The full biographical sketch as printed, transcribed from the public-domain book. Spelling and wording are the original author’s; a few scanning errors may remain.
JACOB B. SMITH.
Jacob B. Smith, the owner of an excellent fami of one hundred and twenty acres on section 4, Udell township, has for the past six years served as a mail carrier on R. F. D. Route No. 2 out of Unionville. His birth occurred on Soap creek, Davis county, Iowa, on the 6th of June, 1864, his parents being Paris S. and Nancy Jane (Jones) Smith, who are natives of Ohio and Virginia respectively. The paternal grandfather of our sub- ject was of Dutch descent and a native of Philadelphia. Coming to Iowa, Paris S. Smith took up his abode near Bloomfield, Davis county, where he purchased land and carried on general agricultural pursuits until the time of his retirement in 1902, when he removed to Blakesburg. He has now attained the venerable age of eighty-four years, while his wife is eighty years of age. On the 1st of April, 1911, at Blakesburg, they celebrated their sixtieth wedding anniversary.
Jacob B. Smith obtained his early education in the district schools of his native county, later attended the high school at Bloomfield and sub- sequently pursued a course of study in the normal school at that place. He then followed the profession of teaching for two years and on the expiration of that period took up a homestead in Rawlins county, Kansas, where he resided for one year. Returning to this state, he was here married and then took his bride to Kansas, where he remained for five years and proved up his claim. After again returning to Iowa he settled in Appanoose county and for twelve years devoted his attention to the operation of rented farms west of Unionville. In 1906 he sold his Kansas claim and purchased and located on his present farm of one hundred and twenty acres which lies just south of Unionville. He leaves the active management of the property to his sons, his time having been largely occupied during the past six years by his duties as a mail carrier on R. F.
D. Route No. 2 out of Unionville. Mr. Smith and his son Dwight carry on general farming and breed registered Hereford cattle from the Peer- less herd of Herefords raised and bred in this coimty for years by his father-in-law, George W. Dean.
On the 7th of January, 1885, Mr. Smith was united in marriage to Miss Ella Dean, her father being George W. Dean, a farmer and stockman of Udell township, who is deceased and a sketch of whom appears on another page of this volume. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have three children, Alta L., Dean and Dwight L.
Politically Mr. Smith is a republican. He is widely recognized as a public-spirited and progressive citizen. Fraternally he is identified with the Masons and the Modern Woodmen of America at Unionville, while he and his wife and daughter are all members of the Order of the Eastern Star at that place. Both Mr. and Mrs. Smith and their children belong to the Methodist Episcopal church at Unionville, Mrs. Smith and her daughter Alta forming the younger half of the four generations that are active workers in that church. The life of Mr. Smith has been one of continuous activity, characterized by close application, untiring persever- ance and well directed effort, and success has come to him in substantial measure.
Source: Past and Present of Appanoose County, Iowa. See the original pages at the Internet Archive.
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