Life History

Notes

• The first record of William P Smith is the 1880 census, where child William Smith is reported as 5 years old, the son of Edward and Mary Smith in Cass County, Texas.
  
  1880 Federal Census, Cass County, Texas, 10 July, Precinct 3, District 12, page 37A, Hse/Fam #544
  Smith Edwd  W M 37  Farmer KY KY VA (b abt 1843)
  Smith Mary  W F 26  Wife  Keeps House  Ark England Tenn (b abt 1854)
  Smith William W M 5 Son  Tex KY Ark (abt 1875)
  
  In 1900 William is married and living in the same Arkansas County, as his parents and their family.  William and his wife Vinie live in the County Seat Lockesburg, while his folks live at Bear Creek settlement.
  
  1900 Federal Census, Sevier County, Arkansas, 12 June, Lockesburg, District 154, page 5B, Hse/Fam #187
  Smith, William P Head W M Sept 1875  25 Married 3 years TX KY MS Farmer
  Smith, Vinie Wife W F May 1882  18 Married 3 years Borne 0 children AR SC MS
  
  I note that this says they have been married 3 years, yet in 1910, in the Oklahoma census, they were reported married 10 years.  The wife's name here is Vinie, and in 1920 the name is Gertrude V.  Vinie is usually short for Melvina.  In 1920 the wife's name is Gertrude M.  The middle initial V in 1910 matches the name Vinie in 1900.  This makes sense as the name Gertrude Melvina, as reported in several genealogies.  The birth date of May 1882 matches the reported age of 28 in the 1920 census.
  
  The M in 1930 adds uncertainty.  Birth places of the wife's father are no help:  1900-South Carolina; 1910-North Carolina; 1920- Alabama.  The wife's mother is reported born in Mississippi in all three censuses.  Ages for the wife match in all three censuses.  I cannot find them in 1930.
  
  William is listed just as William Smith in the 1880 census.  He appears in Oklahoma, after his family and other relatives have moved to Washita County, Oklahoma.  His name in the 1910 census is William P Smith.  I expect the P stands for Peter, matching his mother's father, William Peter Christian.
  
  1910 Federal Census, Washita County, Oklahoma, 19 May, Oakdale Township, District 263, page 21A, Hse #310, Fam #391
  Smith, William P Head M W 33 Married 10 years TX KY MS Farmer
  Smith, Gertrude V Wife F W 28 Married 10 years Borne 4 children, 3 living AR NC MS [b abt 1882]
  Smith, William B Son M W 8 AR TX AR
  Smith, Melvin G Son M W 6 (? overwritten smudgy, Ancestry says 1 4/12) OK TX AR
  Smith, ? (Otis?) E Son M W 4 OK TX AR
  
  William and Gertrude are living next door to his mother's sister, William James Christian.
  
  William P "Bud" Smith
  Birth Sep 1875 in TX, Death Unknown
  Marriage to Gertrude Melvina "Viney" Allen 21 Jul 1897 Belham, Sevier Co, AL
  --  Boyd, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/12115249/person/824500565?ssrc=&ftm=1
  
  U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918
  William Peter Smith
  Birth Date 22 September 1875
  Residence Ft Cobb, caddo County, Oklahoma, USA
  Occupation Farming
  Relative Vinie Smith
  Medium Height & Build, Tall, Brown Eyes, Dark Hair
  Registered 12 September 1918 Anadarko, Caddo County, Texas
  Signed W P Smith
  
  1920 Federal Census, Caddo County, Oklahoma, 20 January, Northern Cobb Township, District 47, page 1A, Hse #4, Fam #5
  Smith, W P Head Rents M W 44 TX KY MS Farmer
  Smith, Gertrude M  Wife F W 37 AR AL MS
  Smith, Burl Son M W 18 AR TX AR Farm Laborer
  Smith, Othie Son M W 13 OK TX AR Farm Laborer
  Smith, Melvin Son M W 11 OK TX AR
  Smith, Melvin Son M W 11 OK TX AR
  Smith, Vivian Dau F W 7 OK TX AR
  Smith, Lucille Dau F W 4yrs6mo OK TX AR [b Aug 1915]
  Smith, Unice Dau F W 1yr10mos OK TX AR [b Feb 1919]
  
  ----------------------
  William P Smith
  Birth Sep 22, 1875 Cass County, Texas
  Death Aug 7, 1949, Carnegie, Caddo County, Oklahoma
  
  The Carnegie Herald, Wed, Aug. 10, 1949
  W.P. Smith Dies After Five Years Lingering Illness
  
  W.P. Smith, retired pioneer farmer, died at his home on West Third street Sunday after a lingering illness of five years. Services were in the First Baptist church at 2:30 p.m. Monday, with the pastor, Rev. Frank Elkins, preaching the sermon. Arrangements were in charge of Pitcher's. Carnegie Odd Fellows had charge of the burial ceremony at the Carnegie cemetery.
  
  William P. Smith was born Sept. 22, 1875, in Cass county, Texas. When he was a small boy his parents moved to Sevier county, Ark. He was married to Melvinia Allen at Belton, Ark., July 21, 1897.
  
  In 1902 he moved from DeQueen, Ark. to Mountain View. In 1914 the family moved to the Silver Moon community northwest of Carnegie and two years later located on a farm in the Oak Grove community 10 miles northeast of Carnegie. Here the family 28 years. In 1944 Mr. Smith had a partial stroke and bought his present home in Carnegie and moved to town. He had been in poor health since.
  
  Survivors are the wife, three sons, W.B. Smith, Elk City; O.E. Smith, Hydro, and Melvin Smith, Shawnee, Kan.; three daughters, Mrs. Volney Moore, Norman; Mrs. Jess Millwee, Carnegie, and Mrs. Melvin Rorie, Binger, and two brothers, Elbridge Smith, Fort Cobb, and Sam Smith, Anadarko.
  
  All of the sons, daughters and brothers were at the bedside at the time of death and attended the funeral.
  
  Burial Carnegie Cemetery, Carnegie, Caddo County, Oklahoma, Plot sec 7, lot 151, sp 2
  
  Created by Lillian Jul 05, 2010
  --  Find A Grave Memorial #54503643, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=SMIT&GSfn=W&GSpartial=1&GSbyrel=all&GSst=38&GScntry=4&GSsr=1041&GRid=54503643&&ftm=1
  ----------------------

Sources

• 1. 1880 Federal Census, Cass County, Texas
  • 10 July, Precinct 3, District 12, page 37A, Hse/Fam #544
• 2. 1900 Federal Census, Sevier County, Arkansas
  • 12 June, Lockesburg, District 154, page 5B, Hse/Fam #187
• 3. 1920 Federal Census, Caddo County, Oklahoma
  • 20 January, Northern Cobb Township, District 47, page 1A, Hse #4, Fam #5
• 4. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
• 5. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918
• 6. 1910 Federal Census, Washita County, Oklahoma
  • 19 May, Oakdale Township, District 263, page 21A, Hse #310, Fam #391
• 7. Ancestry Trees
  • Boyd, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/12115249/person/824500565?ssrc=&ftm=1