William Henry Smith

As printed in 1903

WILLIAM HENRY SMITH. AW H. Smith, of South English, Iowa, is now living a retired life in the enjoyment of a rest which he has truly earned and richly deserves by reason of his industrious efforts of former years. Accomplishment and progress ever imply labor, energy and diligence, and it was those labors that enabled our subject to rise from the ranks of the many and stand among the successful few. He is now one of the highly respected citizens of South English, and his long residence in Keokuk county and the active part he has taken in its development well entitle him to representation in its history.

Mr. Smith was born on the loth of March, 1840, in Preston county, West Virginia, of which state his parents. Christian and Charlotte (Cress) Smith, were also natives. There the family continued to make their home until 1856, when they came to Iowa and took up their residence in Washington county. At the end of three years, however, they removed to Keokuk county and settled in Liberty township, where the father died at the age of seventy-nine years. The mother is still living and is now eighty-one years of age. In their family were ten children, five sons and five daughters, of whom our subject was the second son and second child.

The first sixteen years of his life W. H. Smith spent in the county of his nativity and then accompanied his parents on the;: removal to Washington county, Iowa, and later to Keokuk county. When the country became involved in civil war he joined the boys in blue, enlisting August 9, 1862,, in Company II, Thirty-third Iowa Volunteer Infantry, as a private, for three years' service. With his command he participated in the engagements at Helena and Little Rock, Arkansas, and others, and being slightly wounded by a spent ball at Helena, he was confined to the hospital for four days. He was in active service during his entire term with exception of two months and was a good soldier, always found at his post of duty, gallantly defending the old flag and the cause it represented. At the close of the war he received an honorable discharge at Davenport. Iowa, on the 8th 01 August, 1865, and he returned to his home in Keokuk county to resume the more quiet pursuits of farm life, carrying on operations in Liberty township.

On the ist of June, 1867, Mr. Smith married Miss Jennette Lutton, a native of Pennsylvania, who was quite young when she came to Iowa. She was born in Mercer county, Pennsylvania, July 14, 1842, and is a daughter of John and Mary (Springer) Lutton, both natives of Lawrence county, Pennsylvania. Her paternal grandparents were born in Ireland, but materially Mrs. Smith is of German descent. Her parents were married in Pennsylvania, whence they removed to Iowa in 1854 and settled in Keokuk county, where they both died. They had ten children, all of whom lived to be grown, but only three are now living. To Mr. and Mrs. Smith has been born one son, Earl, now an attorney of Mason City, Iowa. After following farming in Liberty township for many years, Mr. Smith removed to South English in 1889 and was engaged in the lumber business at that place until 1902, when he sold out and has since lived retired, enjoying the fruits of former toil. He is still the owner of a fine farm of two hundred and ninety-six and a half acres of land in Liberty township, which he rents, and is to-day one of the well-to-do, as well as one of the most highly esteemed citizens of his community. He is an honored member of the Grand Army of the Republic, and also belongs to Naphtali Lodge, No. 188, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. In his political views he is a stanch Republican, and religiously is an earnest and consistent member 1 if the Christian church, of which Mrs. Smith also is a member.

As printed in A genealogical and biographical history of Keokuk County, Iowa .. (1903). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.