The Missouri in the Civil War Message Board

Re: Government Undertaker- Smithers!!!

Greetings:

I'll try to answer some of your questions, though we are technically a Civil War board in Missouri. I'll stretch things a bit to lend you a hand. Missouri did not require birth or death certificates until 1910. There are a few church and county records but they are spotty and rare at best.

As you probably know Pauline's daughter Beatrice filed for a DAR membership through the Leonard side of the family. With that and the death certificate info I can say with some degree of certainty that your Pauline Smithers was indeed born in Missouri in 1952.
I found her marriage certificate to Chas T Leonard, issued in Buchanan County Missouri in 1876.
From that led me to find her in the 187O census:

Dwelling 225, Family 228, Occupation Assistant Public School (I presume a teacher of some sort)
Pauline Smithers
Age in 1870: 18
Birth Year: abt 1852
Birthplace: Wisconsin
Home in 1870: St Joesph Ward 5, Buchanan, Missouri
Race: White
Gender: Female
Post Office: Saint Joseph
Household Members:
Name Age
Nathan Sommerville 40
Rosa A Sommerville 26
Jane W Peale 21
Ella Mcafferty 35
Helen Stroud 19
Pauline Smithers 18

This leads me to believe that indeed the Phebe P Smithers in the 1860 census of Cole County is indeed her:

Name: Phebe P Smithers
Age: 8
Birth Year: abt 1852
Gender: Female
Birth Place: Missouri
Home in 1860: Jefferson City, Cole, Missouri
Post Office: Jefferson City
Family Number: 1227
Household Members:
Name Age
Margt L Goodwin 54
Rachael Boyer 34
Willis Boyer 7
Alice Boyer 4
Phebe P Smithers 8
Jonathan Goodwin 22
Sarah Lewis 23

Margaret (nee Smith)Goodwin is listed as the head of household and Rachael Boyer is her daughter with Willis and Alice being grandchildren. Jonathan is her son all taken from the 1850 census:
Name: Margaret L Goodwin
Age: 41
Birth Year: abt 1809
Birthplace: Virginia
Home in 1850: St Louis Ward 3, St Louis (Independent City), Missouri, USA
Gender: Female
Family Number: 500
Household Members:
Name Age
Peter Wandenly 33
Sarah Wandenly 25
Mary C Wandenly 8
Charles P Wandenly 4
Margaret L Goodwin 41
Rachael Goodwin 15
Sophia Shields 19

Her husband was Jonathan Goodwin married
Name: Margaret Smith
Spouse: Jonathan Goodwin
Marriage Date: 10 Jun 1824
Marriage County: Fayette, Indiana

Her grave is listed here: https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=136092436&ref=acom
Her husband Jonathan died in 1839. Thus I think it safe to say that Pauline Smithers was not directly related to Margaret Goodwin. Nor do I see her as a daughter of Jonathan Jr. due to age. Alice is not found after the 1860 census. Willis becomes a cook on a steamboat and marries late in life. I cannot find a listing later than 1904 St Louis City directory. He does not have a MO death certificate. Long story short, I believe Phebe Pauline Smithers was likely orphaned and landed in the Margaret Goodwin household as a foster child.

I do not believe that that Issac/Isiah P Smithers of Cooper county who married Margaret McFarland is the father either. This family unit remains intact through the census record until both of their deaths and burials in St Louis City, both children in the 1850 census are accounted for. I'll dig some more later but I've got to get wings off the smoker, have a Happy Fourth :>)

John R

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Re: Government Undertaker- Smithers!!!
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Re: Government Undertaker- Smithers!!!
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