My Genealogy Hound

Reuben Smith (deceased) was born in Simpson County, Ky., and when about eighteen years of age moved to Cooper County, Mo., where he worked in the lead business. Soon after he moved to Potosi, Washington County, where he engaged in smelting lead, and dealing in stock. Sometime after he was engaged with Maj. Manning in lead smelting for about eighteen years, becoming well off, but during the war he lost about $12,000. He married Decey Mason, a native of North Carolina, who came to Missouri when young. They settled in Crawford County in 1855. He lived to be eighty-four and she, seventy-two years of age. Of their five children only two live in Crawford County, Henry C. and John M., twins, born in Washington County, in 1852, though principally reared in Crawford County. Henry C. received a common-school education, and at the age of eighteen years began to do for himself, farming and trading in livestock. He spent about seven years in Texas, farming, selling fruit and railroading, returning in 1882, when he settled where he now lives, owning, in partnership with his brother, 444 acres of land, which is well stocked. It has pleased Henry C. to live in single blessedness. In 1887 John M. married Milona Askine, a native of Crawford County. They are both enterprising and highly respected farmers.