John H. Smith

As printed in 1909

JOHN H. SMITH.

John H. Smith, well and favorably known among those whose farms cluster about Miamisburg, Ohio, owns two tracts of land, amounting to one hundred and eighty-five acres upon the Centerville pike. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts, July 20, 1833, and is the son of Fred and Elizabeth (Slough) Smith. The father came to this country from Germany, and was the first of his family to locate in the United States. He followed the trade of stone-mason and lime-burner as his life work, and died in 1905 at the advanced age of ninety-two years. The mother of our subject had passed away in 1880. In their family were seven children, namely: John H., of this review; Joseph, a resident of Montello, Pennsylvania; Levi, of Miamisburg, Ohio; Mary, the deceased wife of Frank Eckenroad, of Garglersville, Pennsylvania; Sarah, the deceased wife of Adam Eckenroad, of Wernersville, Pennsylvania; Eliza, the wife of Hiram Hultry, of Garglersville; and Thomas, a resident of Montello, Pennsylvania.

John H. Smith was a young man when he came to Ohio and settled in this county. He took up farming almost immediately and has since pursued that line of work, though he has recently laid aside the heavier duties of the farm and lives retired. In his young manhood he had learned the carpenter’s trade, which he followed for a time, but later farming demanded all of his attention. In the latter work he was more than ordinarily successful and ever evinced a commendable interest in the affairs of the community in which he lived and which he served as township trustee for the period of ten years.

Mr. Smith was married in 1860 to Miss Eliza A. Gottschall, who is the daughter of Joseph and Charlotte Gottschall, the former being one of the county’s well-to-do farmers. He died on the 22nd of May, 1887, and his wife departed this life October 25, 1900. Their family consisted of four children: John, deceased, who made his home in Miamisburg; Jacob, of Salina, Kansas; Eliza A., the wife of our subject; and Mollie, the deceased wife of Cyrus Urmey. Ten children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Joseph, the eldest son, married Miss Mollie

Howard, who bore him three children, Raymond, Esther and Glenna. John married Miss Hortense Menner and is the father of a son, Mark. Irvin married Miss Flora Brown, by whom he has had two children, Mary and Leonard. Lottie is the wife of James Greth and the mother of two daughters, Ellen and Maud, and a son, Lee. Maud, the fifth of this family, married Earl Leis and is the mother of four children, Mabel, Florence, Ambert and Arthur. Maggie became the wife of Frank Lucas and has three children, Josie, Lester and Paul. Jacob married Miss Ella Stine, who bore him two sons, John and Elmer. Howard married Lavina Weidner and has a son, Loran. Flora is the wife of Frank Urschel. Della, the youngest, is married to Herbert Loy.

Mr. Smith gives his religious allegiance to the Reformed church, and the many years of his life have been marked by regular attendance at its services and by adherence to its doctrines. During the decade that he was trustee of the township his constituents had no occasion to complain of the way he performed the duties that devolved upon him. In short he is a man who by hard and persistent work has won a competence and also a position of confidence among fellow citizens.

As printed in History of the city of Dayton and Montgomery County, Ohio (1909). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.