Biography of Mary Rebecca Barron Smith of Spearsville, Union Parish Louisiana Submitted for the Union Parish Louisiana USGenWeb Archives by Lyle Smith, 11/2004 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ ================================================================================= BIOGRAPHY OF MARY REBECCA BARRON SMITH, WIFE OF ELDER WOODY K. SMITH, SPEARSVILLE, LOUISIANA Researched and written by her grandson, Lyle Smith, 2004 ================================================================================== MARY REBECCA BARRON SMITH Mary Rebecca Barron was born November 2, 1864 during the Civil War, the daughter of Henry Callaway Barron and Amanda Elizabeth Giles. Henry C. Barron was born December 4, 1831 in Monroe County, Georgia and died January 21, 1911, on his farm South of Spearsville, Union Parish, Louisiana. Amanda Giles was born November 20, 1839, the daughter of Leroy and Rebecca Giles, and died November 8, 1875, South of Spearsville, Union Parish, Louisiana. Henry C. Barron and Amanda Giles were married January 2, 1859, in Union Parish, Louisiana. They were buried in Spearsville Cemetery. Mary Rebecca’s grandparents were Henry Barron, born August 4, 1803, in Georgia, died April 7, 1870 in Spearsville, Louisiana, and Sarah Callaway, born in Georgia. Sarah and Henry were married January 8, 1824 in Jones County, Georgia. They were buried in unmarked graves in Spearsville Cemetery next to the large Cedar tree near the center of the cemetery. Henry Barron was one of three men who bought and donated the first land for Spearsville Cemetery. Mary’s father, Henry C. Barron served in the Civil War, with Company I, of the 31st Louisiana Infantry of the Confederate States of America, helping defend Vicksburg when it was under attack, and later surrendered to Union Forces. The Company disbanded near Mansfield, Louisiana in April of 1865 and Henry C. Barron returned home. Mary Rebecca Barron was born South of Spearsville on her father’s successful farm on a hill overlooking Big Corney Bayou. Children of Henry C. Barron and Amanda Giles were: 1- William Henry Barron, born July 20, 1860, and died October 7, 1861. 2- Lizzie Henry Barron, born July 8, 1862, and died April 22, 1878. 3- Mary Rebecca Barron, born November 2, 1864, and died June 10, 1950. 4- Barnabus Barron, born August 31, 1870, and died January 19, 1891. In Mary Rebecca’s first few years of life, the family had an old black woman who worked and lived on the farm. She was called Auntie. Auntie dipped snuff and had Mary Rebecca trying a little along at an early age. Mary would walk up to Auntie, put her hands on her hips and exclaim, “Auntie, I don’t have any snuff in my snuff box.” Mary was wearing an apron like all females did and she carried her little snuff box in the apron pocket. Henry C. told Auntie, “You will have that girl dipping snuff before long.” Mary dipped snuff for the rest of her life. Mary Rebecca was only 11 years old when her mother died November 8, 1875. On July 22, 1876, Henry Callaway Barron married Saphronia Ellen Moses at Hope, Hempstead County, Arkansas. Children of Henry C. Barron and Saphronia E. Moses were: 1- Anderson Lee Barron, born November 12, 1877, and died April 19, 1959. 2- Robert Henry Barron, born May 22, 1879, and died July 13, 1952. 3- Roseamma Barron, born August 28, 1881, and died September 12, 1913. Mary Rebecca was very close to her younger half brothers. Mary Rebecca stayed at her father’s home until she was 31 years old. She worked in the fields and had her own crop as well as doing house work. She suffered a severe loss in the death of her little brother, Barnabus, in 1891. He was her favorite. Mary Rebecca Barron joined New Hope Primitive Baptist Church October 28, 1893 and was baptized the following day by Elder Woody K. Smith, who would become her husband in two years. Mary Rebecca Barron married Elder Woody K. Smith July 18, 1895, in Union Parish, Louisiana. They were married by Rev. R.M. Gathright, as required, in the presence of at least 3 male witnesses. Those witnesses were E.W. Brazzeal, W.A. Stone and H.C. Barron, father of the bride. The marriage bond and security was signed by Woody K. Smith and E.W. Brazzeal. This marriage being duly filed and recorded in Book “9”, Page 161 0f Union Parish Marriage Records. When Mary Rebecca married Woody K. Smith, she brought $900.00 into the union. This money was used to purchase a team of mules, food, and material to make clothes for Woody K.’s 8 children from his 2 previous marriages. Lizzie, the oldest step daughter, said that “Ma” would always have a special place in her heart, for the children would not have had clothes to wear if she had not purchased the material. Mary Rebecca and Lizzie sewed the clothes for the family. The ladies in the community gathered occasionally for a quilting bee. The particular house they were in provided the food and they gossiped and sewed quilts all day. Mary Rebecca was a stickler for details and there was one certain lady in the sewing circle that sewed stitches that were too big and uneven. Mary had been known to tear out all of her stitches after the quilting was over and redo them herself. Mary Rebecca did everything at the same time each day. The cows were milked at a certain time, regardless of illness or visitors at the house. She never left home without making up the beds or washing all the dirty dishes in the kitchen. She would never wash clothes at the spring until the beds to be changed had been remade. Children of Woody K. Smith and Mary Rebecca Barron were: 1- Henry Archer Smith, born January 31, 1897, and died June 13, 1945. 2- John Lee Smith, born March 27, 1901, and died September 1, 1990. 3- Mary Irene Smith, born January 2, 1904, and died April 7, 1991. WRITER’S NOTE: In later years, Irene, the youngest child of Woody K. and Mary Rebecca, asked her mother why she married a man with a house full of children. Mary simply stated, “I loved him.” To which Irene replied, “I would not get close enough to a man with that many children to see if I loved him or not.” Woody K. Smith and Mary Rebecca Smith were buried in Spearsville Cemetery, along with her father, her stepmother, one of her brothers, 5 of Woody K.’s children, and 2 of their children. The following memorial to Mary Rebecca Barron Smith was taken from the July 15, 1950 edition of the “OLD FAITH CONTENDER:” "MEMORIAL of SISTER MARY BARRON SMITH Sister Mary Barron Smith was born November 2, 1864, in Union Parish, Louisiana. She became the 3rd wife of the late and beloved Elder W.K. Smith. To this union three children were born. Her oldest son, Henry Archer Smith, preceded her in death. She is survived by her two children, Elder J.L. Smith of Lillie, Louisiana, and her daughter, Mrs. Irene Risinger, also of Lillie. She is also survived by her daughter-in-law, Sister Willie Smith, and five step sons, two step daughters, nine grandchildren, one great grandchild, and many other relatives and friends. Sister Smith joined New Hope Primitive Baptist Church early in life, about fifty-seven years ago. She was very faithful, and outspoken in the faith; she was deeply interested in the Church meetings, and her home was a place numerous brethren, sisters, and friends of the Primitive Baptists often were most liberally entertained. She was very faithfully devoted to her husband, her children, and the Church. She was untiringly a devoted wife and companion and helpmate to her most active ministering husband, and often encouraged and bore many hardships in order to take responsibility off him so he could go to his appointments and to visit the sick. She deserves great credit through God’s matchless grace, as one who was a chaste keeper at home. Sister Smith was well established in the doctrine that the Primitive Baptists believe and teach and she bore great evidence of a truly glorious state; she was very interesting to converse with about the spiritual matters. After receiving a fall and becoming ill she was down and helpless for almost twenty months; yet though she must have suffered intensely, she was very patient, and seemingly cheerful and considerate of those who were caring for her. I don’t think I have known another who was given such grace to be meek, patient, cheerful, and Godly in such suffering and long extended affliction. The writer was privileged to visit her occasionally all through her illness, and never had she seemed any other way than patient. Surely she endured her afflictions without murmuring. She was cared for tenderly by her daughter, son-in-law and family, who are to be commended. I know she will be greatly missed by her family and relatives and her many friends. She passed away on June 10, 1950, and was buried in the Spearsville Cemetery by the side of her loving husband and minister. The funeral services were held in New Hope Primitive Baptist Church. The unworthy writer conducted the services with a vast host of devoted friends and relatives present. Sleep on dear Sister until our Lord comes in the clouds of Heaven and calls you home to him. R.W. Rhodes" ================================================================================ SOURCES: Old Faith Contender Barron Family Bible Smith Family Bible Interviews with John L. Smith & Irene S. Risinger ###########################################################