Fred H. Smith, Monument Dealer

 

According to the book History of Huron County, Ohio,  (S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1909), Fred H. Smith was born in Sandusky, Ohio on February 27, 1860. When Fred was only fifteen years old, he began learning the marble cutter's trade. As a young man, Fred H. Smith worked for A.T. Davis, R.R. King, the Lake Shore Railroad, and the Flint and Pere Marquette Railroad Company. In 1883 Mr. Smith formed a partnership with W.V. McKnight. Mr. McKnight and Mr. Smith operated a successful marble business for several years. After the death of W.V. McKnight, Fred H. Smith operated the business as the Smith Monumental Works. One of the most well known monuments created by the Smith Monumental Works was the Fries Mausoleum, at the Milan Cemetery.

In 1895, Fred H. Smith married Katherine Burger McKnight, who was the widow of Mr. Smith's business partner. On August 9, 1950, Fred H. Smith passed away at the age of 90. He was survived by his two stepsons, and a brother, Adam J. Smith of Sandusky. Mr. Smith was buried next to his wife in the McKnight Smith family lot at Norwalk's Woodlawn Cemetery. An obituary for Fred H. Smith appeared in the August 10, 1950 issue of the Sandusky Register Star News.

Reuben Smith

Reuben Smith was born on May 13, 1820, and died on May 16, 1900. He is buried in Deyo Cemetery. A symbol from the Independent Order of Odd Fellows is found on Mr. Smith's grave marker.

An obituary from the May 24, 1900 issue of the Clyde Democrat read:

Reuben Smith, father of Mrs. W. A. Trump of this place, died at Detroit last Thursday, and the remains were brought here and interred in the Deyo cemetery. Mr. Smith was quite well known in Clyde.

It is clear that Reuben Smith, who died over one hundred years ago, is still remembered, as evidenced by the beautiful floral tribute upon his tombstone.

Joseph L. Smith, Marble Works Proprietor

The first time I encountered a reference to Joseph L. Smith was on the inscription above, found on the Scheufler monument at Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery. I decided to do some digging, and see if I could learn more about J. L. Smith, who created this majestic monument, to honor the memory of two well respected railroad employees who died tragically in 1870.

J.L. Smith is listed on page 119 of the 1867 McKelvey's Sandusky City Directory. He had a marble works business at 26 Wayne Street in Sandusky, and he resided at 66 Market Street. In the 1870 U.S. Census, Joseph Smith is listed as age 34, and occupation: marble cutter. He was married to Mary, age 20. Youngsters named Libbie, age 5, and George, age 16, also resided in the Joseph Smith household. The birthplace of Joseph Smith, marble cutter, was listed as Germany, though other sources indicate he was born in Ohio.

By 1880, Joseph L. Smith, marble dealer, was residing in Massillon, Stark County, Ohio, with his wife Mary and daughter Elizabeth. Moving ahead twenty years to the 1900 U.S. Census, Joseph L. Smith, marble cutter, is still residing in Massillon, Ohio. He is aged 60 at this time, but in 1900 his household consisted of himself, a wife named Susan, and a daughter named Mary. In 1910, Joseph L. Smith of Massillon, Ohio stated he was in the granite work profession. He gave his age as 68. Other members of the household in 1910 were: his wife Susana, age 41; and daughters, Mary, age 11; Henrietta, age 9; Frances, age 7; and Amelia, age 5.

On November 10, 1911, Joseph L. Smith died in Massillon, Ohio, from intestinal problems. His death certificate, a portion of which is pictured below, indicated that he was the son of Nicholas Smith, a native of Germany. Joseph L. Smith was aged 71 years, 5 months, and 2 days at the time of his death.

An obituary which appeared in the Fremont Daily News on November 11, 1911, reported that Joseph L. Smith, the Massillon marble works proprietor, had died suddenly on November 10. His remains were brought to Fremont on the train, and Joseph L. Smith was buried in the St. Joseph's Cemetery in Fremont. The article stated that Mrs. Helen Blosier of Fremont was the sister of Joseph L. Smith. Mr. Smith was buried in the St. Mary portion of St. Joseph's Cemetery, but today no stone remains. Mr. Smith worked diligently through the years, and though he had lived and worked in both Erie and Stark Counties, Ohio, he was buried in Sandusky County, Ohio.

Amandus Smith Monument at Oakland Cemetery

Asa Smith

Asa Smith is buried in Block 10 of Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery. A Revolutionary War marker decorates his grave. The June 1863 issue of the Firelands Pioneer reports that Asa Smith came with his family to Erie County, Ohio in June of 1810. He settled in Huron, on the bank of Lake Erie. He brought peach stones with him from his former home, and planted them. Peaches were produced from these trees in the fall of 1816. Asa Smith died in Huron, Ohio on August 30, 1815.

In the book HISTORY OF HURON AND ERIE COUNTIES, OHIO, by W.W. Williams, we read this biographical sketch about Asa Smith:

In 1809, Asa Smith visited the country in and around Huron, and moved into the township in June, 1810, from Romulus, Seneca county, New York. In 1811, he was elected justice of the peace, at the first election held in the township after its organization. Mr. Asa Smith located not far from the present residence of W. H. Wright, one mile west of the mouth of the river. He was born in Massachusetts; his wife in Rhode Island; they lived, for a time, on Long Island; afterwards moved to Romulus, New York, and from thence to Huron. They had six children when they came to Huron, one of whom, William B.,was born on Long Island, August 15, 1796. Mr. Asa Smith died at his residence, in Huron, August 30, 1815. His wife died August 30, 1842, in Sandusky.

A grandson of Asa Smith, Frederick F. Smith, served as Erie County Sheriff from 1858 to 1859. He died while in office.

Capt. Owen "Oat" Smith

According to his death certificate, Owen Smith was born in Lorain, Ohio on March 27, 1867 to Mr. and Mrs. John Smith. As an adult, he lived in Erie County, Ohio. In the 1910 U.S. Census, Owen Smith listed his occupation as boat captain, and in 1920, he stated he was a fisherman. Owen Smith was married to a lady named Abbie, and they had a large family of seven children.

On May 6, 1932, Owen Smith passed away.The Oakland Cemetery interment card for Mr. Smith states that Owen Smith died as a result of pneumonia. His address was listed as Willow Beach. Willow Beach was a neighborhood off West Monroe Street on Sandusky's west side, not far from Lion's Park. Owen Smith was buried at Oakland Cemetery where his tombstone reads:

Capt. Oat Smith
1867-1932

Jay C. Smith, Civil War Veteran

Jay C. Smith was born in 1844 to Samuel H. and Rachel Mack Smith. In June of 1863, Jay C. Smith enlisted in Company M of the Ohio Heavy Artillery during the War Between the States. He served under Capt. Henry Bly, who was the father of journalist Nellie Bly. Jay was honorably discharged from military service in 1865, and he returned to his home in Margaretta Township of Erie County, where he ran the family farm, which consisted of 400 acres. He had a superior stock of cattle, and for over twenty-five years, he provided milk to the Ohio Soldiers Home in Sandusky.

Jay C. Smith married Alice Sewell of Louisiana.They had three children. Following the death of his first wife, Jay married May O. Palmer, and they also had three children. Hewson Peeke in his STANDARD HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY, available full text on Heritage Quest, wrote about Jay C. Smith: "The members of Mr. Smith's family are typical representatives of the best American citizenship, who do credit to their upbringing, and are respected and esteemed wherever they reside."

On May 4, 1929, Jay C. Smith passed away. He is buried in the Castalia Cemetery, where a flag and GAR symbol still mark his grave. A biographical sketch of Samuel H. Smith, Jay's father, is found online.

New Article at Graveyard Rabbit Online Journal

An excellent article entitled Churchyard Literature: A Short Essay on Epitaphs by Stephanie Lincecum is now available at the Graveyard Rabbit Online Journal.

The epitaph pictured above is located on the back of the tombstone for Jay C. Smith, who died in 1928. He is buried at the Castalia Cemetery in Erie County, Ohio.

Charles H. Becker, Newspaper Editor

Charles H. Becker was born on June 20, 1861 to John and Mary Becker of Berlin Heights, Ohio. Charles H. Becker was the city editor of the Sandusky Register for seventeen years. While still in his thirties, Charles H. Becker died on March 15, 1894. At the summer picnic of the Sandusky Register correspondents, Mr. J. F. Greene gave a tribute in memory of the former city newspaper editor, known affectionately as Charley. Mr. Greene said, in part, "It tinges with sadness and sorrow our festivities today: but we love to pause and drop a tear over his untimely grave and in memory's loom weave choicest garlands of flowers in sweet remembrance of his many virtues." The full tribute can be read in the August 15, 1894 issue of the Sandusky Register.

Another article about Charles Becker is found in the November 23, 1897 issue of the Sandusky Register. When Charles Becker died, his first grave was located in the rear portion of the West End Cemetery in Berlin Heights. Charley's mother, Mary Becker, had a lovely monument made in honor of her son. A new lot was donated to Mary Becker by Samuel Reed, the sexton of the West End Cemetery. The new plot was located in a portion of the cemetery which overlooks the ravine. The McKnight and Smith Monumental Works of Norwalk made the monument, which was made of Millstone Point granite. Atop the monument is a carving of a scroll and pen, to signify Mr. Becker's occupation as a newspaper man. The inscription reads:

CHARLES H. BECKER
Born June 20, 1861
Died Mrch 15, 1894
He lived the law of kindness
And never dipped his pen in gall

The 1897 article concludes: "These lines bear fitting memorial to Charley Becker's nobility of soul. The design of the monument is an original one of George H. Smith of this city, who was a warm personal friend of Mr. Becker. It stands four feet and eight inches high and its weight is two tons."