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Hon. A. B. Smith, one of the most prominent men of Sac county, Iowa has been a resident of Clinton township, this county since 1878. We make the following record of his life and ancestry, and it is with pleasure that we present it on the page of this volume: Hon. A. B. Smith was born in Morgan county, Ohio, June 27, 1841, the third in a family of six children. His father, William Smith, was born in Guernsey county, Ohio, son of John Smith, a native of Pennsylvania, and a descendant of German ancestry. The mother of our subject, who died when he was eight years old, was before her marriage Miss Sarah Beale. She was born in Ohio, daughter of Asa Beale, her mother's maiden name having been Clancy. Mr. Smith's father is now a resident of Clinton county, Iowa. He is by occupation a farmer, in politics a Republican, and in religion, a Methodist. A. B. Smith was reared in Morgan county, Ohio, and was educated in the common schools of his native place. When the civil war came on, he enlisted his services, becoming a member of Company C, Ninety-Seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was on active duty two years and ten months. He participated in the battles of Stone River and Missionary Ridge. At the latter place he was wounded with a minie ball over the left eye, was confined in hospital thirty days, and at the end of that time received a furlough and returned home. Later he entered the Convalescent camp at Chattanooga, joined his regiment in Tennessee, and took part in the battles of Kennesaw Mountain, Rocky Face, New Hope, Resaca, Jonesboro, Chattanooga, Franklin and Nashville. He was honorably discharged at Nashville, Tennessee, July 10, 1865. After the war Mr. Smith came to Iowa, and in 1868 located near DeWitt, where he lived until 1878. At that time he came to Sac county, and settled in Clinton township, buying 320 acres of land, which he has improved, and on which he has since lived. He has one of the finest farms in Sac county. In 1886 he built a commodious two-story residence, with bay window and modern conveniences. He has a fine grove and orchard of four acres, his barn and other farm buildings are all first-class, and the general appearance of the farm indicates thrift and prosperity. This place is utilized chiefly as a stock farm. Mr. Smith was married January 4, 1866, to Miss Nancy E. Mummey, who was born in Morgan county, Ohio, daughter of Joshua and Catharine (Hammon) Mummey, natives of Maryland. Joshua Mummey was a soldier of the war of 1812, and served in Captain Elston's Company in the Army of the Maumee under General Wm. H. Harrison, grandfather of President Harrison. Mrs. Smith is one of nine children, four sons and five daughters. One of her brothers, Benjamin, served in the late war as a member of the Eleventh Iowa Infantry. He now resides at Odebolt, Iowa. Her father died in Morgan county, Ohio, in 1853, and her mothers now reside with her, aged ninety-eight years. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have three children, namely: Charles, who is married and has one child, Annie M.; Mary, wife of Rev. Sydney Chandler, a Methodist minister, of Epworth, Dubuque county, Iowa, is now attending college in that city; and Harlan A., attending college at Epworth. Mr. Smith's political affiliations are with the Republican party. In the fall of 1889 he was elected to the State Legislature, and served as a member of the same with credit and honor, both to himself and to his constituents. He is a charter member of Colonel Goodrich Post, No. 117, G. A. R., and his wife is a member of the Women's Relief Corps. Both are worthy members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he is a trustee and Steward, and they have the esteem and respect of all who know them. Transcribed by B. Horak, November 2002 |
Created on ... Sept. 3, 2003