Smith

The earliest family reference to our Smith line is one James Smith of Ohio, who married Sidney Aurora Salina Locklear (b. 22 May 1836 Gallatin Co IL d. 15 Oct. 1914 Marble Falls, Burnet Co TX) in the early 1850s in the area of Arkansas or Williamson County, Texas. Their marriage produced one child, Joseph Sullivan Smith, born at Round Rock, Texas, in 1854. The story told at the Smith family reunion in Brady, Texas, was that Sidney was part Cherokee Indian. Family lore also says that James got up one morning to get the oxen ready to plow, but never came back in for breakfast. He was never seen again. Sidney married Samuel Queen, with whom she had at least 4 children, plus 2 of his from a previous marriage. According to family lore she also married a man by the name of Morrow (a Mrs. Dave Morrow gave information on her death certificate), and then around 1885, a man named William Lopez. According to the 1900 Burnet County, TX census she was married to William Lopez, and that she had a total of 12 children, 5 of whom survived to adulthood.

Sidney was estranged from her son, Joseph because of her marriage to a Hispanic. Aunt Annie Blanchard related a story about how Sidney came to visit Joe and Mahala, but William wasn’t allowed to come. Mahala made several dresses for Sidney, and when it came time to go she didn’t have enough room to pack all the dresses. So…she put the remaining ones on over her other clothing and made the trip like that. Joe eventually relented and came to see Sidney on her deathbed to make amends. He was impressed at how well William took care of Sidney and had to admit that he was a good man. She died in Marble Falls, Texas, on 15 Oct. 1914.

According to family history Joseph Sullivan SMITH (b. 27 Apr 1854 Round Rock, TX d. 29 Jan 1928 Brady, TX) was married first to an unnamed woman. The marriage was brief, only lasting a few days, and then he returned her to her parents. Then he married Mahala Rebecca Allison (b. 24 Sept 1858 d. 27 Apr 1900 Brady, TX) on 8 June 1879. She was born at Alexander, NC. They spent their married life in the vicinity of Brady, TX, and they had at least nine children, who were:

     1) Benjamin Smith b. 8 Feb 1880 Brady, TX d. May 1984 Brady, TX               Ben’s Photo Page

     2) William Marion Smith b. 19 July 1881 Brady, TX d. 12 Apr 1954 Huntsville, AR

     3) Andrew Thomas Smith b. Aug 1883 Brady, TX d. 25 May 1972 Eldorado, TX

                                                                                                                                  Tom’s Photo Page

     4) Mattie Martha Smith Thornton b. 6 Oct 1885 Brady, TX d. 12 Feb 1979 Sonora, TX
                                                                                                                                           Smith Girls’ Photo Page

     5) John Irving "John I" Smith b. 12 Mar 1887 Brady, TX d. Jan 1977 Brady, TX
                                                                                     John I’s Photo Page
     6) Emma Elizabeth Smith Gulihur b. 1891 Brady, TX d. Mar 1954 Marathon, TX
                                                                                                                                Emma’s Photo Page
     7) Annie Smith Chance Blanchard b. 2 May 1893 Brady, TX d. 1985
         ___________ Chance                                          Smith Girls’ Photo Page

1) Virginia Chance

2) Marion Chance

____________ Blanchard

8) Minnie Zeneath Smith Sheffy b. 30 Oct 1895 Brady TX d. 28 Apr 1919 Brady TX

Smith Girls’ Photo Page

9) Joe Smith b. abt 1897 Brady, TX d. young

Mahala Allison Smith died 27 April 1900 (grave marker inscription) and Joseph married Ida Bynum (b. 6 Jan 1878, AR d. 17 Jan 1919 Brady, TX) on 3 Feb 1901. Their children were:

1) Ruth Bertha Smith Crawford b. 14 Dec 1904, Nine, TX d. 15 Nov 1998, Odessa, TX
Benjamin Franklin Crawford b. 02 Oct 1897 d. 15 May 1974 Brady, TX

1) Benjamin Franklin "Frank" Crawford

2) Betty Crawford Calley

Harold Kenneth Calley
3) Jim Crawford

4) Dan Crawford

     2) Amanda Bell Smith Bostick Arthur b. 17 Apr 1909 d. 16 Jul 1995 Concho Co TX
              Bassett Arthur b. 26 June 1909 d. 17 Mar 1996 Concho Co TX

3) Clara Joe Etta Smith Thigpen b. 14 Nov 1906 Brady, TX d. 6 Nov 1997 Eldorado, TX
Houston Thigpen b.14 Sep 1912 d. 23 Sep 1986 Eldorado, TX

1) Bessie Thigpen Jones

Jerry Jones

1) Joey Jones

2) Chuck Jones

2) Ruth Ann Thigpen Pollei

Jay Pollei

1) DeEtta Wilson

2) Deana Mackey

3) Don Mackey

     4) Lillie Mae Smith b. Sept. 15, 1911 Brady, TX d. Feb. 27, 1966 Brady, TX

     5) Allen Smith b. 7 Dec. 1913 Brady, TX d. 11 Sept 1934 Brady, TX

     6) James Edwin Smith b. 14 Dec 1916 d. 12 Jun 1982 Ozona, TX

Vonnie Pauline Woodward Smith m. 10-2-1941 (Div. 2-8-1982)

1) Joe Edwin Smith b.

2) Allen Lee Smith b.

3) Helen Gertrude Smith Wall b.

4) Raymond Mack Smith b.

5) Linda Jean Smith Sliter b.

6) Dorothy Lou Smith Taylor b.

7) Brenda Fay Smith Brown b.

8) Bonnie Marie Smith b.

9) Benjamin Houston Smith b.

7) Virgil M. Smith b. 8 Feb 1919 d. 22 Mar 2003 Eden, TX

Joseph’s granddaughter, Alma “Pud” Gulihur Chambers, of Marathon, TX, reported that her family went to visit Joseph and his second wife and she found him to be a somewhat crusty, independent type. He had pitched a tent in the backyard of their home and he and his wife lived there, giving the house over to the children. She reported that the kids were regular “wild ‘Injuns’” and that the house was a mess, with the screens torn off the windows and animals wandering in through the open doors. She supposed that he and his wife lived in the tent to “get away from all them dern young’ns.” Joseph Smith is buried in the city cemetery at Brady, Texas, with his two wives.

First Family, ca 1901,

l-r, back: Mattie, Will, Tom;

middle: John I., Joseph, Annie, Emma;

front: Zenie

(Ben had left home at this time)

John and Eliza Ivey Locklear,

Sidney Saling Locklear Smith Queen Morrow Lopez’s Parents

Joe’s Grandparents

Joe Smith, hunting

Joe Smith, getting ready for a barbeque

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