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- [S926] Find-A-Grave, (www.findagrave.com).
William Smith, Jr
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Birth: Feb. 19, 1819
Nunschweiler
Südwestpfalzer Landkreis
Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany
Death: Sep. 28, 1896
Jefferson County
Pennsylvania, USA
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Also seen as Wilhelm Schmitt or Smith Jr. He signed his name "Wilhelm Schmitt" throughout his life but was known in English as William Smith.
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He claimed to have been born 19 Feb 1819 in the Kingdom of Bavaria but was actually born 6 Jan 1819 in Nünschweiler, then part of Bavaria. He was raised in Nünschweiler and Hengsberg and worked with his father on the family mill while living in Hengsberg.
The date on William's grave marker matches with his naturalization papers but demonstrates that he likely did not know his exact date of birth.
He was the son of Wilhelm and Margaretha Schmitt, originally of Nünschweiler, later pioneers of Young Township, Jefferson County, PA.
He arrived in America on 24 Jun 1833 along with his parents, the family of his sister Louisa (Weber, later Wingert), and Johann Nikolaus Haag (also interred at the Punxsutawney German Reformed Church).
He was married first to Anna Brillhart;
and had these children:
Catharine (Smith) Hurlebaus,
Samuel Sylvester Smith,
William K.Smith,
Mary Anna (Smith) Hartzfeld,
and John Elmer Smith.
He was married second to Barbara Catherine Smith (originally of Schlüchtern, Hessen; later Indiana County, PA) and had these children (and six others, all of whom died in infancy):
Henry A.Smith,
Jacob George Smith,
Adam E. Smith,
and Elizabeth (Smith) Haag
He died 28 Sep 1896 from a lingering illness;
his body was interred at the St. Peter's Cemetery on
30 September 1896, as per his death record and an obituary from the Punxsutawney Spirit.
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Note:
1 of the 5 unmarked & unidentified graves that according to the church burial/court records,was not removed from this cemetery for re-interment.
I think someone made a mistake as the photo proves his and his wife,Barbara's grave were in fact marked.
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Note:Regarding the Smith Children
Various records and letters indicate that several instances of scarlet fever or diphtheria swept through Young Township and took the lives of nearly every Smith child who were (originally) buried in the St.Peter's Church cemetery.
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Sources:
1. Smith, J.D. "The German Pioneers of Punxsutawney and the Zweibrücken-Pirmasens Emigration, 1820-1900." The Jeffersonian Journal 1.1 (2014). Print. 4-25.
Family links:
Parents:
William(Wilhelm) Smith (1783 - 1861)
Margaretha Sprau Smith (1789 - 1861)
Spouses:
Barbara Catharine Smith (1833 - 1897)
Anna Brillhart Smith (1825 - 1852)*
Children:
Samuel Sylvester Smith (1845 - 1907)*
William K. Smith (1848 - 1935)*
Mary Ann Smith Hartzfeld (1850 - 1925)*
John Elmer Smith (1852 - 1914)*
Henry A. Smith (1855 - 1920)*
Jacob George Smith (1856 - 1925)*
Adam E. Smith (1858 - 1932)*
Elisabeth Smith Haag (1860 - 1922)*
George Smith (1861 - 1863)*
Christian Smith (1864 - 1867)*
David Smith (1868 - 1877)*
James Smith (1870 - 1877)*
Maggie Smith (1873 - 1877)*
Emma Smith (1875 - 1877)*
Siblings:
Jakob Smith (1810 - 1877)*
Louisa Schmitt Wingert (1813 - 1892)*
William Smith (1819 - 1896)
*Calculated relationship
Inscription:
age 77 yr.,7 mo.,10 d.
Burial:
Saint Peters Reformed Cemetery
Punxsutawney
Jefferson County
Pennsylvania, USA
Maintained by: J.D. Smith
Originally Created by: Marianne
Record added: Aug 01, 2010
Find A Grave Memorial# 55742945
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1819 - 1896 (77 years)