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Sunday, February 19, 2017

Smith Family Stories

This is sorted by the children of Jacob Smith and Mary Catherine "Cathie" Randolph

Jacob Smith Line: Mary Catherine Randolph, Sarah Jane Smith Doole, and Isaac Smith

ELIZABETH SMITH - Believed to have died young. No mention is made of her in sister Sarah's obit.

SARAH JANE SMITH
Jacob Smith Line: Mary Catherine Randolph, Sarah Jane Smith Doole, and Isaac Smith
Hang Down Your Head, Frank Doole

The Monteith's married three ways into the Smith family early on. They are pretty interesting!

THE MONTEITH FAMILY STORIES

Andrew Monteith Family of Wigtownshire, Scotland
William Boyd Monteith
Beloved Mary Welch Monteith Meets a Tragic End
The Great Chicago Fire & the Alexander McCullochs
Edward Boyd Monteith: Father of the Smith Wives
George Monteith of North Dakota
Jane Monteith, Nurse & Her Husbands
Race to the Finish: Fred C Monteith & Martin Rector
Sideroad: The Preston Family
Hoodoo, Voodoo, and Quackery

THE LICHTY FAMILY STORIES

The Lichty Family of Somerset County, Pennsylvania had many of its members pioneer in Black Hawk County. Most of them became exemplary citizens, leaders, captains of industry, lawyers, doctors, and highly successful farmers. Many held crucial roles in the development of the city of Waterloo.

Sideroad: Gabriel Bickley Lichty, MD, Abortionist

Sideroad: Lewis Lichty, Servant of the People

Friday, December 2, 2016

William Custer Smith Family: Mirt Smith

JACOB SMITH > WILLIAM CUSTER SMITH m Mary Ann Munson > MIRT SMITH

Franz, Emma, and Anna Schaftall

Mirt Smith was the youngest of those Smith children who survived childhood. He was born 9 Sep 1875, in Butler County, outside of Plainfield on the family farm.

In June of 1898, he would marry Emma Schaftall (various spellings) in Mower, Minnesota. She was born to Franz Gehard "Frank" Schaftall and Anna Kruse in Feb 1880 in Jackson County, Indiana. Frank was an immigrant from Hannover in what was then Prussia who came to the US to Indiana with family members in 1864. There is an interesting side story about Frank's brother William's mysterious disappearance in 1897 you can read about here

Mirt was a barber by trade and the earliest reference I can find about him is in regards to his trade. In January 1899, Tom Stocks sold Mirt his barber shop in Nashua, which was located under the hardware store of Prudhon & Howard. In 1902 WH Tucker sold his interest in the barbershop of Tucker & McKenzie in Nashua to Mirt, who was then living in Charles City. In 1916, he joined the ownership of Smith & Haselman barbers and pool hall in Nashua where he had been barbering for some time

Mirt and Emma

In 1919, the Shaftalls moved in with the Smith's briefly. It was during this year they also moved to Waterloo in nearby Black Hawk County. It appears they did a little back and forth between Nashua and Waterloo for a while. In 1923, Emma and family cared for Mr. Shaftall, who died 27 Mar 1923 in Nashua. Mrs Shaftall remained in Nashua and Emma made frequent visits to her. She would suffer a major stroke in 1939 and never fully recover. She died in Waterloo on 30 Jun 1941.

In the 1920s, Mirt was either barbering or, in 1928, was found as a shipping clerk for a company in Waterloo. One of Mirt's passions was raising prize-winning poultry. An entry from the 1926 Minnesota State Fair said he won "First and fourth on cockerels; third on pullet; and fifth on young pen." He was also an avid hunter/fisherman and was part of a core group who started the fishing an gun club in Nashua in 1933.

806 Conger (Center)

The Smiths lived at 806 Conger St on the East side of Waterloo during their time there. It was a nice, quiet working class neighborhood during those years, made up of many immigrants and first-generation Americans.

Mirt would get very ill in the mid-1930s and on 29 Oct 1936, he died in Waterloo of jaundice at the young age of 61. His wife Emma would live for many years, and died in Los Angeles County, California on 05 Feb 1961.

Their three children were:

1. Treva Selecta Smith was born 26 Nov 1898 in Bremer County. Prior to her marriage, she was a stenographer for the owner of a clothing store in Waterloo. She married Julian James Beckius, born 12 Apr 1897 in Chickasaw County. In the early 1920s, she and James moved to southern California and resided in Los Angeles where Julius was in construction. In 1940 he was listed as a construction foreman. They had two sons: Julian James, Jr. and Harry Donald Beckius. Later in life, they would live in Sunland, California. Julius would die 01 Feb 1961 at age 63. Treva would remain active and be involved in community affairs. She died 05 Nov 1987 at age 88.

Franklin, Treva, and Erwin

2. Franklin William Smith was born 25 Jan 1901 in Plainfield, Bremer County. He would marry Glady Nelson on 28 Jun 1941 in the home of Mr & Mrs Erwin Smith, 509 Olive St in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Their early marriage found them residing at 917 Dawson St in Waterloo, just blocks from where they had grown up on Conger St. At that time, Frank was an accountant with the Iowa Warehouse Company. The Smith's also moved to California, landing in Tujunga. Frank worked for over 25 years at the Flying Tiger Lines, Inc. and was manager of the revenue accounting office before his retirement. They were members of the Sunland First Baptist Church. While visiting a friend, Frank had a massive coronary and died in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The Smith's had two daughters, Dolores and Verna.

3. Erwin Leroy Smith was born 03 Oct 1903 in Nashua, Chickasaw County, Iowa. He married Lida Viola "Viola" Haehlen, daughter of Rev Jacob Haehlen and Lida Evelyn Ludwig. She was born 14 Mar 1912 in Black Hawk County, Iowa. He was known as "Smitty." Like his brother Frank, Erwin was a real go-getter and was actively involved in the community of Cedar Falls and rose to the top ranks in his work. He graduated from Nashua High School and Iowa State Teacher's College. His first position after college was as an instructor in the manual training school in Evansville, Indiana. He returned to Cedar Falls and started to work for Clay Equipment, where he eventually became the head of the engineering department, executive secretary, and member of the board of directors for 35 years. Clay Equipment was one of the longest operating and most successful companies in Cedar Falls history. He was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church, 20-year member of Riverview Park board, Rotarian and member of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers. The Smith's had two daughters. Erwin died 18 Feb 1969 and his wife died 03 Mar 1997.

William Custer Smith Family Links

Stories:

William Custer Smith (28 Sep 1831-16 Nov 1895)
The Family Farm of William Custer and Mary Ann Munson
Mystery Muddle: Who is Alice Simmons?
Connecting the Story: More on the William Custer Smith Farm

Mary Ann Munson (1837-24 Sep 1888)
Munson Family: Amos Munson
Mystery Muddle: The Amos Munson 1870 Census

Walter Smith (19 Sep 1854-23 May 1930)
William Custer Smith Family: Walter Smith

Mary Madora "Dora" Smith Lichty (23 Jul 1859-02 Jul 1941)
B. F. Lichty & Sons, Waterloo

Harland Smith (02 Nov 1861-21 Nov 1933)
William Custer Smith Family: Harland Smith
William Lowell Smith
Walter Kermit Spurgeon Gets Robbed
Going Beyond the Details - The Nashua Reporter

Eva Elvira Smith Bryce (05 Apr 1864-05 Jun 1924)
William Custer Smith Family: Eva Elvira Smith

Ella Mae Smith Cunningham (16 Sep 1866-21 Jun 1924)
All Aboard! The Railroad Men of the Wabash Railroad
A Sad Turn in the Tale of the Cunningham Family
Trail Blazing Women: Gertude Bouque Nichols

Edwin Smith (06 Jun 1869-10 Jan 1939)
The Edwin Smith Family
Johnathan Smull Family: Katie Smull
Mystery Muddle: The Many Marriages of Marie/Mary Adaline Smith
The Cappoens/LeRoy Line: Leo Lee Linsey
Edwin Smith Family: Vivian Katherine Smith
Edwin Smith Family: Evelyn Joyce Smith

Rev Parker Smith (01 Sep 1872-29 Mar 1950)
William Custer Smith Family: Rev Parker Smith

Mirt Smith (09 Sep 1875-29 Oct 1936)
William Custer Smith Family: Mirt Smith
Middle Aged Miasma or Murder Most Foul?

John Smith (09 Jun 1879-28 Sep 1881) - Died at age 2 in 1881

According to on account in The History of Bremer County, the couple also had another child, whom I would presume died as an infant. .

Tuesday, November 1, 2022

Clan William: Mary Ann Munson and William Custer Smith, Part 3

Read Part 2

Harland Smith

We left off with the death of Mary Ann Munson in 1888. She was a mere 51 years old. Many of the children had married by the time of her death, but some were still at home.

William Custer Smith found a second wife. At this time, I need to address "family lore." Within my family tree was a lovely lady who was the granddaughter of William & Mary Ann's son Harland - the guy who lived on the family farm with his wife and raced horses. She wrote an extensive letter full of her "memories," many of which were factually not true. You can read a bit about her reminisces here.

Her primary assertion was the woman W.C. married was previously married and had children. It was alluded the new wife was greedy and vengeful, casting out Harland and Fannie from the family farm. We'll get back to this lore as the story continues.

W.C.'s new wife was found in the family tree of his wife. His new wife was an unmarried "spinster" woman of 30 who was his wife's cousin. Specifically, she was the granddaughter of Mary Ann's sister Henrietta Munson Vaughn. Daughter of Sarah Jane Vaughn Simmons. The Vaughn/Simmons families had settled in Fayette County in NE Iowa. Just a few hours' buggy ride from the Smith farm in Fremont Township.

W.C. and Alice Simmons hopped on a train from Plainfield to Charles City and married March 20, 1893. They returned to the Smith farm and their lives went on.

In the meantime, the rest of the kids grew up and married.

Edwin Smith married Kate Smull on 11 Jun 1890. The couple would fairly soon settle in Plainfield. Edwin was a laborer. They had 12 children. Wife Kate was known throughout the area for her expertise in wallpapering.

Parker Smith, a struggling Baptist preacher, married Estella Irene "Stella" Pierson on 20 Nov 1896. After the turn of the century, they would spend the rest of their lives moving from church to church and into various leadership positions within the Baptist faith. They would adopt one of Stella's nieces.

Young Mirt Smith

Mirt Smith married Emma Haehlen Schafstall on 22 Jun 1898 in Mower, Minnesota. Mirt was a barber. The couple would have three children. Mirt was known in the region for his award-winning chickens. They lived in Waterloo for most of their marriage.

Mr & Mrs W. C. Smith did not have a long marriage. A massive stroke took W.C. on 16 Nov 1895 while going between the house and barn. According to the obituary, the turnout to say goodbye was a large one.

According to "family lore" as described by Harland's granddaughter, the widow stole the farm after W.C.'s death so she could leave it to her children. As I mentioned, not true. In fact I was able to find the documents that were with the courthouse and the current owner of the property. Alice, within a week of the death, sold the farm to the children for $2,040 on 22 Nov 1895. Each child owned an equal share. Son Parker managed the farm during this period at the behest of the family; my guess is Harland's departure had been caused by a similar family decision.

Alice returned to her family and married a single Englishman named Arthur Sinderson 16 Aug 1898. She never had any children during her lifetime.

On 08 Mar 1897, Eva Smith Bryce sold her share to her siblings for $600. Finally, on 08 Dec 1898, the farm was sold to the Diedrich Dieke family for $5,040.

This would be the end of the direct William Custer Smith-Mary Ann Munson story, but they would live on through the stories of their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren's and great-great grandchildren's lives.

Click these links for more stories about William and Mary's families.

Thursday, December 22, 2016

Clan William: The Family Farm of William Custer Smith & Mary Ann Munson

Capt Thomas Munson > Samuel Munson > Samuel James Munson > William Munson > Samuel II Munson > Freeman Munson > Amos Munson > Mary Ann Munson m William Custer Smith

and...

Jacob Smith > William Custer Smith m Mary Ann Munson

Butler County, Iowa Fremont Township Plat Map, 1895
Click image to increase size

William Custer Smith, my 2nd great grandfather, hailed from Harrison County, Ohio. He was born 04 Oct 1831, the middle child of seven born to Jacob Smith and wife Mary Catherine Randolph. His family moved to Grant County, Wisconsin in 1846. William and his bride, Mary Ann Munson, whom he married 20 Jun 1853 in Grant County, moved to Iowa in fall of 1865. Mary Ann died in 1888 and WC married Mary Ann's cousin, Alice Simmons in about 1893, two years prior to his death. WC died in Plainfield, but the death was registered in Butler County.

WC Smith Obituary November 1895

Family lore reminds us he had a farm and that his family's social life revolved around Plainfield, Bremer County. But, his land (120 acres) was actually in Butler County, right at the edge of the Bremer County border. The Plainfield post office served the farm. The farm reportedly had a horse race track because WC, his son Harland, and grandson William Lowell Smith were all avid horse racers.

It's such a thrill to make document discoveries after some serious sleuthing. One of my questions involved, "What became of the land?" In a note of remembrances authored by WC Smith granddaughter, Alyce Smith Rasmussen (daughter of WC Smith's son Harland), she had claimed that the widow Alice took the land, bounced Harland out, took all the personal effects, leaving the children with nothing. You can read about that claim here.

According to county deed documents, this was all patently untrue. WC Smith's widow sold the land of William C. Smith to the children of WC Smith after his death: Walter Smith, Dora Lichty, Harland Smith, Eva Bryce, Ella Cunningham, Edwin Smith, Parker Smith, and Mirt Smith for $2, 040 for the property described as: The East half of the Southeast quarter and the Southeast quarter of the Northeast quarter of Section 24, Township 93, N. Range 15 West. This deal was closed 22 Nov 1895, just days after WC's death.

WC Smith Widow Alice's sale to WC Smith Children, 1895
Click image to increase size

But, wait, there's more.On 08 Mar 1897, WC Smith daughter Eva Bryce sold her share to her siblings for $600.

Finally, on 08 Dec 1898, the remaining siblings sold the property to Diedrich Deike for the sum of $5,040. Parker Smith had been managing the farm during the time from his father's death to the time of the sale. Diedrich and Minnie had seven kids and the family still owns this property.

Final Sale of Property to Diedrich Dieke

My thanks to the staff of the Butler County Recorder's office, particularly Roxann, for assisting me in my quest to solve the mystery.

You can read more on the Smith-Munson Family Farm here.

Sunday, July 31, 2016

Going Beyond the Details - The Nashua Reporter

I've been pouring over newspapers the last couple of weeks trying to find out something about the actual lives of some of my long-dead relatives. I've subscribed, at various times, to several different services, but despite ancestry.com's partnership with newspapers.com, I generally find I like newspaperarchives.com much better for easy retrieval and review.

One of the papers this service offers is from Nashua, Iowa. The Nashua Reporter from 1899 to the early 1980s. Early on, there were news notes from each town and township I call the "gossip column." It is chock-full of who went to this house or that for dinner, shopped out of town on the weekend, or visited or had visiting relatives. It's a great source to find spouse names, what they did, where they moved to once they left the area, and service information, especially during World War II.

I've found the answers to many mysteries or at least grabbed a thread that allowed me to fill in blanks in standard records. I discovered the long, interesting marital history of my great aunt Mary and just recently discovered that her sister, Bernice Smith Beckage, who lost her husband Andrew Beckage suddenly in 1947, almost immediately remarried her second husband whose existence I've never heard about from anyone. My guess is the marriage didn't last too long and she reverted to her first husband's name after that marriage.

Papers like the Nashua Reporter were a treasure. They show the ties that span through families and marriages and the triumphs, trials, and tribulations of generations of relatives. While I'll never find out why my Great Grandma Kate Smull Smith was so ornery, I do get to see that her children and their children were frequent visitors and who cared for her through the years after her husband's death.

I took a liking to this young fellow, who married one of my relatives, I couldn't for the life of me
figure out why they left Iowa for Albuquerque, New Mexico. I had assumed it was job-related - he was a grocery wholesaler and retailer throughout his life. Turns out I was wrong- it was a very bad case of tuberculosis that sent him to drier climes and he had a sister, Mrs DO Marshall living in Albuquerque. He also went into the real estate business in 1929 (Walter K Spurgeon Realty - later Walter K Spurgeon Courteous Realty) and as late as 1945, not the grocery business. He returned to that business, as a clerk, once they moved to California. This is what I found on he and his young wife, Leona Smith Spurgeon, daughter of Harland Smith and Fannie Magoon Smith:

Walter Spurgeon, who had been spending a few days at the Harland Smith home, returned Friday morning to his home at Boone. Miss Leona Smith accompanied him as far as Cedar Falls.
Nashua Reporter March 26, 1914
===
Walter Spurgeon, who had been spending a few days at the Harland Smith home, returned Friday morning to his home at Boone. Miss Leona Smith accompanied him as far as Cedar Falls.
Nashua Reporter March 26, 1914
===
LEONA SMITH A BIRDE
WEDS WALTER SPURGEON AT BOONE DECEMBER 27
At the home of Otis L Spurgeon, 1515 12th St Des Moines on Wednesday afternoon, at 5:00, occurred the marriage of Walter K Spurgeon, of Boone, Iowa, to Miss Leona Smith, of Nashua, Iowa. The ceremony was performed by Otis L Spurgeon, brother of the groom. The bride is the daughter of Mr & Mrs Harland Smith of this city. She was a former member of Mr Spurgeon's congregation at Nashua, he having baptized her into the church. She was during his stay here his efficient organist. The bride is of charming personality and a fine musician. Mr Spurgeon has been for a number of years a traveling salesman, but with the first of the coming year will enter into business with his father at Boone, where the parent is already engaged in the grocery and meat business. The young couple go to housekeeping at once in a home already furnished and will be at home to their friends on 10th St, Boone, Iowa.
Nashua Reporter January 4, 1917
===
Mrs Walter Spurgeon who had been spending a couple of weeks at the house of her parents, Mr & Mrs Harland Smith, returned Friday to her home at Boone.
Nashua Reporter August 1, 1918
===
Mrs Harland Smith went to Boone Thursday morning to nurse her daughter, Mrs Walter Spurgeon through a case of influenza. Mr Spurgeon is just recovering from an attack of the disease.
Nashua Reporter November 21, 1918
===
Mrs Harland Smith returned from Boone Monday where she had been called by the illness of her daughter Mrs Walter Spurgeon. She reports that Mrs Spurgeon is much improved and able to be about once more.
Nashua Reporter May 8, 1919
===
Mrs Walter Spurgeon of Boone, who had been spending a few weeks with her parents Mr & Mrs Harland Smith, went to Minneapolis Thursday to visit her sister, Mrs Corey.
Nashua Reporter July 31, 1919
===
Mrs Walter Spurgeon of Boone, who had been here visiting her parents, Mr & Mrs Harland Smith, left for Minneapolis Monday to visit her sister, Mrs Percy Corey.
Nashua Reporter April 1, 1920
===
Mrs Walter Spurgeon and baby of Boone, arrived Saturday for a visit with her parents, Mr & Mrs Harland Smith.
Nashua Reporter February 9, 1922
===
Mirt Smith and Harland Smith autoed to Cedar Falls Monday to visit the latter's daughter. Mrs Walter Spurgeon and little son of Boone, who came for a visit with her parents and other relatives and friends.
Nashua Reporter June 22, 1922, p 1
===
For Marcelles 50 cents and bob curl 25c. See Leona Spurgeon, 1st door north of Reporter office. 16-2
Nashua Reporter December 3, 1924
===
Mrs Beulah Lewis and little daughter, Betty of Boone, came Saturday evening to visit her brother and his wife, Mr & Mrs Walter Spurgeon, at the Harland Smith home.
Nashua Reporter February 4, 1925
===
Methodist Episcopal Church, Elmer Shafer, Minister
...The special musical number for the morning was the solo by Mrs Leona Spurgeon, sung in a very effective manner. It was entitled, "Oh, What a King."
Nashua Reporter February 25, 1925
===
Mrs Walter Spurgeon and little son arrived Wednesday of last week from Boone, to remain a few weeks with her parents, Mr & Mrs Harland Smith.
Nashua Reporter August 19, 1925
===
Walter Spurgeon, who Has been for several weeks receiving treatment at the sanitarium at Oakdale, is able to return home and is with his family at the Harland Smith home.
Waterloo Evening Courier January 8, 1925, p 14
===
Walter Spurgeon who had been spending several weeks with his wife at the home of her parents, Mr & Mrs Harland Smith, went to Boone, Iowa, Thursday to spend a few weeks with his parents, Mr Spurgeon, who had been at Oakdale Sanitarium for some time taking treatments, before coming to Nashua, is gaining steadily in health.
Nashua Reporter March 4, 1925
===
Mrs. Leona Spurgeon and little son Richard have returned to Boone. after visiting at the home of her parents.Mr. and Mrs. Harland Smith
Nashua Reporter September 2, 1925, pg 8
===
Friends of Mr & Mrs Walter Spurgeon, who went to Albuquerque, NM, about a year ago to seek relief for Mr Spurgeon who was suffering from tuberculosis, will be glad to learn that he is much better and expects soon to go to work. At first, he did not improve satisfactorily and the only chance he had, which was one out of ten, was to have his affected lung collapsed, and he took the chance with the above result. Mrs Spurgeon is employed in the offices of the Great Western Railway.
Nashua Reporter December 8, 1926
===
Mr & Mrs Walter K Spurgeon, 1208 East Roma Ave, are enjoying a visit fro Mr Spurgeon's brother, Rev Otis L Spurgeon, pastor, Trinity Baptist Church, Kansas City, Mo. Rev Spurgeon was a chaplain in the World War and is a captain in the 443rd Field Artillery, ROTC. He is also a lecturer widely known over the country, being in demand before public schools and dinner clubs for his lectures on Character Analysis and Applied Psychology. Also a Kiwanian and a Mason, Rev Spurgeon is also a brother of Mrs DO Marshall of this city.
Albuquerque Journal March 28, 1929
===
Walter K Spurgeon Real Estate 1208 East Roma Ave Phone 2867-R.
Albuquerque Journal July 2, 1929
===
Modern home with big sleeping porch, price only $3,000 on easy terms. Walter K Spurgeon, 694 East Central.
Albuquerque Journal August 26, 1929
===
In a pretty home wedding Wednesday morning, Rev Otis L Spurgeon peformed the ceremony uniting his daughter, Miss Velma Spurgeon and Herbert C Chandler of San Francisco in marriage. The ceremony was read at 10 o'clock at the home of the bride's uncle, Walter K Spurgeon, 1208 East Roma Ave.

The bride was gowned in a blue chiffon velvet ensemble, the jacket covering a blouse of eggshell satin. Her hat of dark blue velvet and other accessories matched. Miss Roberta Spurgeon, who attended her sister as maid of honor wore a dress of heavy flowered crepe in blue and white. Walter K Spurgeon the bride's uncle, acted as best man to Mr Chandler.

After the ceremony, a wedding breakfast was served to the bridal party and the ten guests present: Rev & Mrs Otis L Spurgeon, Mr & Mrs SA Spurgeon, Mr & Mrs WK Spurgen, Mr & Mrs DO Marshall, and the mIsses Esther Jensen and Carrie Swendson.

Mr & Mrs Chandler left Wednesday afternoon for a short honeymoon of unannounced destination after which they will be at home at the El Centro apartments, 270 Turk St, San Francisco, Cal.

The bride attended Des Moines College, the bridegroom Texas University. Mr Chandler is branch manager on the west coast for the Holcomb & Hoke Manufacturing company of Indianapolis. Mrs Chandler was formerly secretary to Dr OA Cox.
Albuquerque Journal October 17, 1929
===
Mr & Mrs Walter Spurgeon and son, of Albuquerque, NM, arrived Tuesday evening of last week by auto for a visit with Mrs Spurgeon's parents, Mr & Mrs Harland Smith, and her brother, Will Smith and family.
Nashua Reporter July 22, 1931
===
Mrs Walter Spurgeon of Albuquerque, NM, who was called here by the illness and death of her father, the late Harland Smith, returned home Wednesday of last week.
Nashua Reporter December 13, 1933
===
Mrs Walter Spurgeon of Albuquerque, NM, came last week to visit her mother, Mrs Harland Smith.
Nashua Reporter May 20, 1936
===
Mr & Mrs Walter Spurgeon of Albuquerque, NM, came last week for a visit with her mother, Mrs Harland Smith, and her brother, Will Smith and wife. Mrs Harland Smith accompanied them to Minneapolis, where they visited another of her daughters, Mrs PE Corey and husband. They also visited relatives and friends at Duluth returning to Nashua last Wednesday, after which Mr & Mrs Spurgeon started home.
Nashua Reporter June 18, 1941
===
Mrs Fannie Smith, who suffered a severe stroke Thursday, was slightly improved Friday. She was alone in her home at the time she was stricken, and was found lying across the bed by Mrs John Anderson, who went to the home to call. Her daughter, Mrs Percy Corey, and husband of Minneapolis, Minn and another daughter, Mrs Leona Spurgeon of Albuquerque, N M were summoned to her bedside.
Waterloo Daily Courier April 12, 1942, pg 20
===
Mrs Walter Spurgeon of Albuquerque, NM, has returned to her home, after helping care for her mother, Mrs Harland Smith, who suffered a stroke about a month ago.
Nashua Reporter May 13, 1942
===
Couple 18 years residence wants unfurnished duplex or apartment. References Walter Spurgeon. B Apartment No 21.
Albuquerque Journal April 12, 1944
===
Attractive Duplex in Heights. Two bedrooms ech. Walter Spurgeon with Karr A Kichenberger, 311 West Gold.
Albuquerque Journal June 10, 1944
===
PFC Richard K Spurgeon, son of Mr & Mrs Walter Spurgeon, 1002 North Fifth, is serving as a photographer at an air depot of the Air Service Command in the Netherlands East Indies.
Albuquerque Journal April 18, 1945
===
SMALL grocery and filling station, stock andand fixtures only, Good little business. Walter K. Spurgeon. Fifth and Grant e5840 Albuquerque Journal May 29, 1945
Albuquerque Journal May 29, 1945
===
30 Years Ago
Grandpa and Grandma Harland Smith are waring the smile that won't come off, all on account of a card which they received telling of the birth of a 7-pound son at the home of Mr & Mrs Walter Spurgeon in Duluth, on Aug 3, 1920.
Nashua Reporter August 16, 1950
===
Built for two, home and half acre, furnished. Walter K Spurgeon, 5840.
Albuquerque Journal May 31, 1945
===
30 Years Ago
Mrs Harland Smith went to Minneapolis Friday to get acquainted with the new grandson at the Walter Spurgeon home.
Nashua Reporter August 23, 1950
===

The Spurgeon's moved to Southern California after New Mexico, and died there.

Without this valuable resource, Walter's life might have been missed in a cut and paste the records and move on kind of way.

Friday, October 28, 2022

Clan William: Mary Ann Munson and William Custer Smith, Part 2

See Part 1 here.

William and Mary Ann Munson Smith set up house in Fennimore, Grant County, Wisconsin. The couple farmed during their time in Wisconsin. On 19 Sep 1854, they had their first child, Walter Clarence Smith. The next surviving child was Mary Madora "Dora" Smith, born in Hazel Green, Grant County on 23 Jul 1850. The third, was Harland Smith, born 02 Nov 1861 in Grant County. Finally, the fourth Wisconsin baby, Eva Elvira Smith was born on 05 Apr 1864 in Fennimore.

Butler County, Iowa Fremont Township Plat Map, 1895

In 1866, the Smith family packed up and moved to Fremont Township, Butler County, Iowa. On 16 Sep 1866, their fifth child, Ella Mae Smith was born in Fremont Township. The Smith's then purchased a farm one mile west of the town of Plainfield, in Butler County, from the widow of former Horton postmaster Amos Head. Head had cleared the land and made it livable. The Smith's purchased 140 acres of prime farm land for $800.00 on 01 Nov 1866. The farm was right on the county line between Butler and Bremer county. The couple worked together to build their house and barn. They had a large family to house and more were on the way.

In addition to the children, the couple also housed William's mother "Cathy" and his mentally disabled brother, Isaac, and spinster sister, Sara. Along came sons Edwin (06 Jun 1869), Parker (01 Sep 1872), Mirt (09 Sep 1875), and baby John, born 09 Jun 1879 and died 28 Sep 1881. This would complete their family.

The house is the one William & Mary Ann Munson Smith
built. The people are the next family who lived there.

The couple completed their house and barn and as the older ones grew, they married off.

The original farm and farm today. The house is long gone. The Dieke family have owned
the property for over 100 years and the farm is recognized as a Centennial Farm.

By 1880, William's mentally disabled brother, Isaac, was living in Wisconsin again, with another Smith brother, John. Mother Cathy is believed to have died in Fremont Township before 1880 and was probably the reason Isaac was sent to the oldest brother. Sister Sarah Jane was finally married off to a widower with a disastrous marriage record and history of alcohol abuse and violence, Francis "Frank" Doole, on 27 May 1887 in Floyd County. She did not get a happy ending.

Oldest son Walter had married Isabell Monteith in 1876 in Plainfield. Isabell was one of three Monteith sisters who married into the greater Smith family. The Monteith's hailed from Scotland and settled in Wisconsin.

Daughter Dora married a young businessman originally from Somerset, Pennsylvania, but had moved to Waterloo, Iowa on 21 Jun 1878 in Janesville, Iowa. His family made an indelible impression on the City of Waterloo through the next several decades. The couple would reside in Waterloo and husband Claude Lichty would build a manufacturing company which ran successfully during his lifetime.

Son Harland and Fannie had been married in a double ceremony with Harland's next younger sister, Eva Elvira on 21 Aug 1881. Son Harland and William loved to race horses and built a horse racing track on the property at it's southern side. They traveled the state racing horses and held races on their property. Harlan and his wife Fannie Magoon lived on the farm with the Smith's after their marriage in 1881. Fannie fed the chickens and worked the farm. She did the laundry in a vat on the lawn. Harland, reportedly, was far from industrious and just wanted to race his horses.

Eva Elvira, who married farm laborer Arthur Marion Bryce on 21 Aug 1881 in a double ceremony with her brother Harland and his wife Fannie. The Bryce's moved on to Fort Dodge and then returned to Plainfield, where Arthur died young in 1886 and Eva did not remarry.

Daughter Ella Mae married farmhand and later railroad man Howard Cunningham on 30 Aug 1885 in Bremer County. They moved to Moberly, Missouri, one of the hubs of the Wabash Railroad.

Plainfield, Bremer County, IA sometime between 1874-1880

William and Mary Ann seemed to have a lot of friends in both Nashua and Plainfield, though Plainfield was where they went most often. Their mail was delivered to the Plainfield post office and that's also where they saw the doctor and did their shopping. Plainfield and Nashua were both thriving farm towns, with just about everything a family could need in those days in the 1880s.

In 1888, Mary Ann took sick. She was expected to recover and though she was sick, no one expected her to die. She died on 24 Sep 1888. She was 51 and her youngest child, Mirt, was 13 years old.

Life would change for the Smith family after Mary Ann's death. Family lore would prove false after a long research road.

Part 3 - After Mary Ann Munson Smith

Click these links for more stories about William and Mary's families.

Friday, February 13, 2015

Middle Age Miasma or Murder Most Foul?

Jacob Smith > William Custer Smith > Mirt Smith married Emma Schafstall

Gerhard Heinrich Schafstall had a pile of kids in Prussia. Evidence suggests he emigrated as a widower in 1864, leaving from Bremen on the Norma and arriving in Baltimore in September 1864 at the age of 58, bringing his children with him.

Frank, Emma, and Anna Schafstall
Bradford, Chickasaw County, Iowa

The Schafstalls farmed in the Waymansville, Bartholomew County, Indiana area. One of the children, Franz, married Anna Kruse in 1879. They had only one child, Emma Haehlen Schafstall, born in 1880 in Jackson County, Indiana. Between 1880 and 1898, the Schafstalls had moved on from Indiana, arriving in the Bradford, Chickasaw County, Iowa area to farm. They lived near Walter Smith, whose brother Mirt married Emma in 1898. Emma married into our direct Smith line. By all acounts, this son of Heinrich lived an average life in an average community. His younger brother William's story turned out far differently.

Waymansville, Indiana

William was born in about 1856 in Prussia. William married Johanna Caroline "Carrie" Bode in 1880 in Indiana. They had one child, a son, Christian H "August" Schafstall, in 1883. Schafstall was a long-time farmer in the area but one day, he just disappeared off the face of the earth.

“Mr Schafstall disappeared July 14, 1897 (also his wife’s 38th birthday). He had been assisting the farmers in his neighborhood with their thrashing and on the morning of July 14th, drove to the farm of John Moorman. When he arrived there he was told that the thrashers working at Robert Elkins’ farm were in need of assistance and started to that farm. He drove a mule hitched to a single buggy.

The mule was found hitched to a fence near the Moorman farm but no one was ever able to say in what direction Mr Schafstall went when he started into a neighboring cornfield. There is a lake in the vicinity of the Moorman home and for a time it was supposed that he might have fallen into the water and was drowned. It is said that Mr Schafstall was heavily in debt at the time of his disappearance.

According to one story current at the time of his disappearance, Mr Schafstall had considerable money with him as he had been to Seymour on July 13 and had sold a wagon load of wheat. It is said that he sold some wheat for a neighbor on the same day and left the wagon and the money at a farm house near Borcher’s church, where the owner obtained them the following day. He was fifty-four years old when he disappeared.” [Ed note: Records indicate he was 41]

Seymour Daily Republican, Seymour, Indiana, Wednesday, December 31, 1913

In 1913, a woman on her deathbed had another story to tell:

No evidence was found whether the digging ever commenced, but one would assume that the discovery of remains would have made the news. But, to twist the plot even further, his sister Julia, refuted the murder story, saying she'd heard last from her brother in a visit to her home 17 years previously in Cincinnati (about five years after his disappearance).

His wife Carrie, who died shortly before the death bed confession story came out, believed he had met with foul play, but his son August always believed his father had just picked up and left with cash in pocket. Was this a case of middle-age miasma or murder most-foul? We'll never know. In 1913, he was finally declared dead and a stone marker was placed with the date of his disappearance as the date of his death.

Monday, March 20, 2017

The Smiths: The Very Best Kind of Day

Yesterday, I drove up to Nashua to meet a cousin on the Smith side, Betty Jane Smith. There with her for the meeting were two of her kids and their spouses. I felt like I had been dropped into my own family, without all the expectations! Very nice, wonderful people. We told stories and shared photos. Betty is 94 years old and I spent time giggling with her - giggling - and laughing and smiling. She shared the most awesome family photos and filled in blanks in my knowledge about her father and mother, Walter Smith & Isabelle Monteith. At the end of the day, we had a piece of homemade pie, made by Betty, who had skipped church in order to provide the delicious treat for me - a virtual stranger. Did I mention how much I love Iowa?

Here is a beautiful photo of Isabelle, from her youth. As you might recall, Isabelle was one of three Monteith sisters who married Smith men. Jessie and Elizabeth married Walter's cousins, Alexander and Jacob.

Betty was adopted by Walter and Isabelle Smith after her birth. They were her biological great grandparents. She lived in the same house since she was born - the house Walter & Isabelle had lived in since they had "moved to town" sometimes around the turn of the 20th century.

The lovely Betty Jane Smith

Betty continued to live there after Walter and Isabelle died. Her adopted sister Maude moved in with her and finished raising her after Isabelle's death. When Betty married widower Leland Hahn, the family of Lee's two kids and their own two kids made the house their home. After Leland died, her second husband also lived in the home. Ninety-four years in the same house!

This is a particularly great photo of the Smith boys Mirt, Rev Parker, Harland, Edwin, & Walter and sister Dora (Eva and Ella both died in 1924, so I'd put this photo at between 1924-1933):

They were at some kind of picnic - looks like some kind of pavilion behind them - perhaps the Nashua fairgrounds?

This is the boys and their spouses, except Edwin's wife, Kate Smull, This also includes sister Mary Madora "Dora" Smith and her husband BF Lichty, who lived in Waterloo.