Franklin E. Smith

Notes:

At the 1900 Census, he was living in Odessa Township with his wife, Mary, who was born in January 1874, in Ohio. Her mother was born in Pennsylvania and her father born in Ohio. There were no children listed in the household, although the census indicated that they had been married six years, and that Mary was the mother of one living child.

Franklin's occupation was listed as carpenter. He and his wife divorced prior to 1910. At the time of that census, Franklin was living in Woodland, Barry County with his widowed mother and his sister, Gertrude, along with a 14 year old Forrest Smith. It appears that Forrest was his one. At the time of the 1920 census, he and his sister Gertrude were still living together in Woodland. Forrest appeared to be living with his mother in in Grand Rapids.

News items from Lake Odessa Wave newspaper 3-06-1930 - Woodland - Mrs. William Snyder of Blanchard is helping care for her brother, Frank Smith, who is ill.

Liber C, page 242: SMITH, Frank W. died 3-8-1930 in the village of Woodland, MI, of a cerebral hemmorhage. He was 66 years, 10 mo, 20 days of age, a carpenter. He was a divorced widower. His parents were given as Morris SMITH of NY and Cynthia CARLETON of ME.

(Email from LaVonne Bennett on 14 Feb 2001 detailing the results of her visit to the Barry County Courthouse in Hastings, Michigan).

It is POSSIBLE that he remarried before he died, as LaVonne Bennett found the following:

I ran across this today while looking for a client's newspaper obits: "THE LAKE ODESSA WAVE, MI, Thursday, December 6, 1928, front page: "MRS. FRANK SMITH PASSES - Mrs. Frank E. Smith of near Woodbury died last Sunday morning after a long illness. The funeral was held Tuesday at two o'clock at the Lutheran church. Burial was at Lake Side cemetery. Mrs. Smith was a sister-in-law of Mrs. Levi Deeg of this village."

(Email from LaVonne Bennett on 26 April 2001)

(Research):Census Listings:

1920 Federal Census
Michigan, Barry County, Woodland Twp, District 64
North Main Street
13-13
SMITH, Frank E Head O M W 56 D New York New York Maine Carp
enter House
SMITH, Gertrude A Sister F W 47 S Mich New York Maine Correspondent Newspaper

Family/Spouse: Unknown. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

LaVonne Bennett found this snippet of news in the Lake Odessa Wave newspapers:

March 27, 1930 - Woodland - Forrest Smith of Grand Rapids spent the past week with his aunt Miss Gertie Smith.

This appears to be Forrest, living with his mother and stepfather, at the time of the 1920 Federal Census.

Michigan, Kent, Grand Rapids Dist 76 1232 Sherman Street #63-65
ROSZEL, Orrin E Head O M M W 52 M Mich Canada/Eng Canada/Eng RR Baggage
ROSZEL, Kate M(ary?) Wife F W 42 M Ohio PA PA
SMITH, Forrest H Step-son M W 24 M Mi Unknown Oh Electrician
SMITH, Myrtle step Dtr-in-law F W 25 M Illinois Canada/Eng Iowa
SMITH, Marie Granddaughter F W 7 S Illinois Mi Ohio
RYDER, Richard R Boarder M W 37 S New York Ireland France Trimmer Musical Instruments

This was the listing for the ROSZEL family of Grand Rapids ten years earlier, at the time of the 1910 Census. Forrest SMITH was not in the ROSZEL home at the time of the 1910 census, he was instead listed in home of his father, Franklin Smith of Barry County.

Michigan, Kent, Grand Rapids, District 99 228 South Jefferson
ROSZEL, Orin E Head M W 43 M2 4 Mi US US Yardman Furniture Factory
ROSZEL, Katie Wife F 2 34 M2 4 1/1 Ohio Ohio Ohio
HOFMASTER, Frank Lodger Mich Oh PA Foreman Railroad Yard
RIDER, Richard Lodger NY Ma Ma Ma Engineer Railroad

There were several Forrest Smith's approximately the same age as Franklin's son, all with Social Security cards issued in Michigan, on the SSDI at Rootsweb. After ordering the actual Forms SS-5, none of those listed appear to fit into this family.

(1) Forrest Allan Smith, born 27 November 1897 in Waterloo, DeKalb County, Indiana to Charles H. SMITH and Millie ALLAN. He was married to Catherine Margaret GILLIES.

(2) Forrest Allen Smith born 28 April 1892 in Dayton, Ohio to Alonzo SMITH and Mary Ann SCHAFER.

(3) Forrest DeWitt Smith, born 21 August 1899 in Shay, Washington Co, Ohio, to Cuyler Charles SMITH and Sarah Bell McABEE.