My Genealogy Hound

Judge John Wesley Smith, one of the leading citizens of Union Township, Laclede Co., Mo., was born in Lincoln County, Tenn., in 1812, August 2, and is a son of John W. and Lucinda (Gibson) Smith, natives, respectively, of Rutherford County, Tenn., and Davidson County, N. C. The parents were married in Tennessee, and lived in Lincoln County until 1837, when they moved with their family to Greene County, Mo. The father, who was born in 1790, was a farmer all his life; he died in Greene County in 1878, having survived his wife eight years. The latter was born in 1791, and was the mother of eight children, three of whom are now living: Rev. R. D., who is a minister of the Christian Church, now preaching at Evansville, Ind.; Margaret Ann, the wife of Judge R. D. Dillard, a farmer of Greene County, and John Wesley. At the age of twenty-one years the latter married Matilda Clayton, a native of Lincoln County, Tenn., who was born in 1815, and was a daughter of Stephen Clayton. Mrs. Smith died in Lincoln County in 1836, the mother of one child, also deceased. In 1838 Mr. Smith married Margaret Clark, a native of North Carolina, born in 1817, and a daughter of Spencer Clark. She died in Pope County, Mo., in 1852, leaving five children, all living, viz.: Sarah Jane (wife of W. S. McMenus a farmer of Scott County, Kas.), Nancy E. (wife of Alexander Wilhoit, a farmer of Laclede County, Mo.), Rebecca F. (who married Joseph McMenus, also a farmer of Laclede County), John W. (at home), and Margaret Ann (now the wife of R. H. Tucker, a farmer of Laclede County). In 1853 Mr. Smith married Fidelia M. Wait, a daughter of Russell Wait; she was born at Hatfield, Mass., February 24, 1827. To this union have been born, four sons, viz.: Finis E. (a farmer near Phillipsburg), Martin S. (also a farmer of Laclede County), Marcus B. (who died in infancy) and Albert R. (who was born April 3, 1855); the latter married Mary E. Cook, by whom he had one child, Albert R., Jr., and was one of the most enterprising farmers and best citizens of Laclede County at the time of his death, which occurred March 25, 1888. Soon after his marriage our subject engaged in farming, which he continued several years. He moved to Polk County, Mo., in 1851, where he lived until 1853, when he removed to Laclede County, where he has since lived. In 1852 he engaged in merchandising, in which business he continued until 1869. Soon after the close of the war he was appointed judge of the county court, which office he held with credit to himself for seven years. He has also served fourteen years as notary public since coming to Missouri, and has been commissioned justice of the peace seven times. He has now retired from the active duties of public office. In 1832 he was elected an elder of the church, which title he has ever since retained with honor. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and in politics is a stanch Prohibitionist, having cast the only Prohibition vote in Phillipsburg precinct. Mrs. Smith is a highly educated woman, and has spent forty-two years of her life teaching. She was a pupil in the North Amherst Academy, and also in the Gothic Seminary at Northampton, Mass., a school of high reputation, and now holds a certificate signed by Drs. Pearson and Brooks, with Dr. Roswell C. Hawks, president of the Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, South Hadley, Mass. From these institutions of learning she has received valuable documents.