Denton County, TX - Obituaries - Rev. Pleasant Lovick Smith

******************************************************************************
This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: June E.
Tuck  <juneet@verizon.net>

Copyright.  All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
********************************************************************************


From the historical files of June E. Tuck, who does not validate or dispute any
facts in the article. (Edited) Rev. Pleasant Lovick Smith was born in
Greenville, Hunt Co., Texas, December 19, 1860. His parents were Rev. J. Clark
Smith and Indiana Elizabeth Smith. His father, Rev. J. Clark Smith, was a
charter member of the North Texas Conference and died at Terrell, Texas, in
1889, and his ashes sleep in that city. Reared in a religious home and under the
influence of religious parents, dedicated to God by baptism in infancy, our
brother early received religious impressions and soon in life realized the
responsibility of his relationship to God; so we find him at the early age of 15
surrendering his life and all to God. He was converted at Carrollton (now Como,)
Hopkins County, Texas, in August 1875. A few years later he entered Southwestern
University, Georgetown, and graduated f rom that institution in the class of
1880, taking the A. B. degree. Of his college life one of his classmates writes,
"He was a good and faithful student, especially fond of Latin and Greek, the
vocabularies of which he had better than any boy in school. He was universally
liked, and I do not think he had an enemy in school, and I never knew of him
having any trouble with either professor or student. Was a regular attendant at
prayer-meetings of the young men." 

While he was in college he was licensed to preach by the Quarterly 
Conference of Georgetown Station, Northwest Texas Conference. In the 
autumn of the next year following his graduation (1881), he was admitted on 
trial into the North Texas Conference. He successfully passed his examination 
on the course of study prescribed and was admitted into full connection in 
the conference in 1883 in McKinney, Texas, being at that time ordained deacon 
by Bishop Linus Parker. Two years later, having passed his examination with 
credit, he was ordained elder by Bishop R. K. Hargrove. In the fall of 1882, 
he transferred to the Florida Conference but account of climatic
conditions there his health failed, and he only remained six months,
re-transferring to the North Texas Conference in whose bounds he lived and
labored until called to his reward. 

In June 1884, he was married to Miss Laura Weathersbee, and from this union 
one child was born, Mrs. Mattle Minton. His wife and daughter both survive 
him, latter having last year (1902) lost her husband only a month after 
her marriage. 

In the North Texas Conference he served the following charges: Trinity, 
Denton, Leonard, Leesburg, Queen City, Mt. Pleasant, Nevada, Weston and 
Cochran and Caruth Circuits, Oak Cliff, Pilot Point, Van Alstyne, 
Wolfe City, Whitesboro, and Henrietta Stations. 

For several years Bro. Smith had suffered with a chronic stomach trouble, and
when attacked with a malignant case of typhoid fever, this old trouble became 
aggravated, and after a short and severe illness, during which he suffered 
much, he fell on sleep on Wednesday, July 8, 1903, at Henrietta, Texas, 
dying about 6:30 in the afternoon. His remains accompanied by friends from 
Henrietta, were carried to Pilot Point for interment, and on Thursday 
afternoon, after a sermon by his presiding elder, Rev. F. O. Miller, he was 
laid to rest. Several of his brethren in the ministry were present and took 
part in the service, and all bore witness to the uprightness and integrity 
of his life and character. Robt. Gibbs Mood