St. Clair County People of Interest
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DR. ROLAND J. SMITH ( 1861 - 1940)

The first child of Dr. Smith was Lelie Seward, 1887, whom he brought back to his
mother after the death of his first wife. Dr. Smith and Gertrude Lee Walters had
6 children: Elmore, Abram, Raymond, Georgia, Thelma and Mary.
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Appleton City Centennial Book 1870-1971:
Dr. R. J. Smith was born January 18, 1861, at Waupaca, Wisconsin. When seven
years old, he moved with his parents to Benton County, Missouri. When he became
a young man they moved to Johnson County so that he could take advantage of the
schools in Warrensburg. He attended the Warrensburg Normal, later he taught
school for $30. a month saving his money to study medicine. This he did at the
Missouri Medical College in St. Louis, which was part of the University of
Missouri at Columbia, from which he graduated March 1887.
He started to practice medicine in the small new town of Seward, Kansas.
After the death of his wife and infant daughter, he brought his small son back
to
Warrensburg. In 1891, he located in Johnson City, Missouri where he married
Gertrude Lee Walters. He purchased a farm, one mile north, which he named Grand
View Farm.
To take advantage of the schools the family moved to Appleton City in 1914 where
he continued his practice. When his health began to fail, they returned to Grand
view Farm. He died July 20, 1940 at the age of 79.
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1870 Benton Co., MO Census – Fristoe Township:
Page 9, Line 18, 21 July, Quincy, MO Post office
Smith, Lafayette, age 42, white male, farmer, $2004 Real estate value, $393
personal estate value, birthplace New York, male citizen over age 21
Sarah, age 39, white female, keeping house, birthplace Pennsylvania
Florinse, age 19, white female, age home, birthplace Pennsylvania
Lilley, age 17, white female, at home, birthplace Pennsylvania
George R., age 15, white male, at home, birthplace Wisconsin, attended school
Nancy D., age 13, white female, at home, birthplace Wisconsin, attended school
Grant, age 11, white male, at home, birthplace Wisconsin, attended school
Rollin, age 9, white male, at home, birthplace Wisconsin
Lessley, age 6, white male, at home, birthplace Wisconsin
Lourina A., age 4, white female, at home, birthplace Wisconsin
Dolbert T., age 2, white male, at home, birthplace Wisconsin
Violey Belle, age 6 months, white female, birthplace Missouri, born in January
1880 Johnson Co., MO Census – Washington Township, Montserrat Precinct:
Dist. 6, ED 109, Page 6, Line 37, 5 June
Smith, George, white male, age 25, married, farmer, birthplace Wisconsin, father
born New York, mother born Pennsylvania
Lillian, white female, age 26, sister, single, at home, birthplace Pennsylvania,
father born New York, mother born Pennsylvania
Grant, white male, age 21, brother, single, works on farm, birthplace Wisconsin,
father born New York, mother born Pennsylvania
Roland J., white male, age 19, brother, single, works on farm, attended school,
birthplace Wisconsin, father born New York, mother born Pennsylvania
Leslie, white male, age 17, brother, single, works on farm, attended school,
birthplace Wisconsin, father born New York, mother born Pennsylvania
Lucy, white female, age 14, sister, single, at home, attended school, birthplace
Wisconsin, father born New York, mother born Pennsylvania
Delbert, white male, age 12, brother, works on farm, attended school, birthplace
Wisconsin, father born New York, mother born Pennsylvania
Belle V., white female, age 10, sister, attended school, birthplace Missouri,
father born New York, mother born Pennsylvania
1900 St. Clair Co., MO Census – Monegaw Township:
Dist. 6, ED 146, Page 6B, Line 74, 13 June
124/125 Smith, R.J., head, white male, born January 1861, age 39, married 8
years, birthplace Wisconsin, father born New York, mother born Pennsylvania,
Physician, can read & write, speaks English, owned home free
Gertrude L., wife, white female, born July 1870, age 29, married 8 years, 3
children, 3 living, birthplace Missouri, father born Kentucky, mother born
Indiana, can read & write, speaks English
Leslie, son, white male, born November 1887, age 12, single, birthplace Kansas,
father born Wisconsin, mother born Missouri, attended school 8 months, can read
& write, speaks English
Jordan E., son, white male, born October 1894, age 5, single, birthplace
Missouri, father born Wisconsin, mother born Missouri
Georgia O., daughter, white female, born October 1896, age 3, single, birthplace
Missouri, father born Wisconsin, mother born Missouri
Thelma, daughter, white female, born January 1899, age 1, single, birthplace
Missouri, father born Wisconsin, mother born Missouri
1910 St. Clair Co., MO Census – Monegaw Township:
Dist. 6, ED 133, Sheet 8B, Line 52, 4 May
183/191 Smith, Rollin J., head, white male, age 48, married, 2nd marriage,
married 11 years, birthplace Wisconsin, father born New York, mother born
Pennsylvania, Doctor, General Practice, can read & write, owned mortgaged farm,
farm # 203
Gertrude L., wife, white female, age 38, married, 1st marriage, married 11
years, 5 children, 5 living, birthplace Missouri, father born Kentucky, mother
born Indiana, no occupation
Jordon O., son, white male, age 15, single, birthplace Missouri, father born
Wisconsin, mother born Missouri, farm labor, home farm, unemployed 8 months,
attended school, can read & write
Georgia B., daughter, white female, age 13, single, birthplace Missouri, father
born Wisconsin, mother born Missouri, no occupation, attended school, can read &
write
Thelma A., daughter, white female, age 11, single, birthplace Missouri, father
born Wisconsin, mother born Missouri, no occupation, attended school, can read &
write
Abram C., son, white male, age 8, single, birthplace Missouri, father born
Wisconsin, mother born Missouri, no occupation, attended school
Rollin R., son, white male, age 6, single, birthplace Missouri, father born
Wisconsin, mother born Missouri, no occupation, attended school
Leslie S., white male, age 22, single, birthplace Kansas, father born Wisconsin,
mother born Ohio, Retail Merchant, general store, can read & write, attended
school
1920 St. Clair Co., MO Census – Appleton Township, Appleton City:
Dist. 6, ED 133, Sheet 5A, Line 8, 6 January, living on Miller Avenue
109/114 Smith, Rollin J., head, owned home free, white male, age 58, married,
can read & write, birthplace Wisconsin, both parents born Pennsylvania, speaks
English, Physician, Office
Gertrude L., wife, white female, age 49, married, can read & write, birthplace
Missouri, father born Kentucky, mother born Indiana, speaks English, no
occupation
Georgia O., daughter, white female, age 23, single, can read & write, birthplace
Missouri, father born Wisconsin, mother born Missouri, speaks English, Teacher,
Rural School
Thelma A., daughter, white female, age 20, single, can read & write, birthplace
Missouri, father born Wisconsin, mother born Missouri, speaks English, Clerk,
Dry Goods Store
Abraham C., son, white male, age 17, single, attended school, can read & write,
birthplace Missouri, father born Wisconsin, mother born Missouri, speaks
English, Clerk, Grocery Store
Raymond R., son, white male, age 15, single, attended school, can read & write,
birthplace Missouri, father born Wisconsin, mother born Missouri, speaks
English, no occupation
Mary G., daughter, white female, age 8, single, attended school, birthplace
Missouri, father born Wisconsin, mother born Missouri, speaks English, no
occupation
Leslie S., son, white male, age 32, divorced, can read & write, birthplace
Kansas, father born Wisconsin, mother born Missouri, speaks English, Abstractor,
Abstract Office
1930 St. Clair Co., MO Census – Appleton Township, Appleton City:
ED 93-1, Dist. 10, Sheet 11B, Line 86, 12 April, living on Miller Road
341/342 Smith, Rolland J., head, owned home, $1650 value, not living on farm,
white male, age 69, married, first marriage at age 27, not attending school, can
read & write, birthplace Wisconsin, father born New York, mother born
Pennsylvania, speaks English, Physician, M.D., not a Veteran
Gertrude, wife, white female, age 58, married, first marriage at age 22, not
attending school, can read & write, birthplace Missouri, father born Missouri,
mother born Indiana, speaks English, no occupation
Mary, daughter, white female, age 18, single, not attending school, can read &
write, birthplace Missouri, father born Missouri, mother born Wisconsin, speaks
English, no occupation
Owens, Almira, boarder, white female, age 92, widowed, married, first marriage
at age 28, not attending school, can read & write, birthplace Massachusetts,
both parents born Massachusetts, speaks English, no occupation
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