THE MATTHEW SMITH FAMILY, Our Yesterdays, Jefferson Co., MT USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. Files may be printed or copied for personal use only. "List transcribed and organized by Ellen Rae Thiel, thieljl@aol.com All rights reserved." Copyright, 1998 by Ellen Rae Thiel. This file may be freely copied for non-profit purposes. All other rights reserved. THE MATTHEW SMITH FAMILY Matthew Smith was born in 1840 in County Cavan, Ireland. He and his wife, Margaret, born in 1835, came to the United States at an early age. They settled in Boulder Valley, Montana in the 1870's on a ranch adjoining Matt's brothers, Peter and Phil Smith. Here the Matthew Smiths lived until the deaths of Matt, 1922, and Margaret, in 1928. The spot where the Matthew Smiths built their home was high on a hill looking into the mountains and lush green meadows adjoining the beautiful winding Boulder River. This peaceful spot is still a paradise for fisherman and campers, who seek it out for their enjoyment. The ranch is now owned by the W. L. Dawsons. The Matthew Smith family had four children. A daughter Janie, was born in 1870 and died in 1930. They also had three sons, Edward, John and Matthew, Jr., all born in Boulder Valley. John was born in 1884 and died in 1958. He spent most of his life in Helena, Montana. Matthew Smith, Jr. was born in 1882 and died in 1966. He worked in Boulder for awhile, but later moved to Butte and was employed by the Montana Power Company until his retirement. He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Lulu Cassin Smith, and son, Bill, and daughters, Helen and Margaret all of whom live in Butte and the area. All of Matthew Smith family are buried in the Boulder Valley Cemetery, with the exception of Matt Smith, Jr., who is buried in Butte, Montana. Ed Smith, who was born in 1879 and died in 1948, lived on the family ranch operating it after his parents' deaths. Ed also indulged in prospecting. The urge and excitement of perhaps finding gold or silver, which prompted our pioneers, "to come west", still flowed in his veins. The pleasure that Ed gave his friends and neighbors with his talented flare for playing the fiddle, will always be remembered by those who knew him. He was ever ready and generous with his time and talent to participate in Boulder and Boulder Valley parties and dances with his lively music. So while "The Music is Ended, The Memories Linger On." SUBMITTED BY MR. AND MRS. PAUL T. SMITH