Nodaway County MO Archives Obituaries.....Smith, Benton March 14, 1919
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/mo/mofiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Darlene Pellor dpellor@aol.com March 15, 2007, 5:07 pm

MO newspaper clipping
Obituary reads as follows:

DEATH OF BENTON SMITH

At his home in Ravenwood, at 7:45 A.M., Friday, March 14, 1919, Benton Smith 
passed away at the age of 78 years and 15 days, after an illness of eight days 
duration.

In the passing of this life, Jackson Township loses one of it best known and 
most highly respected old residents, he having lived in this vicinity sine 1851.

The deceased was a son of Elon and Minerva (Mc Call) Smith and was born Feb. 
27, 1841, in Bartholomew Co., Indiana.  In the fall of 1845, his parents moved 
to Andrew Co., Missouri, where the father died the following spring, leaving 
Mrs. Smith and five small children.  Benton being the third child

In 1851 the Mother with her children moved to a farm three miles south of the 
present village of Ravenwood.  Mr. Smith staying with his Mother until the 
Civil War, when he volunteered and enlisted in the Union Army in Company C. of 
the 4th Missouri Cavalry, and served until he was honorably discharged at St. 
Louis, Missouri, July 8, 1865.  After which he returned home and took up his 
work of farming.  He had but little chance for an education, having had to work 
hard from his childhood days and endured all the hardships of pioneer life.

On Feb. 23, 1868, he was united in marriage to Mrs. Margaret Vaughn, of Decatur 
County, Iowa.  To this union were born seven children: Oliver E. of Ravenwood, 
Harriet A., Wife of T. M. Curry of Hillsdale, Wyo. and Joseph J. of Ravenwood 
are still living  Two sons, one dying in infancy in 1869, the other, Willis, in 
Oct 1878, at the age of nine, two daughters, Charlotte Agnes on June 7, 1906, 
Lourinda M., Jan. 27, 1916 and his wife who passed away Jan. 9, 1910 preceded 
him in death.

The family resided on the home farm two miles South of Ravenwood, until 1889, 
when they moved to town and Mr. Smith retired from active farm work.  By hard 
work, honesty and economy he became the owner of 400 acres of land in Jackson, 
Township, which, after the death of his wife he deeded to his children.

While he apparently was in good health, being able most of the time to be up 
and about town, he had been a sufferer in many ways, for the past thirty years, 
unknown to but a few people, and been seriously sick a number of times for 
short duration, but always kept his sufferings and sorrows to himself.  He 
appreciated all kindness, and favors shown him in any way but was ever 
thoughtful of those caring for him, lest they overtax their strength and injure 
their own health.

He leaves to mourn his departure, his three children, who were with him during 
his last illness, two  grandsons, Oliver B. Curry of Hillsdale, Wyo., one 
brother Elon Smith of Kingsville, Texas, (whose daughter, Mrs. Belle Hawk, 
lives near Ravenwood); several other nieces and nephews and many friends.

The funeral services were held at the family residence Sunday afternoon at 7 
o'clock conducted by Rev. C. C. Leininger of the Ravenwood Methodist Church.  
Interment at the Oak Law Cemetery.



File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mo/nodaway/obits/s/smith113gob.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mofiles/

File size: 3.6 Kb