SMITH, Nancy (POE)

POE, SMITH, WADSWORTH, MOORE, MCKERN, GIBSON

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 3/29/2015 at 20:20:48

Decatur County Journal
Leon, Decatur County, Iowa
January 19, 1901

"OLD SETTLER GONE"

MRS. NANCY SMITH, an early settler in Iowa and Decatur County, died Saturday at the home of her daughter, MRS. T.J. WATSWORTH, in Caldwell, Kansas, from paralysis which attacked her the previous Wednesday. The remains were brought to Leon Sunday and the funeral services held the following day at the home of her daughter, MRS. W.R. MOORE. Burial was at Palestine by the side of her husband, who met accidental death in a mill in 1873, just 28 years to a day from the time his aged partner suffered the stroke of paralysis which ended in death. Rev. Joseph Stephen has kindly furnished the following obituary.

Obituary ~ Nancy Poe-Smith
July 19, 1819 ~ January 12, 1901

Decatur County Journal
Leon, Decatur County, Iowa

IN MEMORIAM

The subject of this memoriam, NANCY POE-SMITH, was born is Bourbon county, Kentucky, July 19, 1819, and died at Caldwell, Kansas, Jan. 12, 1901, aged 81 years, 5 months and 25 days.

In 1824 she left her old Kentucky home for Greencastle, Indiana. In 1845 she moved to Oskaloosa, Mahaska county, Ia., thence to Decatur county, Ia., On Sept. 14, 1838, she was united in marriage to THOMAS SMITH. Eight children were born to this union, seven of whom survive her; W. R. SMITH, Decatur county, MARY M. WADSWORTH, Summer county, Kan., SARAH J. MOORE and MARGARET MCKERN, of Leon, and JOHN H. SMITH, NANCY M. GIBSON and THOS. W. SMITH, of Osklahoma, besides thirty grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

She endured the privations of pioneer life in a patient and submissive spirit and every duty of life was met in a cheerful manner. She was a devoted wife and affectionate mother, and she had an implicit faith in the goodness and mercy of God.

In the guileless years of her youth, at the age of 15, she was converted and united with the M. E. church, of which church she remained a constant member until the day of her death.

Her remains were brought to Leon and the funeral services were conducted at the home of her daughter, Mrs. SARAH MOORE, by Rev. JOSEPH STEPHEN, pastor of the M. E. church after which she was tenderly laid away beside her partner of many struggles, in the Palestine church yard. She sleeps the sleep of the just.

Transcription by Sara Rose Joan LeFleur