J. P. Smith

Then and Now.

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Buried Lyman Township Cemetery

John P. Smith, son of James F. and Elizabeth (McKelvey) Smith was born near Kempville, Ontario, Canada, July 17th, 1855, and departed this life at his home in Roberts, Illinois, Wednesday, afternoon, March 2, 1938, at 5:30 o'clock, aged 82 years, 7 months, and 15 days. When barely four years of age he came to Illinois with his parents and settled on the wild prairie land of Ford County. The father arrived here on the second day of May 1859, just two months and fifteen days after the county was organized. The mother and children did not come until a few months later after the father had built a home.
They did not come to Roberts because the village of Roberts was not started until twelve years after their arrival and they lived in this prairie home ten years before the organization of Lyman Township. However their home was three miles north of the present location of Roberts on the farm where the Smith School stands.

1884 

 

2016

The boy John P. Smith remained on this farm until he was nineteen years of age. He attended the country school and later the Northern Indiana Normal School, now the Valparaiso University, at Valparaiso, Indiana. He specialized in telegraphy and bookkeeping and then accepted a position with the Gilman, Clinton and Springfield Railway as agent at Cornland where he served seven years. This Railway is now a part of the Illinois Central Systems.
Later he came back to Roberts and entered the General Merchandise business with this father and brothers. In 1889 he started the grain business but after a few years sold that business and established a bank which he conducted for twenty-five years. He was always, very popular in his business relations.

 

 

 

 

 

In 1920 the forming of the Roberts State Bank united the Roberts Exchange and the John P. Smith Bank and Mr. Smith retired from active business relations but during the eighteen years since that time he has been in frequent consultation with those who sought his advice and help in their own business ventures.

On the sixth day of October, 1880, Mr. Smith then at Cornland married Miss Sarah N. Day of Logan County, who preceded him in death April 25, 1937.  To them were born three children, one son Clyde who met a tragic death at the age of nine years, and two daughters, Della and Edna, twins, who survive him. Della is the wife of Dr. E. M. Glenn of Wichita, Kansas, and Edna is the wife of Dr. J. A. Colteaux of Roberts. He also leaves four grandchildren, Miss Jeanette and Wilfred Colteaux of Roberts, and Mrs. Sterling Kreuger and Jack Glenn of Wichita, Kansas. He leaves one sister, Mrs. Margaret Currie of Lincoln, Nebraska, and three brothers, Rev. William A. Smith of Ashland, Oregon, and David B. Smith and James R. Smith of Kansas City, Missouri, also a large number of other relatives and friends who mourn his passing. Two sisters Mrs. Jane Light and Mrs. Mary Montague preceded him in death.
Mr. Smith was a devout member of the Methodist Church at Roberts and always supported it with his presence, his advice, his official action and his finances. He served on the official Board for so many years that only the records can establish the number. He leaves a vacancy in the church circles that will be hard to fill. He was a member of the Masonic order joining at Mount Pulaski when he was at Cornland and transferring to Melvin Lodge 811. His membership extended over a period of about sixty years.
He served as a public official of the Village of Roberts from the time of its incorporation until recent years. He also served many years on the school board and was supervisor of the town of Lyman for several terms.
The funeral services were held at the home in Roberts Friday afternoon March 2, at 2:00, Rev. John T. Killip and Rev. E. B. Morton officiating. Burial was in Lyman cemetery. Those from outside the state who attended the funeral were his brothers, David and James, Roy McGovern and son, Robert of Kansas City, Missouri, the daughter, Mrs. E. M. Glenn of Harper, Kansas, who had been with him for thirteen weeks preceding his death, and others. Telegrams were received from the brother in Oregon and the sister in Nebraska, sending regrets at being unable to attend. Several other telegrams were received. The banks of flowers and tokens of remembrance showed the esteem in which he was held.
Others from a distance were Mrs. Irene Mathes, Mrs. John Siregg and Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Day of Springfield; Mrs. and Mrs. George Read of Lincoln, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Read and Mrs. Read of Broadwell, Dr. and Walter Gonwas of Chisman, Mrs. R. E. Squires of Piper City and Mr. and Mrs. Angelo Stephesn of Paxton.
It was one of the requests of Mr. Smith that Tennyson's poem, "Crossing the Bar" should be read at his funeral service which was done. This poem is published in another column of this paper.
The following tribute from a daughter was also read:
I am grateful to Heaven
For blessings it sent.
For Peace and Good Friends
For success and content,
I am grateful for health
And for skies bright and blue,
But most grateful of all
For a father like you.

--Roberts Herald.  9 March 1938.

The Death of the their little son, Clyde. Buried Lyman Township Cemetery.

Horrible Death of Little Clyde Smith At about 2 o'clock P.M., Monday, Clyde Smith, aged 9 years, son of J. P. smith, was sent to the north end of his father's elevator under the dump to fill a bucket with kindling wood, but for some unknown reason, instead of going where the wood was, he crawled under the storage bins which are between the dump and the power house, and was the caught by the tumbling rod that connects the elevator with the power, which rod in his attempt to pass over caught his clothing and wound him around the shaft, breaking every bone in his body and hour after hour his body and limbs beat the ground at every revolution. Indications are that he was instantly killed. He was not missed by his parents until towards evening, his father supposing he had procured the wood and taken it home, and his mother thinking he had neglected the errand he was sent on. Vigorous search was made and about 7 o'clock, not finding him elsewhere, his father and grandfather concluded to re-search the elevator. So in company with Mr. Woolsoncroft they began and soon found Clyde, who had been dead for several hours, so wrapped about the rods that his clothes had to be cut off before he could be gotten off. We shall not attempt to describe the shock to the father thus to find his boy within 10 feet of where he had been working all afternoon. Nor shall we attempt to describe the mother's loss. Words cannot do it. The funeral rites were conducted by Revs. Davenport and Sillence, at 2 o'clock Tuesday, at Clyde's home. No bereavement has called out more heartfelt sympathy among us than this, not has any event taught us more plainly, "When we are in the midst of life we are in death."
In behalf of ourselves and family relations we desire to render grateful acknowledgments to all our neighbors -- and friends for loving service and sympathy in the darkest hour of our lives, and may an ever ??? and all wise providence shield you from the heart anguish and agony which called forth your loving sympathy and assistance in our behalf.
J.P. Smith and Family.

--Paxton Record.  5 June 1890.