Smith, Richard S. (1827-1917)

SMITH

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 7/2/2021 at 20:55:00

History of Warren County, Iowa from Its Earliest Settlement to 1908, by Rev. W. C. Martin, Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, Illinois, 1908, p.854

RICHARD S. SMITH
(September 23, 1827 - July 13, 1917)

There is perhaps no better indication of the position which Richard Smith occupies in the community than is contained in the fact that he is universally known in Indianola, by his many friends, as Uncle Dick, a term expressive of the deepest regard and friendship. He has long lived in Iowa, coming to Poweshiek County in 1855, while since 1894 he has made his home in In­dianola. He was born in Highland County, Ohio, September 23, 1827, and has therefore reached the eighty-first milestone on life's journey. His father, Henry Smith, was a native of Maryland, but was reared in Lewis county, Ken­tucky, where he followed farming. There he was married to Miss Lydia Bane, and from Kentucky he went to Ohio where he spent his last years. His death occurred when he had reached the age of sixty-nine. His wife lived to the very advanced age of ninety-six years.
Richard Smith was one of a family of eight sons and two daughters. He was reared to farm life and early learned the saddler's trade, which lie fol­lowed for several years at Marshall, Ohio. He was married there on the 15th of April 1850 to Miss Christina Head, a daughter of William M. Head, a farmer and local preacher of the Methodist Church. She is a sister of Captain Head of Jefferson, Iowa a prominent landowner and capitalist. Richard Smith removed from Ohio to Poweshiek County, Iowa, in 1855, and purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land resuming the occupation to which he had been reared. Although the tract was destitute of improvements when it came into his possession, he resolutely and eagerly undertook the task of develop­ing it. With oxen he broke the sod and soon had his crop in. Year by year he added improvements while he carried on the work of the fields, making his home on that farm for thirty years, during which time he met with fair suc­cess as an agriculturist. He next removed to Audubon County, Iowa, where he purchased an eighty acre farm, making his home there until 1894, when he removed to Warren County, settling in Indianola, for the purpose of edu­cating his children in the schools of this city. Here he has since made his home and is one of the most venerable, respected and worthy residents of the city.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Smith have been born eleven children of whom two died in infancy. Eight of the family are yet living, while Cella, who became the wife of Jacob Miller of Audubon County, died at the age of thirty-eight years, leaving a husband and eight children. The surviving members of the family are: Mahlon W., who married Emma Morrison and lives in Colo­rado; Edgar A. and O. J., both mentioned elsewhere in this volume; Richard L., who married Miss Flemming and is a traveling salesman residing in Iowa City; Elva, the wife of Barton Morrison of Crawford County, Kansas; Billy Head, who married Cora Chapman and is a resident of Marshfield, Oregon; John W., who married Emma Zobbitts and is a banker of Coon Rapids, Iowa, and Charles C., who married Etta Dopp. He is a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, now located at Peyton, Iowa, and is a graduate of Simpson College and also of the Boston Theological Seminary. All of the children have been liberally educated and all have engaged in teaching school. The family is one of which the father has every reason to be proud and they in return entertain for him the greatest veneration and respect as well as filial love, for his life has been a most straightforward one. Both he and his wife have been members of the Methodist Episcopal Church for over a half a cen­tury and in politics he is a Republican. He has never failed to vote at presi­dential election and he has the remarkable record of never being ill a day in his life. Nature is kind to those who do not abuse her laws, and this Mr. Smith has never done. His rules of conduct have ever been of the most com­mendable character and his entire life has been in harmony therewith. Both he and his wife enjoy the fullest regard of those who know them and they have a host of warm friends in this part of the state, so that no history of War­ren County would be complete without mention of this worthy couple.