sylvester Smull / Viola Smull / Katie Smull

Some months ago, I met with my cousins, great granddaughter and great great granddaughter of Viola Smull. Viola was the sister of my own great grandmother, Katie Smull Smith.

I was graciously invited to join my cousins again when yet another Smull cousin flew out from California to visit this past week. She is the great granddaughter of Frank Smull, brother to Viola and Katie and of whom I knew very little.

We exchanged photos and stories and then trekked over to Nashua's Greenwood Cemetery where I was able to show them the graves for Johnathon, Mary Jane, and their eldest son Ulyssus, who died at age 20 in 1881.

Leonna and Dee - Together Again!

One of the little tidbits I picked up include the fact that in summers, Leonna (Frank's GG), would come from California and stay with her grandparents, Orle Smull and Ruth Cagley Smull. There she would meet Dee (Viola's GG) and they would spend time playing through the summer. They've kept in touch all of their lives but hadn't seen each other in over 15 years. It was like watching two little kids, meeting back up on the playground with giggling and hugging everywhere.

It was again, such a pleasure to spend time with such kind, interesting people who I never would have known existed had it not been for this genealogy project. I'm very excited to have more stories to tell here over the coming months and really thank Leonna for bringing two fabulous albums full of Smull/Cagley/Orcutt/Pikesley family history.

Jonathan Smull Family: Franklin Sylvester Smull

PETER SMULL > JOHNATHAN SMULL > FRANKLIN SYLVESTER SMULL m Clarissa Belle Orcutt

Jennie, Florence, Sadie Smull and Clarissa Belle Orcutt Smull
Bonnie Jermeier photo

Johnathan Smull and Mary Jane Cooper had eight children. Ulyssus, the oldest, was born about 1863 in Rock Grove, Stephenson, Illinois and died 08 Oct 1881 in Chickasaw County, Iowa. The next child in the line-up was Franklin Sylvester Smull, born 06 Mar 1865 in Stephenson County, Illinois. He moved to Iowa with the family in the 1876. He met Clarissa Belle Orcutt and married her on 15 Feb 1893 in Plainfield, Bremer County.

Clarissa was the daughter of John Dimmick Orcutt, Jr. and Hannah Bossom. She was one of 11 children with interesting names like, "Marshall Western Orcutt," and "Philura Balingal Orcutt." The Orcutt's were early settlers in the area who had come from Connecticut originally.

Franklin and Clarissa Belle spent some time living in Bellevue in Jackson County as well as Stacyville and Mitchell, but moved back to Plainfield in 1903. I have a feeling it was because Frank was ill. They rented the "Eddy" house in Plainfield upon their return. By 1904, it was clear that Frank was ill. He spent time at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester before returning home and spent the last several months very ill. He died on 12 Jul 1904 in Plainfield at age 39. Clara took in washing to raise the children after Frank's death. Clarissa Belle died 15 Nov 1954 in Waterloo, Black Hawk County. The couple had five children.

1. Orle Jay Smull: Born 27 Dec 1893 in Bellevue, Jackson County. He married  Ruth V. Cagley, daughter of Frederick Elmore Cagley and Miriam Allena "Ena" Ingersoll. The Cagley family is also rife in the area. Orle operated a garage in Plainfield. In 1946, he bought a cement block machine with plans to open a cement block business with his brother, Ralph. They had three children. O. J. died 18 Aug 1963 in Plainfield and Ruth in July 1996. I'll talk more about Orle and Ralph later.

2. Opal Claire Smull: Born 26 Feb 1896 in Bellevue, Jackson County. She married Palmer Stephens Lowery on 25 May 1920, Waterloo, Black Hawk County, Iowa. Palmer was born 02 Feb 1895 in Calumet, Houghton County, Michigan. They resided in San Diego, California after their marriage. They divorced after 1940. Palmer died in Shawano, Wisconsin on 09 Apr 1979 and had remarried. Opal died on 18 May 1989 in Fallbrook in San Diego County. Opal's only child, Arlene Claire Lowery, was, according to Arlene's daughter, not the biological child of Palmer, but the child of James Milton Taylor. Arlene was born 28 Jun 1929 in San Diego and died 12 Sep 2001 in Orange County, she was married to Paul Delmus Jackson.

3. Ralph Edmond Smull:  Born 28 Jan 1898 in Stacyville, Mitchell County. He served during World War I, though I don't believe he saw combat. He married a woman named Stephanie, most likely in Chicago, where they lived in the 1930 and 1940 census.  It turns out that Stephanie was Stephanie Abramowicz of Chicago. They would divorce. He was a painter as a contractor and for Western Electric during his time there. On 26 Jun 1943, he married Florence T Abramowicz, in Lancaster, Missouri. Florence was born 09 Dec 1908 in Chicago to Frank Abramowicz and Mary Lipinski. She was first wife Stephanie's younger sister. In 1946, Ralph's brother O. J. decided to open up a cement block business and Ralph and Florence returned to Iowa to help in that endeavor. By 1947, they had their trial run making "about 78 blocks in about two hours." Nothing is heard about the business in the paper after that time, but it was reported to have operated a few years.

Ralph's obit listed him as a sign painter and interior decorator. The Smull lived at 903 Grand Blvd in Cedar Falls, Black Hawk County later in their life with their daughter, Eloise. Ralph died of emphysema and a heart attack. Florence died 17 Oct 1996 in Iowa City, after moving there in 1984.

4. Maude Fern Smull:  Born 31 Jan 1900 in Stacyville, she married Earl W. Fayant on 16 Jun 1923 in Des Moines, Iowa. Earl was born 26 Jun 1896 to Theodore Anthony Fayant and Emma Katherine Voss in Pender, Thurston, Nebraska.  Earl's family moved to Iowa Falls

The young couple lived at 216 Logan Ave in Waterloo as lodgers in the Dean and Irma Konkle home in 1930. Irma is Maude's sister. In 1940, they lived at 408 Dawson St in Waterloo. Earl and Maude operated a grocery store in Waterloo for 22 years. The Fayant's moved to California for nine months in 1946, returning in April 1947, when he bought his new store, Fayant's Food Mart, at 2301 Lafayette St. Earl died on 1 Aug 1947 after a heart attack while working in the basement of the store. Maude continue to operate the business for a while until she moved to San Diego and died in San Diego County, California. They had one son.

5. Irma Bethel Smull:  Born 28 May 1902 in Stacyville, she married Dean Bostic Konkle on 30 Sep 1922 in Sioux City, Iowa. Dean was born 24 Jun 1900 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They resided in Sioux City for two years after their marriage before moving to Waterloo. In 1930, they lived at 216 Logan Ave where they had several boarders, including her sister Maude and husband Early Fayant. Dean was a compositor (typesetter) and in 1946, he worked at Matt Parrot & Sons Printing. Irma died of a heart illness 14 Jun 1946 in Waterloo. Dean died in March 1969 in Colorado Springs. He had remarried after moving to San Diego, but later divorced. Irma and Dean had no children.