Butler County Mo Biographies    MINNIE SMITH  By David B. Deem
Submitted by: Sherry Link  2003

MINNIE SMITH Deem’s History of Butler County Missouri
by David Bruce Deem, Probate Judge, Butler County, MO

Biographies

MISS J. MINNIE SMITH

     THE subject of this sketch, Miss J. Minnie Smith, came to Poplar  Bluff  in
     October 1895 when her  father,  Rev.  H.  A.  Smith  was  assigned  to  the
     pastorate of the Methodist Church, then located on Oak  street.  Her  early
     education was the result of her father’s instruction, he being a teacher an
     administer in connection with the Kentucky Conference in Central  Kentucky.
     Rev. Smith was transferred to Cape Girardeau, Mo., where he  organized  the
     Southern Methodist church and placed his children in the  schools  of  that
     little city to obtain the superior  educational  advantages  offered  there
     even at that early date.

     Miss Minnie  attended  the  Normal  school  having  in  mind  the  teaching
     profession  from  early  childhood.  Keeping  this  ambition  in  mind  she
     completed her college education at the Southeast Missouri Teacher’s College
     by attending summer sessions and by taking correspondence courses from  the
     Teacher’s College and Missouri University. Sometime after  her  arrival  in
     Poplar Bluff she found a pre-school or Kindergarten much in need so  opened
     one on a small scale at the corner of Main and Broadway in the building now
     used by Irby’s Market. She was permitted to “keep school” there but  a  few
     months being invited to accept work in the Poplar Bluff schools by  members
     of  the  school  board  which  Miss  Minnie  died,  reluctantly,   as   her
     Kindergarten undertaking was a far better business venture at the time than
     the $40 per month paid by the schools.

     September 1897 saw her entrance upon her teaching career  in  a  small  one
     room building in East Poplar  Bluff  –  filled  to  the  limit  with  young
     Americans - some with a none  too  good  reputation  for  obedience  and  a
     willingness to be taught. This little school room soon became too small for
     the increasing population and in 1902 was replaced by a new brick four room
     building at the present location.  A  few  years  later  the  building  was
     doubled in size with a fine staff of young women assisting Miss  Minnie  in
     handling the steadily growing school. Then came the tornado of May 9,  1927
     and  the  active  little  community  educational  center  was  blown  down,
     scattering the contents to the four winds. There  were  278  pupils,  eight
     teachers and two janitors in the building at the time of  its  destruction.
     Two of the small boys in grade four lost their lives. Many were temporarily
     crippled, but, when the school reopened in September in a church and  other
     borrowed school rooms, there were no  crippled  or  scarred  youngsters  to
     remind one of the tragedy. In November,  1927  the  school  opened  in  the
     present building – named the  J.  Minnie  Smith  school  in  honor  of  the
     principal and primary teacher who had spent the best of  her  life  in  its
     upbuilding. Many useful citizens have come from Miss Minnie’s primary room.
     She had been heard to say that at one time she might even have dared to  be
     a law violator as  one  of  her  boys  was  Sheriff,  one  a  Trooper,  one
     Prosecuting Attorney and another a bank cashier who’d get her  out  of  any
     difficulty – maybe.

     After 43 years of teaching in the East Poplar  Bluff  school  district  she
     feels she has earned her epaulets. In her loyalty she has never faltered as
     she has never hesitated to say  “no”  when  offered  a  change,  which  has
     occurred several times during her long term of service.



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