William M. and Missouri Rachels Smith Family Bios

Rusk Co. Cemeteries of TX

Submitted by  Carolyn Lauderdale

In 1850 John C. Rachel, age 52 old, born in Georgia. and his wife, Caron (Kerenhappuch Smith, daughter of Abraham and Sarah Ellis Rosser Smith) 40 years old and also born in Georgia live in Hancock Co., Georgia 114^th Militia District. They own property valued at $1,500. In 850 John Rachel owned three slaves, a girl (12 yrs old) and two boys (8 years old). Their children living at home were daughters Leacy, age 16 and Missouri age 15 and sons, Pinkney (John Pinckney) age 10 and Jefferson age 8 years old. On the 1850 census there is a family named Smith living next door, Green B. Smith, (30), Sarah Smith (56), Mary (26), and Susan (24), this may be the family of Missouri’s future husband, William M. Smith. Caron Smith Rachels died December 28, 1851 in Hancock Co. Georgia. In 1860 William M.& Missouri Smith, having been married October 15, 1854 in Rusk County Texas, are living in Beat #8 in the County of Rusk, Pea Town post office. Living with them are John Rachels age 60 and their children daughter S. E. age 4, son H.H. (Henry H.) age 2 and Martha J. Smith 6 months old. The census was taken the 21^st day of July, 1860. Missouri’s sister Leacy Rachels married Joab Blount, November 24, 1852 in Hancock Co. Georgia, in 1860 they are also living in Rusk Co., Texas with their three children, Mary A. age 5, John M. age 2 and Sarah E. less than 1 year. They live next to the Cornelius McHaney cotton plantation, and Joab is overseer.

In 1860, Missouri Smith’s brother, Pinckney Rachel(s) was living in Grayson County, Sherman Texas Post Office, he was a farm hand living with the Gardenhire family. He was 19 years old. John Pinckney Rachels joined the Texas 11^th Cavalry, Company A as a private. He served as a private in the Texas State Troops organization of this company. In Confederate Service, he was a Courier for Colonel Thomas Harrisson (Brigade Commander) on the last two muster rolls. He fought at the Battle of Stone’s River on the Confederate Side. On the 1870 census, John P. Rachels was working at the gristmill in Denton County Texas and lived with Wm. Arnold Garrison and family, Garrison was a miller. He built the first grist mill in Denton County, Rock Mill on Duck Creek, Boliver, Denton Co. Texas. On April 6. 1876 J. P. Rachels was granted 80 acres of land in the Fannin District of Montague County, Texas. The 1880 census lists Pinkney Rachels living in Montague County, Texas with his widowed sister Missouri Smith and three of her children, Fanny, Andrew and Newt. J.P. Rochell married M.J. Holland on October 21, 1883 in Montague County Texas. The 1900 census lists Jno. P. Rachel (age 60 born April 1840) living in the town of Spanish Fort, Montague County, Texas, with his wife, Martha J. Rachel (age 40 born September 1859) and their daughter, Margaret (age 12 born November 1887). They had been married 16 years and Martha was the mother of 9 children with only one surviving. John Pinckney Rachel(s) died February 16, 1901. His tombstone reads born April 4, 1838, died February 16, 1901. J. P. Rachels is buried in Old Spanish Fort Cemetery, Montague County, Texas with his sister Missouri Smith who died July 3, 1888. He was a Mason, his monument reads, "Earth has one pure spirit less, Heaven one inmate more."

The 1870 census shows William M. Smith (39, born in Georgia) and his wife, Missouri (34 born in Georgia), living in Rusk County, Texas (Henderson Post Office) with their children, Henry H. (12), Martha J. (10) Mary F. (9), Andrew J. (5) and Jasper N. (2). All the children were listed as born in Texas. Also living with the family were Missouri’s father John Rachels (age 76 born in Georgia) and her sister Leacy’s son, John M. Blount (age 12). No further record of Leacy Rachels Blount (Blunt) , her husband Joab A. or daughters Mary and Sarah has been found.

The 1880 census show Missouri Smith (age 43), a widow, living with three of her children, Mary F. (age 17), Andrew J. (14), Jasper N. (10) and Missouri’s brother, Pinkney Rachels (age 38). They are living in District #6, Montague County, Texas. Mary Francis Smith would marry David Bunch on December 13th of that year in Jack County Texas. Fanny and David Bunch had three children, Minnie, Henry and Mollie.

Mollie was born August 11, 1886 and died September 11, 1887. Mary Francis (Fanny) Smith Bunch married James Buchanan (Buck) Baxter on January 8, 1888, Cooke County Texas. Henry H. Smith married Sallie M. Baxter December 4, 1881, Montague County, Texas. Andrew Jackson Smith married Narcissus L. (Nora) Baxter November 28, 1886 in Wise County Texas. The ceremony was at the Hickory Plains Baptist Church with the Reverend W. F. Burton (William Fort Burton, father of Lou Burton Baxter) officiating. Two weeks later, December 12, 1886, Nora’s brother John Henry Baxter married Lou Burton, Wise County Texas. Henry H. Smith married Sallie Baxter, sister of Nora and John Henry Baxter. Jasper Newton Smith married Rosa Ella Johnston. After the death of Andrew’s wife Nora from a spider bite on her arm in early 1901, his daughter Katie Effie Smith married Lewis W. Dickerson on August 15, 1905 in Montague County Texas. Andrew Jackson Smith married again on July 29, 1906 to Mrs. Emma (Tupper) Geary. Emma had six children from previous marriages, Henry and Ada Harrison, Charles and Warda Work and Marie and Beulah (Queenie) Geary. Andrew’s daughter, Mary Ann (Annie) Smith married Warda Work on October 11, 1908 in Montague County, Texas. The 1910 Montague County census dated April 20^th, 1910 lists Emma Smith as a widow living with her children, Charlie, Warda, Marie and Beulah. Andrew Jackson Smith was born in October 1865 according to the 1900 census and died 1910 from tuberculosis. He is buried in the Hardy Cemetery, Montague County Texas.

The 1910 Wise County Census dated April 16, 1910 lists Andrew’s brother Jasper Newton Smith and his wife Rosa living in Precinct 6 with their children Edith (age 3) and Edward (age 2). Also living with them are his brother Andrew’s four youngest children, John Henry (age 16), twins Newt and Andy (age 14) and Scott (age 9). In 1910 Katie Smith Dickerson and her husband Lewis are listed in Montague County with their children Rosa (4) and Alma (2). The 1920 census lists Nute J. Smith (49) and his wife Rosey (32) living in Denton County with their children Edith (14), Edward (12) Everett (10), daughters Eve (6), Willie (3 yrs 9 mo.), and Dealva (less than 1 yr.). 1920 Andrew’s sons Andy lived with the Jackson family and Scott was living with the Johnston family working as farm laborers, in Montague County, Pct 5. Andrew’s daughter, Katie Dickerson, was living in Montague County with her husband and children Rosa (13), Alma (11), Garland (9), Ethel (8), daughter Ollie (6 1/2) and son Oliver (6 1/2), Elvin (5 yrs 8 mo), and son Olan (1 yr 9 mo.). Andrew and Nora’s son William Pearlie Smith married Eunice Leola Gray May 5, 1923, Denton Co. Texas. Their son, John Henry married Nettie Neeley June 1, 1923. Their son Andy married Gertrude Bell Harris. Their son Newt married Mattie and their youngest son, Scott, married Floy Poyner.

In 1930, Nute J. Smith and his wife Rosa lived in Donnely County Texas with their children Edward, Everett, Evalee, Willie M., Dealva, son, J.N. and Adrian. Also living with them was Rosa’s mother, Pattie Johnston, a widow, age 66 yrs. Jasper Newton Smith was born about 1868, Rusk County Texas and died February 2, 1936 and is buried in Alanreed Cemetery. Rosa Ella Johnston Smith was born January 10, 1897 in Hunt County, Texas and died April 27, 1966 and is buried with her husband in Alanreed Cemetery.