3 obituaries

Portrait printed in newspaper.

** 1st Obituary printed in the June 9, 1915 Tribune, Blair, Nebraska **

Another Pioneer Laid To Rest

John George Smith died at his home on west Lincoln street at 3 p.m. , June 10th, 1915, of heart failure. The end was unexpected and came as a shock to the family as well as the neighborhood.

Mr. Smith was born in Winnern, Bavarian Province, Germany, on February 9, 1841. He came to Marietta, Ohio, with his parents when he was eight years of age, where he lived until he was twenty-one. At that age he contracted to drive a team through to Magnolia, Iowa, for a Dr. Clark. Upon his arrival he procured work in a general merchandise store and for six years he clerked in Magnolia and Woodbine. In 1868 he came to what is now Blair and in company with Mr. Dexter built a store building and started in business on the lot now occupied by Sas Bros. store.

He was in the general mercantile business for about three years and then sold to O.V. Palmer and went into the stock buying business with Richard Blaco. At about this time he bought the farm just west of Blair, and which he still owned at the time of his death, and on which he lived for about two years after leaving the store.

He built his present home and moved into it about thirty-eight years ago, where he has since resided.

He was a consistent Christian, having been a member of the Baptist church for the past twenty-three years. He was of a quiet disposition and made no demonstrations of any kind, living as an example of the higher life, which we could all do well to emulate. Being a Mason and a Christian, he lived the live with no pretentions; just doing his duty as he saw it.

He leaves to mourn him a wife and their ten children, he being the first of the family group to go.

The funeral services were held on Sunday at the residence at 2 p.m., Rev. Volck officiating, after which a large concourse of friends and relatives followed the body to its last resting place.

** 2nd Obituary printed June 11, 1915**

J. GEORGE SMITH IS DEAD

One of the First Settlers in Blair

CITIZEN FOR FORTY SIX YEARS

Was Engaged in Mercantile Business Here in Early Days/Ten Children Survive

John George Smith died very suddenly at his home in this city yesterday at 3 o’clock P.M. from heart failure, aged 76 years. Deceased was one of the very earliest settlers of Blair, coming here from Magnolia, Iowa, and, in partnership with Herman Bros., engaged in the mercantile business, near the big cut on the railroad west of town, when the road was built in 1868. When the work at this cut was completed he sold his interest to his partners but later engaged in the mercantile business again with H.B.Dexter, his brother-in-law, selling out later to O.V. Palmer.

Deceased was a native of Germany, coming to America with his parents when 11 years of age and settling at Marietta, Ohio. He was married to Ollie J. Flynn, May 8, 1870. Ten children of this union are living viz: Mrs. Louvie Cox, Farragut, Ia., William, Phillip, Chester, Ray and Misses Frances and Grace, all living in Blair and vicinity; George, of Herman, Burtus, of Omaha, and Mrs. Edith Hawkins, of California.

George Smith was a quiet, unassuming citizen, highly respected by all who knew him.

** 3rd Obituary from the June 16 Pilot, Blair, Nebraska **

J. GEORGE SMITH DEAD

Passes Away Suddenly Last Thursday Afternoon of Heart Failure—Ran First Store in Blair.

. This community was very much shocked Thursday afternoon to learn of the sudden death, by heart failure, of George Smith, Sr. He hadn’t been sick and ate his breakfast that morning as usual. Some time later he complained of a pain in his stomach and went down to see Dr. Fees, who said it was indigestion and gave him some medicine.

The pain continued and finally the doctor was called to the house and gave him some more medicine and a hypodermic injection to ease the pain. He was easier for a time and sat up in a chair and talked with his son, George, Jr., who was down from Herman for the day.

George thought there was nothing more to it than a slight attack of indigestion and left on the afternoon train for home. Shortly after George left the house his father stepped to the couch to lie down and fell dead. Word was sent to the depot but didn’t reach him in time to keep him from going on home.

Word was sent to all the children at once and they were all here the next day but Mrs. Edith Hawkins, who lives in Newton, Calif., and was unable to be present for the funeral, which was held at the family residence on west Lincoln street at 2 o’clock Sunday afternoon. The service was conducted by Rev. Volck, late pastor of the Baptist church at this place, who recently went to Akron, Ia.

The day was an ideal one and there was an unusually large crowd of friends and neighbors present to pay their last tribute of respect to an ideal husband, father, neighbor and citizen. The six sons acted as pallbearers and with tender hands and sorrowing hearts they laid the flower covered casket over the deep grave for its slow descent to the bosom of Mother Earth.

John George Smith was born in Wennert, province of Bavaria, Germany, Feb. 9th, 1841, and was therefore just past 74 years of age, though he didn’t look that old. He came to America with his parents when nine years of age, and they settled at Marietta, Ohio. When George was a youth of 21 his father gave him a calf, which he sold for $5 and that was the capital stock upon which he built a moderate sized fortune by shrewdness and energy.

He drove a team from Marietta to Magnolia, Ia., for a Dr. Clark in 1863 and made that his home until five years later he came to this county and started a little store out near the spot where the old Blair township town house is now located.

When Blair was laid out the next year he sold that store to Herman Bros. and with H.B. Dexter built the first store building within the city limits, on the corner where the Sas Bros. brick is now located. The firm was known as Smith & Dexter. They later sold out to O.V. Palmer and Palmer succeeded by Cook & Sons. The frame store building burned down while the Cooks were occupying it and Sas Bros. bought the corner and built the present brick building.

Mr. Smith went into the stock buying business with the late R. Blaco after quitting the store business, later buying for himself. Along about 1874 Mr. Smith moved onto the farm joining the townsite on the northwest and lived there for two years, when he built the house on west Lincoln street that has since been his home and moved back to town.

It wasn’t commonly known that Mr. Smith was the first merchant in Blair, or that he was one of the oldest settlers in the community. T.M. Carter, Doc Pierce, Gus Lundt, and L.F. Hilton are the only ones now living who were here when Mr. Smith came.

Mr. Smith was married to Miss Ollie J. Flinn, May 18th, 1870, and of the union ten children were born, four daughters, Mrs. Luvia Cox, of Farragut, Ia., Mrs. Edith Hawkins, of Newton, Calif., and Frances and Grace, who live at home. Also six sons, George A., of Herman, Wm. F., Philip, Chester and Raymond, of this city, and Burtis, of Omaha. Mr. Smith united with the Baptist church while Rev. Sheppard was the pastor here and has been one of the prominent and faithful members ever since. He was also a member of the Masonic lodge, having joined the order at Magnolia, Ia., Feb. 24th 1866, and became affiliated with the Blair lodge Nov. 9th, 1869, shortly after the lodge was moved down from Cuming City, where it was organized in February, 1868.

Blair has lost a good, conscientious citizen, his church has lost and earnest and faithful member and supporter, his family have lost an ideal husband and father, he has now gained citizenship in another and better world where he will enjoy the rewards so richly earned in his long life on this old earth.

~~~Obituaries courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library, Blair, Nebraska.~~~

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