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biography from Portrait & Biographical Album of Mahaska Co., Iowa, 1887
DAVID S. SMITH, residing on section 34, Garfield Township, is one of the substan- tial farmers of the township. He was born in Jefferson County, Ohio, in 1832, and is a son of Michael and Margaret (Shawver) Smith, both natives of the State of Pennsylvania, but of German descent. The father died at the age of seventy-four years, and the mother when sixty-four years old. They were members of the Lutheran Church. Like thousands of others the early life of David was spent upon a farm, his edu- cation being limited to the common schools. On the 7th day of April, 1856, he landed in Mahaska County and located at Oskaloosa, where he lived one year, engaged in quarrying rock. He then went one and a half miles north of Oskaloosa and rented a farm, where he lived one year. For the next six months he was engaged in working on the farm of John White, and the three months suc- ceeding worked for Daniel Nelson. He then bought a threshing-machine, which he ran for three months. In the spring of 1859 he started to Pike's Peak with an ox-team, and was four months on the road. Returning home, he worked one mouth for M. M. Hook for the munificent sum of $10, chopping wood and making rails, after which he engaged a few months in feeding cattle at $25 per month. On the 29th day of March, 1860, Mr. Smith was united in marriage with Harriet Ann Shaw, a na- tive of Washington County, Iowa, daughter of Joseph and Highly (Duckworth) Shaw. They have been blest with ten children: Michael, born Jan. 12, 1861, married Mattie Tovera, a native of Ma- haska County, and is now living in Cedar Township; Hester Caroline, born Jan. 18,1863, is now the wife of Thomas Evans of Beacon; James, born Jan. 1, 1865, died Jan. 1, 1884; Rhoda, born Oct. 7, 1866, died Jan. 28, 1877; Belle, born Sept. 16, 1869; Noah W., Dec. 21,1871; David Otto, March 6,1874; Norman, Sept. 6, 1876; Hosea, March 8, 1878; Emma, June 29, 1881. Mr. Smith is a member of the I. O. O. F., and has passed all the Chairs. When he came to Ma- hash County he was a poor man, but by industry, economy and good management, he has accumu- lated a sufficient amount of this world's goods to make him comfortable the remaining years of his life. Good fortune has not always attended him. In 1879 his house was burned, together with all his household goods and $755 in cash, on which there was no insurance. In politics Mr. Smith is a Dem- ocrat. He has served as School Director and School Treasurer, serving in the latter office five years. Mr. Smith is the owner of 265 acres of land, 100 of which are in Cedar Township; the remainder comprises the home farm.
Portrait & Biographical Album of Mahaska Co., Iowa, 1887
Mahaska County, Iowa Genealogy