Preston Smith (abt. 1867 - 1933)

Born about 15 Aug 1867 in Horsehead Creek, Johnson, Arkansas, USA

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 8 Jan 1933 at about age 65 in Fort Smith, Sebastian, Arkansas, USA

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Ginger Smith [send private message]

Biography

Date of Birth

Preston's date of birth is uncertain.

1. In his Father, Richard Smith's, pension application, he listed his son Preston's date of birth as 24 August 1868.
2. In Preston Smith's obituary, his date of birth was listed as 15 August 1866.
3. In the family bible of Preston Smith's grandson, Claude R Smith, Jr, his date of birth is listed as 15 Aug 1867.

Physical Description

Aunt Catherine said Preston had black hair and dark eyes. His wife Phoebe had reddish sandy hair. All the kids had blonde hair and blue eyes. - Darrel Smith, email, 27 July 2009.

Sources

Obituaries of Preston Smith:

PRESTON SMITH DIES AT HOME OF HIS SON
Lavaca Farmer, Resident of Sebastian County for 55 years, Succumbs Sunday after Illness
Preston Smith, 65 years old, Lavaca, Ark., resident of Sebastian county for 55 years, died at 5 o'clock Sunday morning at the home of his son, Claude Smith, South Fort Smith, from an illness contracted Dec. 26 when he came to Fort Smith to attend the funeral of his grandson, Billy Smith. Mr. Smith was stricken with influenza upon his arrival at the home of his son, where the funeral service was held, and had been seriously ill since. Born in Johnson county near Coal Hill Aug. 15, 1866, Mr. Smith moved to Lavaca with his parents when he was 10 years old. He had lived there since. He was a farmer. He was a member of the Pentecostal church. Funeral service will be held at Bloomer cemetery, near Lavaca, at 2 o'clock Monday afternoon, with Rev. Walter Ford, pastor of the Pentecostal church here, officiating. The funeral cortege will leave the Fentress mortuary at 1 p.m.
Mr. Smith is survived by his wife, Mrs. Phebe Smith; six sons, Claude Smith of South Fort Smith, Clyde Smith, Muskogee, Okla., and Jim, Avery, Wallace, and John Smith, all of Lavaca; two brothers, Roy Smith, Williams, Okla., and Oscar Smith, Fort Smith; and one sister, Mrs. Ja. A. Beans, Wagoner, Okla.

Times Record, 1933
Deaths and Funerals
Preston Smith
Preston Smith, 65 years old, Lavaca, Ark., resident of Sebastian county for 55 years, died at 5 o'clock Sunday morning at the home of his son, Claude Smith, South Fort Smith.
Funeral service was conducted at 2 o'clock Monday afternoon, at the Bloomer cemetery, with Rev. Walter Ford, Pentecostal minister, Fort Smith, officiating. The cortege left the Fentress mortuary at 1 p.m.
Mr. Smith was stricken with influenza Dec. 26 when he came to Fort Smith to attend the funeral of his grandson, Billy Smith. His condition had been serious since the day of the funeral.
He was born in Johnson county near Coal Hill, Aug 15, 1866 and came with his family to Lavaca when he was 10 years old. He was a farmer and a member of the Pentecostal church.
Surviving relatives are his wife, Mrs. Phebe Smith; six sons, Claude Smith of South Fort Smith, Clyde Smith, Muskogee, Okla., and Jim, Avery, Wallace and John Smith, all of Lavaca; two brothers, Roy Smith, Williams, Okla., and Oscar Smith, Fort Smith; and one sister, Mrs. J.A. Beans, Wagoner, Okla.

(Copy of obituaries sent to me in the mail on 1/10/09 by Doris (Smith) Hamblin, daughter of Clyde Smith)

Death Certificate of Preston Smith:

Preston Smith

Death certificate no. 1266

Dated: 08 Jan 1933

Filed with: Arkansas State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Fort Smith, Sebastian Co., AR

Died 08 January 1933 in South Fort Smith in the Upper township of Sebastian Co., AR where he lived

Born 15 Aug 1866 in Johnson Co., AR

He was 66 years, 4 months and 23 days old

Occupation: farmer

He was married to Phebe Smith

Father was Richard Smith, birthplace unknown

Mother's name unknown

The informant was his son, Claude Smith of So. Fort Smith, AR

Buried in Bloomer, AR on 9 Jan 1933 under the direction of the Fentress Mortuary of Fort Smith, AR

Cause of death was pneumonia brought on my influenza

Certified copy obtained by Ginger Smith on 1/29/09 from the Arkansas Department of Health, 4815 West Markham Street, Slot H-44, Little Rock, AR 72205-9772.

Family Bible of Claude R Smith, Sr (son of Preston Smith):

Coming Soon

Richard Smith Pension Application:

Richard Smith submitted a list of his children's names and dates of births to the board of pensioners on August 4th, 1898. He said he had the following 5 living children:

Ray Smith, b. 9 Oct 1866

Preston Smith, b. 24 Aug 1868

Ella Smith, b. 3 Mar 1876

Jette Smith, b. 2 June 1880

Oscar Smith, b. 8 Jun 1884

Richard's statement is consistent with the 1870 and 1880 census reports which list a William R Smith, born about 1866/1867 and a Preston Smith, born about 1868. The William R Smith on the census reports is the same man listed as Ray Smith on Richard's list of children. On the 1900 census report, Ray Smith lists his birth date as Nov 1866 which is close to what his father submitted. Preston listed his birth date as Aug 1870, which is a couple of years off from any other year provided on documents about him. This information might have been given by someone else in his house. Preston Smith's death certificate lists his DOB as 15 Aug 1866, however this information was provided by his son, Claude Smith.

Census Reports

1870 Johnson Co., AR

Clark Twp, Clarksville PO

Dwelling 93, family 93

Richard Smith, 31 yo (b. abt 1839), farm laborer, AL (c/n read orwrite)

Martha Smith, 31 yo (b. abt 1839), AR, (c/n read or write)

William R Smith, 4 yo (b. abt 1866), AR

Preston Smith, 2 yo (b. abt 1868), AR

Sarah R Smith, 4 mo (b. abt 1870), AR

Nara Film M593, Roll 57; Page 19

1880 Franklin Co., AR

Hogan Twp, taken 16 June 1880

Dwelling 155, Family 164, ED 65

Richard Smith, 45 yo (b. abt 1835), farmer, AL AL TN

Tempy Smith, wife, 36 yo (b. abt 1844), AR TN IL

Melvina Smith, dau, 14 yo (b. abt 1866), TX AL LA

Wiliam R Smith, son, 13 yo (b. abt 1867), AR AL LA

Preston Smith, son, 12 yo (b. abt 1868), AR AL LA

Sidney Smith, son, 7 y (b. abt 1873), AR AL AR

Mary E Smith, dau, 4 yo (b. abt 1876), AR AL AR

Nara Film T9, Roll 44; Family History Film: 1254044

Head of house:

1900 Bloomer, Sebastian Co., AR

Dwelling 56, Family 56

Preston smith, head, 29 yo (b. Aug 1870), M5 yrs, AR AR AR

Phebe E Smith, wife, 22 yo (b. June 1877), M5yrs, 3/3 kids, AR MO MO

Hester Smith, dau, 6 yo (b. Mar 1894), AR AR AR

Claudie R Smith, son, 4 yo (b. Jan 1896), AR AR AR

Clyde Smith, son, 2 yo (b. Feb 1898), AR AR AR

NARA Film T623, Roll 76, Page 4A

1910 Bloomer, Sebastian Co., AR

Dwelling 20, family 21

Preston Smith, head, 41? Yo (b. abt 1869), M12 yrs AR AL AR

Phoebe Smith, wife, 32 yo (b. abt 1878), M12 yrs, 4/5 children living,A R TN MO

Claude Smith, son, 14 yo (b. abt 1896), AR AR AR

Clyde Smith, son, 12 yo (b. abt 1898), AR AR AR

James Smith, son, 8 yo (b. abt 1902), AR AR AR

Avery Smith, son, 2 yo (b. abt 1908), AR AR AR

p. 2

Richard Smith, Father, 72 yo (b. abt 1838), widowed, AL AL TN

NARA Film T624, Roll 65, page 1B, ED 133

1920 Sebastian Co., AR

Big Creek, Bloomer

Pres Smith, head, rents,52 yo (b. abt 1868), AR US US

Nite Smith, wife, 42 yo (b. abt 1878), AR US US

Jim R Smith, son, 19 yo (b. abt 1901), AR AR AR

NARA Film T625, Roll 81, Page 7B, ED 129

1930 Sebastian Co., Big Creek, AR

Dwelling 31, Family 32

Preston Smith, head, rents, 62 yo (b. abt 1868), Md at age 27, AR USUS

Phebe U Smith, wife, 52 yo (b. abt 1878), md at age 17, AR TX MO

Johnnie E Smith, son, 14 yo (b. abt 1916), AR AR TX

Family 33

Wallace B Smith, head, rents, 18 yo (b. abt 1912), Md at 18, AR TX AR

Ethel J Smith, wife, 17 yo (b. abt 1913), Md at 16, AR US US

Roll: 94; Page: 2A; Enumeration District: 5; Image: 646.0.

Preston Smith probably lived on land that his father, Richard Smith, bought as a land grant in Sebastian Co., AR in 1905.

Photographed Primary Sources:

Census Report Images

1870 Johnson County, Arkansas Census Report for Richard Smith

Preston Smith Death Certificate

Coming Soon

Family Bible of Claude R Smith, Sr (son of Preston Smith)

Coming Soon

Secondary Re-Sources

Preston Smith Find-A-Grave Memorial

Find-A-Grave Virtual Cemetery memorial #24692651 in Morris Cemetery, Bloomer, Sebastian County, Arkansas, USA