When I started doing genealogy with my uncle, the first
brick wall that he told me about was Isaac Smith (my
great-great-great-grandfather) and his wife Amanda Ann Wright-Smith (my
g-g-g-grandmother). They went missing
between 1871 and 1880. In 1880 most of their children were living with Amanda’s
parents Joel and Rebecca (Storms)Wright in Tipton co., Indiana.
What we knew was Isaac first married Nancy Jane Keel, and
had two children William H. and Delilah Jane. The family was found in the 1860
census living in Willow Hill twps. Jasper Co. ILL. Isaac enlisted and fought in the Civil War. In September 1865 Isaac a widower married
Amanda Ann Wright-Decker a widow with a daughter Mary Jane.
In 1870’s census we find the family in Cicero twps, Tipton co., IN. It lists Isaac, Amanda, William, Delilah and
Mary with two more children Peter and Liddia. On May 21st 1871
Amanda gave birth to twins Ara and Ira.
That was the last record we had.
As I found “new” cousins I would ask if they knew anything
about Isaac or Amanda, always leading to a dead end. Isaac and Amanda were put
on the back burner, but never forgotten.
One very useful fact in the Smith family is that Peter, Ara
and Ira all married the Bright sisters. Ira Smith and Mary “Molly” Bright,
Peter Smith and Clara Bright, and Ara Smith and Eliza “Lida” Bright(my
g-g-grandparents). From the three marriages there were thirty-one children
born. Ira had fourteen, Ara had thirteen and Peter had four (three of which
died young)
Cleva my hero!
Peter’s only child that lived to adult-hood was Cleva
Smith-McPhearson. Her son (who I had known my entire live) lives a block away
from me, I never knew we were related until I found Cleva’s obituary. I went to
see her son and asked if he had any photos of Peter or Clara, who I had none of.
He said “Yeah, it’s hanging in the living room.” I could have died from shock! Finally
after a year I saw a photo of my g-g-grandpa’s brother and my
g-g-grandma’s sister. My uncle and I went and scanned all of his photos, it was
a goldmine! There were photos of Lida’s
parents, all of the Bright brothers and sisters and cousins of my great-grandpa.
It was amazing; sadly we walked away without any photos of Isaac or Amanda.
A week or two later I went to see a few more photos he
found. Also a tablet marked “A family record” all in Cleva’s hand writing. I
found marriages and birth dates for everyone, most of what I knew, then I seen “Deaths
of Isaac Smith family” Listing the death dates for Isaac and Amanda, also "Births of Isaac Smith family" with four
children we didn’t know of. I found
there were two children born after the twins Rebecca 1873 and George 1876.
Isaac also had two other children with Nancy, Edward and Martha. There was also
a page of the births within the Isaac Smith family. Sure these are not legal
documents but it is just as good as a family bible when it comes to sources. Amanda’s death was listed as 12 (or 21) of February
1876 and Isaac’s death was listed as 2 November 1876. I was saddened to see
that they died when their children were so young, but happy to know the truth.
As time went on I found living relatives of Liddia
Smith-Buskirk-Anderson. I was given a family album with a photo copy of a
letter, Liddia’s daughter Maggie Buskirk-Webb- Harris wrote, she said her
mother’s parents were Isaac and Amanda Wright-Smith, they both died when Liddia
was seven years old, that helped confirm Cleva’s notes. Also the note said
Amanda died in childbirth and Isaac died due to the Civil War.
What’s left…
1. Find where they are buried. (It is believed that the
twins were born in Cass co., Indiana. But the children lived with their grandparents
in Tipton co., Indiana, a place where Isaac and Amanda lived as well)
2. Find photos!
3. Find more about
their past, like who were Isaac’s parents? Also what ever happened to Amanda’s
first husband John T. Decker.
