James Bergey Smull Family: Judson Gray Smull, Sr

JESSE SMULL > JAMES BERGEY SMULL > JUDSON GRAY SMULL, SR m Margaret Erwin

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Judson G Smull, Sr at Lehigh University

Judson Gray Smull was born 02 May 1882 to James Bergey Smull and Louise McGarvey. He was born and raised in Altoona, Blair County, Pennsylvania. He married Margaret Montgomery Erwin,who was born 23 Sep 1880 in Bethlehem in Blair County.

Judson attended Altoona High School and then got his bachelor's in chemistry from Lehigh University in 1906. He went on to get his master of science degree in 1921. He belonged to Tau Omega and was business manager of the student newspaper.

For many years, he worked as the chief chemist at the New Jersey Zinc Co in Franklin, New Jersey and worked as an investigator in the research laboratory of the National Lead Company. He conducted various studies in Linseed oil research. In 1919, he started on the faculty of Lehigh University, working his way up to professor.

He was a charter member of Sigma Xi at Lehigh and was affiliated with the American Chemical Society, the American Electro-Chemical Society and the American Association of University Professors. He also advised for Alph Rho chapter of ATO fraternity. He served on the board of the Moravian Prep school, was active in the Boy Scouts, and belonged to the Central Moravian church.

August Werft
Captain
Lacrosse Team at
Lehigh U 1931

Mrs. Smull died 16 Feb 1917 at her home in Richmond Hills, Long Island and was brought to Bethlehem for burial. She was 36 years old.

Professor Smull died 21 Apr 1978 at age 95 in Bethlehem.

The two children of this marriage were:

Louise Smull, born about 1908 in New Jersey. She was a graduate of Moravian College.  At some point, she became the second wife of US Steel coal operations executive and Lehigh-graduated mining engineer August Werft. They retired to Sarasota, Florida. She died 16 Aug 1992. August died 15 Jan 1987. If she was married previous to this, I've been unable to locate that information.

Judson Gray Smull, Jr. was born 03 Jul 1913 in New York. He married Gertrude Miller, born in 1914 in Bethlehem, on 04 Sep 1937 in Bethlehem. Judson also graduated from Lehigh. Judson died 18 Jun 1979 and Grace died 03 Feb 2015. They had five children.

Jesse Smull Family: James Bergey Smull

JESSE SMULL > JAMES BERGEY SMULL m Louise Garvey

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Jesse Smull, one of the Brothers Smull of Brush Valley in Centre County, Pennsylvania, moved fairly early on to Montgomery and then Chester County, Pennsylvania. He and his wife, Mary Bergey, had nine children. Jesse died tragically in an industrial accident. You can read about his brother, Henry Bergey Smull here.

330 23rd Ave Altoona

Son James Bergey Smull was born 30 Sep 1852 in Spring City. On 06 Oct 1880, he married Louis McGarvey, daughter of William McGarvey and Mary Gray. She was born 13 Aug 1861 in Blair County. Smull came to Altoona in 1877. He began working in the shoe repair business prior to arrival in Altoona, when he was 13 years old. For 18 years, he worked for J B Smith.

Early on, they resided at 1212 17th Ave in Altoona. His shoe shop, Smull's Shoe Shop, was located at 1504 12th Ave. He worked in several locations in this vicinity over the course of his career including his final location at 1109 14th St.  In early days, before machinery, he employed up to 10 shoemakers of the highest skill. The shop was a thriving concern that was in business until his retirement in 1931. In their old age, they resided at Lake Altoona on the Kittanning Trail Highway where James liked to garden. That place was on the old McGarvey homestead farm. Louise sold that farm in 1937. Before their deaths, they lived at 330 23rd Ave  in Altoona. James lived until 20 Sep 1940, when he died of heart issues. His wife, Louise, died 19 Oct 1944.

The Smull's had four children:;

1. Judson Gray Smull was born on 02 May 1882 in Altoona. He married Margaret Erwin, who was born 23 Sep 1880 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. They had two children, Louise and Judson Gray, Jr. I'll be writing about him separately. He died 21 Apr 1978 in Bethlehem and Margaret died 16 Feb 1917 in Long Island.

2. William Penn Smull was born 30 Sep 1883 in Altoona. He married Eleanor M Smith of Italy and it appears they divorced. WP Smull held Patent 2,793,610 for a multipoint moistener for gummed labels. He resided in Gettysburg and died Altoona in Apr 1967.

3. Mary Victoria Louise Smull was born 09 Oct 1886 in Altoona. She married Frank Jesse Varner who was born 29 Mar 1884 in Juniata County, Pennsylvania. They had two children: Virginia Louise Varner and Franklin Smull Varner. Frank died 30 Jun 1959 in Huntingdon and Mary died 30 Mar 1956 Huntingdon.

4. Jesse McGarvey Smull was born 26 Sep 1891 in Altoona. Jesse married Mary  Etta "Etta" Robison. They had four children: Marian, Beatrice, Virginia, and Frances. Jesse died in Feb 1967 and Etta on 19 Aug 1973.