Gay Mathis, genealogist supreme

Dr. Columbus Darwin "Lum" Smith's obituary
Atlanta Constitution Jan. 13, 1911

Gay Mathis is doing it again! She is helping my family find its roots and I am happy and lucky as can be. She writes,

I figure the more you have on the Smith side, you may run across someone new in the family tree that has something to help you later on..

I have been doing genealogy for a long long time and sure do love a good mystery..For a very long time, I really got into researching the side characters involved with Jesse James & Gang, besides my main JWJ [Jesse Woddson James] research, that I liked..I have enjoyed it, tremendously..Found some interesting things that were not known before, and posted on the JWJ Delphi [a Jesse James forum].

Here are some of the interesting finds Gay sent me for the family to enjoy and save.

Directory of Deceased American Physicians, 1804-1929
Name: Columbus D. Smith
Birth Date: 1828
Death Date: 12 Jan 1911
Death Place: Atlanta, GA
Type Practice: Allopath Medical
School: University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, 1851, (G) JAMA Citation: 56:363

U.S. Veterans Gravesites
Name: Columbus Darwin Smith
Service Info.: CAPT US NAVY WORLD WAR II
Birth Date: 14 Feb 1891
Death Date: 18 Nov 1966
Service Start Date: 26 May 1941
Interment Date: 23 Nov 1966
Cemetery: Golden Gate National Cemetery Cemetery Address: 1300 Sneath Lane San Bruno, CA 94066
Buried At: Section 2c Site 631

Gay also found some nice information on Luther Martin Smith, another uncle of Soapy's.

SMITH, LUTHER MARTIN, Methodist minister, teacher, was born September 20, 1826, at Oglethorpe, Ga., and died July 4, 1879; son of Ira Ellis and Ellen (Peniston) Smith, the former who was a native of Virginia, and afterwards removed near Newnan, Coweta County, Ga., where he practiced medicine for many years. He removed with his parents to Coweta County, at an early age, and received his education at the country school near his home. He taught at the same school and made enough money to pay his expenses through college. He entered Emory College, Oxford County, Ga., and was graduated with honor, 1848, A. B. He studied law, and was admitted to the bar, and after practicing in Newnan, Ga., for two years, entered the ministry. He was ordained, and throughout his life was a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. In 1851, he accepted the Greek professorship at Emory College, held this position for sixteen years, was elected president of the college, on the resignation of President James R. Thomas. He filled that office until his resignation in 1871. He went to Greensboro, in 1875, as chancellor of the 'Southern university and his death occurred there July 4, 1879. Married: (1) in January, 1849, to Mary Eliza Greenwood, who died in 1859, step-daughter of Bishop James O. Andrew; (2) in May, 1865, to Caroline Lane. Children, by first marriage: 1. Leonora, d. in childhood; 2. Caroline, m. Dr. W. H. LaPrade, Hazelhurst, Miss.; 3. Ira Ellis, deceased, m. Bessie Scarlet, Brunswick, Ga.; 4. Augusta, Greensboro; 5. Flossie, m. C. A. Grote (q. v.); by second marriage; 6. Lucia, m. Dr. H. C. Howard (q. v.); 7. Luther Lane, deceased; 8. Charles Elmore, Greensboro; 9. Marvin Andrew, d. when twelve years of age. Last residence: Greensboro.

Source: HISTORY OF ALABAMA AND DICTIONARY OF ALABAMA BIOGRAPHY BY THOMAS McADORY OWEN, LL.D. Lawyer, Founder and Director Alabama State Department of Archives and History, and author of numerous historical and bibliographical publications. IN FOUR VOLUMES VOLUME IV CHICAGO, THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLI8HING COMPANY 1921--HARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY DEXTER FUND.

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