SMITH Family

The earliest known member of this family is John SMITH 17xx-18xx (Hmmm, connected to the famous Captain John SMITH of 1609 Jamestown colony?). JiF2 p79 discusses how in Aug 1932 Eldon GEARHART (gggson of John, see below chart, then living in Philly with his wife 'Margie' and 2 young daughters and working as a travelling salesman for a gas/oil co) stopped at Lewistown, PA to visit his [2nd] cousin Sam HART, finding sadly that he had just lost his wife Ella (maiden name?). So Eldon stayed a few days for the funeral and to visit family in the area. Ella was buried at their hometown of Bunkertown about 30 miles away. The day after the funeral, Eldon says he went back to MacAllisterville and visited many SMITH relatives in that mountainous area (i.e. apparently where the SMITHs and related clans had settled upon coming to America when? I need to check into this area for info). He says they are all children of Suzanne SMITH, who was his grandmother's (SarahCS) sister. He'd never met any of them before, but showed them pics of his family and also his mother, whom they recognized from SMITH family reunions during the 1920s (when he'd been gone overseas). These relatives wanted Eldon and his family to stop to see them next time they were heading back to Michigan (home of both Eldon's and his wife Margie's parents [Delmer and Rosa (BOLLINGER) BROKAW; Margie and Rosa also attended BOLLINGER reunions in the Akron, OH area]).

Eldon mentions 'Uncle' Frank SMITH several times; 1rst when Eldon stays with Uncle Frank on a July 1932 trip from MI back to (Philly) PA, since Frank and his wife live 'between Akron and Youngstown' in Ohio. The next day they went together to visit the big Goodyear Zeppelin Hangar in Akron, where the Akron [blimp] had been built and the newer and larger Macon was under construction; they'd lifted the nose into place 4 Jul and it would be 'the largest Zep in the world' (JiF2 p67-8). Then in Aug 1936 Eldon and Margie stay overnight with Frank and wife again while en route from there then-home in Altoona, PA to a BOLLINGER reunion in Akron area (Stipes Lake, p136).

While spending an extended summer 1932 vacation in Lansing, MI, Eldon's wife Margie says she and her 2 kids went with Eldon's parents to 'the SMITH [family] reunion at Potters Park' (JiF2 p78), which I assume is in the Lansing area.

I found a history of Scots in America at www.allthebookx.com/viewbook.php?bookid=31289 i.e. 'Scotland's Mark on America' by Dr George Fraser BLACK in 1921. He says in the book that McAlisterville, PA was founded by a Major Hugh McAlister (of Scots parentage) after having served in the Revolutionary War. So apparently both SMITHs AND DUNSMOREs were of Scottish origins.

Names

4 1847-1906 SMITH, Sarah Catherine - GEARHART, John S
5 1824-1893 SMITH, Ezra - KAUFFMAN, Barbara
6 179x-18xx SMITH, John - BRUBACKER, Magdalena

Descent Chart


Sources:
- JiF2 = A Journey in Faith, Bk 2: Happiness Chambers, Wanda Gearhart RICHARDS, self-pub, 2013, own.

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