John A Smithers, Born 1825 in Kentucky is found in the 1850 Census in St. Louis with wife Mary L. (1826,Missouri) and daughter Rebecca (1849,Missouri) working as a carpenter.

1860 finds him listed as an undertaker with a personal property wealth of $20,000. Mary, Rebecca, Isabella (1851), John A. (Jr. 1856), Melville (1858) are all listed as being in the household. Interestingly he is living next door (partner, employee?) to an Edmond Barton from New Jersey also listed as an undertaker.

The war was good to him as by 1870 he is still found in the undertaking business again listed with wife and 2 sons, This time however with a personal property value listing of $100,000!

1880 Census finds him married to Mary L. Smithers (50) and living on Pine Street. Sons John A Jr. and Mellville are still in the home.

The 1890 St. Louis City Directory has him listed with partner Henry H Wagner as running a undertaker/funeral home at 1127 Olive Blvd name appropriately Smithers and Wagner Undertakers. John A Jr is listed as an undertaker and Melville as a bookeeper.

Smithers and Wagoner and the successor Smithers Undertaking Co. was quite active from 1900-1906 with more than 700 burials during that time period as noted from http://www.stlgs.org/DBlifeBurialsFuneralHomesUndertakers.htm

The following city directory list from St. Louis Public Library helps follow the business locations.
Smithers, John A. -- 113 Chestnut Street (CD 1866)
Smithers, John A. -- 517 Chestnut Street (CD 1870)
Smithers, John A. -- 901 Chestnut Street (CD 1874)
Smithers & Wagoner – Olive, nw. cor. 10th (CD 1885)
Smithers & Wagoner – 1127 Olive (CD 1890)
Smithers Undertaking Co. – 1415 Olive (CD 1900)
Smithers Undertaking Co. – 2714 Olive (CD 1910)
Smithers & Wand Undertaking Co. -- 4233 Olive Street (CD 1914)

The following is a list of Coffinmakers 1859-1870 from classifieds in the Merchant exchange and city diretory.
Smithers, Isaiah P. -- 901 Chestnut Street (1874), p.1184.
Smithers, Isaiah P. -- 1001 Olive Street (1879), p. 1245.
Smithers, J. A. -- 107 Chestnut Street (1859), p. 621.
Smithers, John A. -- 113 Chestnut Street (1866), p.1019.
Smithers, John A. -- 517 Chestnut Street (1870), p.1098.
Smithers, John A. -- 901 Chestnut Street (1874), p.1184.

[I believe Isaiah P is a brother born 1820 Kentucky and married as second wife a Julia A. Macfarland in Cooper County MO in 1842/45 He is found living with henry H Wagoner in 1890 and is listed in the St Louis City death records as passing 12-27-1891]

FWIW

John R.