Tabitha Smith (1844 - 1932)

SMITH, RILEA, GAUMER

Posted By: Barry Mateer (email)
Date: 1/12/2022 at 16:51:18

Osceola Sentinel, Osceola, Iowa
May 19, 1932 , page 1

Tabitha Jane Rilea, daughter of William and Nancy Rilea, was born August 6, 1844, in Brown county, Ohio. Departed this life May 11, 1932, at her home in Murray, Iowa, age 87 years, 9 months and 5 days.

She was married to Lewis C. Smith May 12, 1861. Five children were given to this union; W.M. of Murray, Iowa, James O., deceased in 1929, Mrs. Benjamin F. Gaumer of Murray, Iowa, Lewis C. Jr. of Murray, and W. Floyd of Salina, Kansas. Her husband preceded her in death in 1889.

In the fall of 1852 the object of this sketch emigrated with her parents, one brother and four sisters from Brown county, Ohio, to Jefferson county, Iowa. Placing their small belongings in a covered wagon and with one team they started on the long journey. They crossed the Mississippi river at Burlington and came over into Jefferson county where they found friends and stopped to rest a few days, later deciding to rent land and stay there a year. This they did and stayed till the spring of 1954, when the father came to Clarke county, three miles south of Hopeville and took out a warrant on 80 acres of land, built a log cabin, hauling logs two miles, and returned and moved his family in April. Soon after they settled here, the Pottawattamie Indians moved from eastern Iowa to a reservation in Kansas, many hundreds of them making a trail between the house and the well. Prairie chickens, deer and a few buffalo were still to be found.

The hardships of pioneer life were too much for the frail little mother and after four years she gave up the struggle and the burden of the family fell to Mother Smith and an older sister, Mrs. R.H. Myers, deceased January, 1932.

At the time of her marriage in May, 1861, the war clouds were looming dark in our southland and the call of the fife and drum became so strong that on the second of August, the young husband dropped the cradle he was working with in the wheat field, bid farewell to his bride of three months and joined a company which sailed from Council Bluffs on a flat boat to St. Louis, Mo.

He took part in the battles of Pea Ridge, Look Out Mountain, Vicksburg, Jacksonville, Blue Mills Landing and the three days’ siege of Atlanta. For four years his girl-wife waited in hope and fear and loneliness, then the struggle cased and he returned home. After this time they made their home in different parts of Iowa, Missouri, and in 1878 moved to Smith county, Kansas. Here again Mother Smith shared the hardships of those who were laying the foundation of the great state of Kansas.

She lived in sod houses and dugouts and helped care for the sick and comfort the bereft in the neighborhohod where she lived. It was while living there that she took to her heart and home a motherless baby boy and cared for him as her own for four years.

In the fall of 1884 the family returned to Iowa where they have since resided. She came to Murray in February, 1919 where her declining years have been made as pleasant as possible by her children. She lived alone many years after her children were all married and the following lines written by her own hand and signed “Mother,” speak volumes.

“Sitting alone in the twilight, yearning for loved ones far away who are thinking of me in my lonely home, the closing of the day.”

She united with the M.E. church when a girl, confessing her faith in Christ. She has gone to join her boy in blue and we could not wish her back even though the world seems so empty without her. But may we look through our tears to that home beyond where Mother will be waiting to welcome us.

Memorial at Findagrave
 

Clarke Obituaries maintained by Brenda White.
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