Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Smith, Jerome T 
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Deb Haines http://www.rootsweb.com/~archreg/vols/00003.html#0000719 February 6, 2008, 12:03 am

Author: Past and Present of Will County, IL; 1907

Jerome T. Smith has resided at Plainfield for the past nineteen years, at 
which time he retired from his farm in Kendall county. He came to Illinois on 
the 4th of July, 1844, with his father, mother and the other members of the 
family. He was born in the town of Hanover in Grafton county, New Hampshire, 
April 22, 1831, and is a son of David and Sarah (Jacobs) Smith, both of whom 
were natives of the Granite state. Upon coming to Illinois they located on a 
farm in Na Au Say township, Kendall county, where the parents resided until 
called to their final rest, the death of the father occurring in 1875, when he 
was seventy-eight years of age, while his wife passed away at the age of sixty-
five years. While living upon the farm Mr. Smith received his mail and did his 
trading at Plainfield. He served as assessor, collector and in other local 
offices and was always active in democratic circles. He was widely recognized 
as a prominent and prosperous farmer and both he and his wife were faithful 
members of the Universalist church. In their family were ten children, of whom 
three daughters are deceased. The record is as follows: Arvilla was married in 
New Hampshire to a Mr. Kennison and both died in Kendall county, Illinois, 
several years ago. Ann Eliza became the wife of Mr. Starkweather and after his 
death wedded William Hughes, now deceased. She passed away ten or twelve years 
ago in Kendall county, Illinois. Minerva married a Mr. Pierce, of New 
Hampshire, and both died in Vermont. Lucena is the widow of John Van Dyke, of 
Kendall county, Illinois, and now resides in Joliet. Helen became the wife of 
Horace Johnson, of Kendall county, now deceased, and resides with her sister 
in Joliet. Jerome T. is the sixth of the family. Nelson is living in Santa 
Barbara, California. Milton died in California about ten years ago. Solon is a 
farmer residing in Santa Barbara, California, where he is serving also as 
justice of the peace. Frank, living in Santa Barbara, is assessor there and is 
engaged in the wharf business. Jerome T. Smith spent the first thirteen years 
of his life in the east and then accompanied his parents on their removal to 
Kendall county, Illinois, in 1844. In early life he worked by the month as a 
farm hand for nine years, after which he invested his earnings in forty acres 
of land, which he placed under a high state of cultivation. Success attended 
him and as his financial resources increased he added to his property until he 
owned a finely improved farm of two hundred acres, which is now being 
cultivated by his son, W. T. Smith. The father remained in active life until 
about nineteen years ago, when he removed to Plainfield, where he now owns and 
occupies a comfortable home. Mr. Smith was married in Kendall county, 
Illinois, on the 29th of April, 1856, to Miss Elizabeth Bronk, who wras born 
in New York and was brought to Illinois by her parents, when four years of 
age, the family locating in Kendall county. She was born in the town of Queens 
on the Hudson, and her parents, Ephraim and Charlotte (Van Dolson) Bronk, were 
farming people. They continued residents of Kendall county until called to 
their final rest. Their family numbered five children: Elizabeth, now Mrs. 
Smith; Peter A., a farmer residing in Will county; Mrs. Mary Brown, a widow 
living in Will county; John, whose home is in Kendall county; and Amelia, the 
wife of Solon Smith, a brother of our subject and a resident of Santa Barbara, 
California. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Smith have been born five children. 
Helena H. became the wife of Frank Wenell and died February 23, 1899, while 
Mr. Wenell died in May, 1902. They left three children, Frank, Sarah and 
Myrtle, who are residents of Chicago. Sarah Smith became the wife of Willard 
T. Brown, of Will county, and they have two children, Ruby and Lee. Willard T. 
married a daughter of Samuel Spangler and resides on the old homestead farm in 
Kendall county, which he purchased from his father several years ago. Lottie 
A. is the wife of Frank Spangler, who is residing near Plainfield, and they 
have two children, Alvina and Ida. Josie married Howard Geist, a mail carrier 
of Joliet. In former years Mr Smith gave his political allegiance to the 
democracy but is now a stanch supporter of republican principles. He served 
for eight years as alderman of Plainfield and has exercised his official 
prerogatives in support of many progressive public measures. In his religious 
views he favors the Universalist church. His life has been marked by sturdy 
devotion to duty and in his business interests he has displayed energy as well 
as honesty and thus acquired the handsome competence that now enables him to 
live retired. 

Additional Comments:
PAST AND PRESENT OF WILL COUNTY, ILLINOIS By W. W. Stevens President of the 
Will County Pioneers Association; Chicago: The S. J. Clarke Publishing 
Company, 1907

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