SMITH, G. W.

SMITH, ELLMAKER, BROWN, ALBAUGH, VANAUSDEIN, FISHEL

Posted By: Administrator
Date: 2/6/2006 at 20:29:21

Vo. II, Fulton’s “History of Jefferson County,” pp. 82-83.

JOHN G. W. SMITH…..was born in Harrison County, Ohio, Feb. 22, 1825, a son of Jacob SMITH…..Mr. SMITH learned the stone mason’s trade. He lived with his parents until he attained his majority, when he left the parental roof in Ohio and came to Iowa where he made his home with Enos ELLMAKER, taking up anything in the line of work that promised a fair return…..Of Dutch descent on his father’s side and Irish ancestry on his mother’s, he combined the best qualities of the two nationalities – industry and thrift on the one hand and a native wit and alertness for seizing an opportunity on the other…..In the spring of 1850 he set out with an ox team for the gold fields of California and after two years of unusual success in digging gold returned in 1852 and resumed his labors in the fields, sowing the reaping and developing his land.

Mr. SMITH was twice married, first on May 3, 1849, to Miss Hannah BROWN, who was born Sept. 17, 1829, and who passed away Jan. 15, 1869. The children by this marriage were: George William, born March 12, 1850, who died in Oregon; Diane Elizabeth, born June 5, 1852, the wife of Daniel ALBAUGH of Polk County, Iowa; Samuel Allison, born Sept. 30, 1856, who died on the home place; Amos Guthry, born March 19, 1858, who lives in Kansas; Emma Cordelia, born April 2, 1866, who is the wife of William VANAUSDEIN, a farmer in Des Moines Township.

The second marriage of Mr. SMITH occurred June 29, 1869, to Miss Nancy Ann BROWN, a cousin of his first wife. She was born in Jefferson County, Jan. 10, 1846, and was a daughter of George W. and Catherine (FISHELishel) BROWN. The children by the second marriage were: Mary Etta, deceased, born April 14, 1870; Marion, deceased, born May 1, 1872; Ira, deceased, born Oct. 11, 1873; Ora, deceased, born Dec. 21, 1874; Charles Franklin, born Dec 4, 1877; a daughter, born Oct. 10, 1876, died in infancy; Reuben Hayes, born Dec. 22, 1880, died in North Dakota; another daughter, born Feb. 1, 1882, died in infancy; and Leonard Ross, born Sept. 7, 1885, a farmer in Des Moines township…..