Christian Smith

As printed in 1908

CHRISTIAN M. SMITH, a representative citizen and large farmer of Pike Township, where he owns two valuable farms, aggregating 222 acres, was born in Pike Township, Clark County, Ohio, October 14, 1837. He is a son of Peter and Jane (Maxon) Smith.

Peter Smith was born in Virginia and was a child one year old when his father, Christian Smith, brought his family to Pike Township, and settled in the woods near the present home farm of his grandson. Christian M. Peter Smith grew to manhood in Pike Township and later bought a farm of his own. which he cleared from its native condition. He married Jane Maxon, a daughter of Jesse Maxon, who was a pioneer on Mud Run, settling there before the Indians had left this neighborhood. For many years Peter Smith remained on his farm, but later retired with his wife, to New Carlisle. He died there aged seventy-four years, but she survived to be ninety-one years old. They had the following children,: C. M., Elzina and Perlina, twins, Christena, Sarah M., Jesse M., Lydia, Charles, Peter ]\L. Mark and Ruth. Several of these children died in infancy.

Christian M. Smith grew to manhood on his father's farm and from early boyhood assisted in the work of clearing and cultivating it. For some five years he operated a water-power saw-mill, but continued to live at home until his marriage. He bought his first farm from Jacob Otewalt and lived on it for seven years, when he traded for an interest in one of his present farms. He lived there from 1878 until 1906 and moved to his present home in 1907. Mr. Smith has always been counted with the successful farmers of Pike Township.

On January 9, 1862, Mr. Smith was married (first) to Mary Jane Zinn, a daughter of Daniel E. and Matilda (Sturgeon) Zinn. Mrs. Smith died March 21, 1883. She was the mother of the following children: Marcellus, residing at Troy, Ohio, married Nellie Tannehill and they have two children, Raymond and Hartley; Albert Z., residing at New Carlisle, married Laura Fuller and they have three children, Algie, Lona and Elva; Matilda Angeline, residing in Bethel Township, married Frank Shellaharger and they have four children, Delbert, Horace, Adella and Edward; Oren Z., residing at Portland, Oregon; Adella May, residing in North Dakota, married Charles Funderburg and they have two children, Cletus and Walter; Arthur Z., residing in Pike Township, married Bertha Jordan and they have two children, Harold and Lloyd; Clarence Z., who married Iva Richardson; and Alia Eveleen, who married Casius Schaffner, has two children, Lewis C. and Mary Hetty.

Mr. Smith was married (second), October 13, 1887, to Mrs. Caroline D. Tener, who died without issue, February 25,

1888. She was the widow of James Tener. On February 26, 1890, Mr. Smith was married (third) to Wilhelmina Dresher, who was born in Clark County and is a daughter of Nicholas Dresher by his second marriage, to Margaretha Suphert, who died aged fifty-four years. Mr. Dresher lived to be sixty-eight years old. The children of his first marriage were: Godfrey, George, Margaret, Barbara and Martin. Those of his second marriage were: Catherine, Mary, John, Henry, Peter, Caroline, "Wilhelmina, Clara, Charles and Anna.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith have had the following children: Margaretta Jane, Cjtithia T., Vernon D., Helen C, Gilbert and Luther W. Vernon D. died aged nineteen months and Helen C. at the age of six years.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith are valued members of the German Baptist Brethren ChurcTi, in which he is a deacon and a trustee.

As printed in 20th century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens (1908). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.