Smith, Abraham

SMITH

Posted By: Joyce Hickman (email)
Date: 8/2/2008 at 18:02:54

Abraham Smith

(From the 1883 History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, by J. H. Keatley, p.106, Grove Twp.)
Abraham Smith, farmer, P. O. Wheeler's Grove, born in Macedonia Township, this county, on June 29, 1849, son of John and Sarah (Winegar) Smith; he, born in Union County, S. C., in February 1800, died in Iowa, February 25, 1870; she, born in Pennsylvania in 1801, died in this State November 15, 1880. They had four children, three of whom are living. Subject received a common-school education; commenced life as a painter, following the trade for fourteen years, and was married in Montgomery County, January 1, 1874, to Olive Malissa Knapp, born at Wheeler's Grove, this county, August 5, 1855, daughter of Edward W. and Charlotte Malissa (Otto) Knapp; he, born in Michigan in 1810, is still living; she, in Ohio in 1816, is still living. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have had four children, viz.: Janie Belle, born February 26, 1876; Mabel Grace, born December 29, 1877; Abraham Clifford, born March 16, 1879, died January 6, 1880; Paul George, born November 19, 1881. Subject is Republican, a Vigilante, a member of the L. D. S.; commenced about 1868 to farm on his father's place; a year later, he returned to his trade; in 1881, he bought forty acres of land at $30 per acre, and now owns about sixty-five acres valued at $35 per acre; there are twelve acres of natural timber, a fine young orchard and other fruits on the place. He is also engaged in the apiary business, having thirty-two stands of bees.