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Below is a family biography included in The History of Dyer County, Tennessee published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1887.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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James H. Smith, M. D. The subject of this sketch resides at Trimble, Dyer County, and is the son of James H. and Margaret (Gibson) Smith, was born in Rowan County, N. C., in 1854, and is one of four children: William A. (of North Carolina), Eliza C. (wife of James M. Lawrence, of Georgia), Delia S. and our subject. His father was of Scotch-Irish descent, born in North Carolina about 1816, was reared and educated there, was a close observer, practical in all of his ideas, read both law and medicine, but made teaching his life work, and was eminently successful in the work. He married when about thirty years of age. His wife was of Scotch-English and Irish descent, and was born in Rowan County, N. C. When our subject was about seventeen years old, he moved to Gibson County, Tenn., and entered Yorkville Academy, remaining three years; he then commenced the study of medicine under Dr. J. T. Bone, at Yorkville; a portion of the time he was engaged in teaching. In 1877 he entered the Vanderbilt University, and took one course of lectures; then commenced the practice of medicine at Yorkville, and continued there until 1881, when he entered the Memphis Medical College, and graduated in March, 1882, and then located at Trimble, Tenn., where he has since had an extensive practice, and though still young, ranks high in his profession. March 23, 1882, he married Miss Mina, youngest daughter of Dr. J. T. and Malvina Bone, of Gibson County, and they had one child named Mina. Mrs. Smith died December 6, 1884. She was a devoted wife and a true Christian. In 1882 Dr. Smith was elected magistrate at Trimble, which office he held until he resigned in 1884. In politics he is a Democrat, and cast his first vote for S. J. Tilden.

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This family biography is one of 128 biographies included in The History of Dyer County, Tennessee published in 1887 by Goodspeed.  The History of Dyer County was included within The History of Gibson, Obion, Dyer, Weakley & Lake Counties of Tennessee. For the complete description, click here: History of Gibson, Obion, Dyer, Weakley, and Lake Counties of Tennessee

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