John Smith 1822-1905

SMITH, EMERY, FLEEK

Posted By: Ann Bowler (email)
Date: 10/31/2011 at 06:36:34

From “The Semi-Weekly Messenger”. Fort Dodge, Iowa. Friday, April 7, 1905.
“Early Settler Is Called Away”
“John Smith, age eighty-five years passes away on Wednesday”
“Iowa Settler for 50 Years”
“Settled in Humbolt County at The Point Now Called Dakota City, and Then Called Springdale, in the Early Fifties.--Born in New Jersey.”

“John Smith, for about fifty years a settler of Iowa, passed away at the home of his son-in-law, Nicholas Fleck Wednesday evening at a little after 7 p. m. He had been ill for nearly two years, and had not left the home of his daughter for a year. He had not been seriously ill until two weeks back, when his strength began to fail more and more. He has been confined to his bed constantly for some time but death was not expected so soon.

Tuesday he was seen to be failing, and throughout that day and Wednesday they looked for the worst. The patient spoke to a friend only about a minute before his death, and the latter left the room but returned almost instantly and found him dead.

Mr. Smith is well known among the early settlers in this part of the state. When he came to Iowa, he went first to Humboldt county and then later moved to Rolfe, where the greater part of the latter years of his life were spent. Five years ago he moved to Fort Dodge and has lived with his children here ever since. His children are Dan Smith, who lives in the eastern part of this city and Mrs. Nicholas Fleek, also of this city. Another son lives in Oklahoma, another lives in Washington state, another daughter is living at Plover, Iowa. The latter daughter also was here at the time of his death.

The funeral will be held from the Nicholas Fleek home Friday afternoon at 3 p. m. The body will be then taken to the Minneapolis & St. Louis train and sent to Rolfe, his former home, and the place where his wife is buried. Interment will be in the cemetery there.”

John Smith was born on February 24, 1822 in New Jersey, and departed this life on April 5, 1905 in Fort Dodge, Iowa. He married Miss Christiana Emery about 1840 in Northampton County, Pennsylvania. To this union eight children were born: Mary Margarette, Charles Emery, John Wesley, Effie, Samuel, Eleonora, Daniel W., and Sylvester Smith. John Smith’s Homestead Application papers show his farm in southern Palo Alto County for the East 1/2 of South East !/4 of Section No 22 in Township No. 94 of Range No. 32 W. His body was interred in Clinton-Garfield Cemetery, Rolfe, Iowa.