Jessie V. (Stauffer) Smith, Dr.

DANFORTH, GUTHRIE, SMITH, STAUFFER

Posted By: Judy Wight Branson (email)
Date: 8/6/2004 at 20:53:01

Dr. Jessie V. (Stauffer) Smith, a physician of Winterset, successfully practicing, the value of her work being attested by many, was born on the 20th of May, 1866, in Union township, Madison county. Her father, Joseph Stauffer, was a native of Indiana and was there reared and educated. He continued his residence in that state until 1857, when he took up his abode in Iowa. He had visited Madison county in 1855 and purchased land at that time but did not remove his family to the county until two years later, when he journeyed westward by stage and established his home in Union township, where he secured a tract of land and engaged in farming until 1912. He then rented his farm and removed to Patterson, where he is now living retired, and although eighty—eight years of age he is still hale and hearty. In politics he is a democrat and is ever loyal to the principles of that organization. Fraternally he is a Mason, having joined the order in early manhood, and he is today one of the oldest and most loyal representatives of the craft in Madison county. His religious belief is that of the Universalist church and his life has ever been an upright and honorable one, winning for him the warm regard and friendship of those with whom he has come in contact. In early manhood he wedded Catherine Guthrie, a native of Ireland, who came to the United States when fifteen years of age. She is now more than seventy-seven years of age and a member of the Methodist church. In their family were ten children, of whom one died in infancy, while nine grew to years of maturity.

Dr. Smith, who is the fifth in order of birth, attended the district schools until thirteen years of age and then entered the public schools of Winterset, passing through consecutive grades to the high school. When sixteen years of age she began teaching, entering upon that work before she could obtain a certificate, which was not granted until the applicant was eighteen years of age. In 1888 she was graduated from the Madison County Teachers Normal at Winterset and she taught in the district schools of this county for twenty-one terms. During a portion of that time she devoted her leisure hours to the study of medicine and in 1889 she entered the Keokuk Medical College, from which she was graduated with the class of 1892. She then practiced for one year in Des Moines, after which she returned to Winterset, where she has since followed her profession.

On the l0th of October, 1889, Miss Jessie V. Stauffer became the wife of Mathias J. Smith, their wedding being celebrated while she was attending medical college. Mr. Smith is a native of Denmark and came to the United States when eighteen years of age. They now have one daughter, Katheryn, the wife of J. B. Danforth, who is engaged in the grocery business at Winterset. To Mr. and Mrs. Danforth has been born a son, Challen Mathias.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Smith hold membership in the Catholic church. Dr. Smith belongs to the Madison County Medical Society, the Iowa State Medical Society and the American Medical Association. She was one of the organizers of the Iowa State Woman's Medical Society in 1897, the first organization of the kind in the country. She has ever been deeply interested in her profession and through wide reading and research as well as through membership in different medical organizations keeps in touch with the advanced thought and scientific methods of eminent physicians and surgeons throughout the country. Her work has been highly satisfactory to her many patients and she is widely known in this conn-ection. Socially, too, she has many attractive qualities which have gained for her warm friends.

Taken from the book, "The History of Madison County, Iowa, 1915"

Madison Biographies maintained by Linda Griffith Smith.
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