Smith, John

SMITH, DELAP, RIPPTOE, GAUL, DERN, GORE, RAYBURN, BRADSHAW, KENNISON, LAMB, PILSHER, FISHER, MOWRY, NITCHE, WOODRUFF, MANLY

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 10/21/2009 at 13:36:47

Smith, John

Many families throughout the United States during the past few decades have gone to much trouble and expense to collect their records back to the first settlement of their ancestor emigrant, thus laying the foundation of a permanent family tree in this country for the benefit and pleasure of all descendants. There can be no doubt of the importance of this step. One of these days, in the entailment of estates, such a record will be invaluable to descendants. It will be found that those who do not have such a record will not be able to prove their right to inherit valuable property. The saving of such a record is simply a matter of self-preservation for the descendant The Smith family, represented by John of this review, has preserved a fair record, good enough, perhaps, to make the claim certain in case of suit over an estate, and this sketch will, to some extent, improve this claim.

John Smith, an honored veteran of the Civil War, long known as one of Jasper County's leading contractors and builders, who died at his home in Newton, October 11, 1911, was born in Schuyler County, Illinois, February 2, 1843. He was the son of David and Henrietta (DeLap) Smith, the father a native of Tennessee and the mother of Kentucky. David Smith first moved to Illinois in the pioneer days, then to Iowa in 1854, locating near Burlington where he farmed for six years, later moving on a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in McDonough County, where he lived until his death, in 1867, at the age of sixty-eight years. His wife died at the age of seventy-two, in Newton, Iowa. They were the parents of eighteen children, a large family even in those early days; twelve of these grew to maturity, namely: David; Mary Ripptoe, a widow; Mrs. Harrison Scott; Mrs. Rhoda Gaul, and John, of this review, all reside in Newton.

John Smith received what education he could in Schuyler County, Illinois, then a wilderness, in which lived Indians, wolves, deer, snakes, etc. Later he went to school in McDonough County. During the summer months he worked on various farms at fifteen and twenty cents per day. When but a boy he proved his courage and patriotism by enlisting in Company D, Twenty-eighth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and served as a brave and efficient soldier for three years, one month and five days, being honorably discharged at the close of hostilities, having seen much hard service, participating in some of the bloodiest battles of the war, such as Fort Donelson, Fort Henry, Shiloh, Corinth, Bolivar, Vicksburg, Jackson, Natchez and many skirmishes.

Returning to McDonough County, Mr. Smith purchased a ditching machine, which he operated for two years, then farmed for four years, and on August 19, 1870, he come to Newton, Iowa, where he engaged in farming and teaming. He also learned the brick and stone mason's trade, which he followed for many years, building and assisting to build possibly as many buildings and structures in Newton and Jasper County as any other man in this locality. He helped build every church in Newton except one. He was known all over the county as a very skilled and conscientious workman.

On March 26, 1866, Mr. Smith was united in marriage with Mrs. Ursula Dern, widow of James M. Dern, who was killed in the battle of Bull Run during the Civil War. She was the daughter of Henry and Mary F. (Gore) Rayburn, natives of Kentucky, and Mrs. Smith was born in that state. Her father was in the war of 1812 and her brother served in the Mexican war. She is the sole and only survivor of the family of which there were twelve children, ten of whom grew to maturity. The others were, Nancy married Alex Bradshaw; McNeal; Amanda married James Kennison; Henry W.; Mary A. married Benjamin Lamb; John H.; Belinda married James Pilsher; Henrietta; Merritt C., who was in the Mexican war, and William Newton. Mrs. Smith was the eleventh child in order of birth. The parents of these children died in Ohio.

To Mr. and Mrs. Smith six children were born as follows: Samuel, who lives in Plattsmouth, Nebraska, is a farmer and traveling salesman; Delia is the wife of William Fisher, a jeweler of Des Moines; Audrey is the wife of A. C. Mowry, who is superintendent of the Colfax Telephone Company; Alta is the wife of Walter Nitche, a stockman of Omaha; Guy H. is a salesman in Omaha; Frank B. is deceased.

By her first marriage two children were born to Mrs. Smith, both living, Louisa, wife of John Woodruff, and Alice, wife of Frank Manly, of Grand Island, Nebraska.

Mr. Smith was a member of the Woodmen of the World and the Grand Army of the Republic. Politically, he was a Republican. He and his wife have a host of friends throughout this locality. Past and Present of Jasper County Iowa B. F. Bowden & Company, Indianapolis, IN, 1912 Page 675.