Moroni West Smith

A World War I Service Questionnaire completed by Moroni in 1917 reads as follows: Moroni W. Smith was living in Parowan, Utah. He served at Camp Pike in Arkansas. His date of birth was August 1, 1894, in Mexico. His father was Jesse N. Smith Jr., and his mother was Mary Anne Mitchell Smith. He had three years of his high school education with some college training. His occupation before entering the service was as a farmer and sawmill hand. He listed his employer as the Hon. Wilford Day of Parowan, Utah. At the time he completed the card he was single.

A Military Service Card indicated that Moroni enlisted at Ft. Douglas, Utah, on June 4, 1917. He served in Company K, 20th Infantry until October 22, 1918. He was part of the replacement troops at Camp Pike, Arkansas to discharge. He was a Private first class on September 2, 1917, a Corporal July 5, 1918, and a Sargent September 9, 1918. He did not have to serve overseas, and was honorably discharged December 6, 1918.

Moroni W. Smith was listed on the Honor Roll in the Brigham Young University Banyan yearbook in 1918.

In the 1920 U.S. Federal Census for Parowan, Iron, Utah, Moroni West Smith, 25, was living with his widowed mother, Mary A., 56, and brothers, Samuel C., 18, and Joseph H., 15. They were living in their own home which they owned free from a mortgage. Moroni was working as a farm laborer, Samuel as a laborer/sheep herder and Joseph as a farm laborer who was "working out", which meant he was working away from home.

Moroni married Lena Laverda Poole on June 5, 1925, in Manti, Sanpete, Utah, when he was 30 years old and she was 23 years old. Lena was the daughter of Robert Hampton Poole and Anna Delilah Buchanan Poole. By the 1930 census Moroni and his wife were living in Hyrum, Cache, Utah, and were listed as follows with their children: Moroni W., 35, Lena B., 28, Romona, 3, and Jessie R., 1 year old. They owned their own home which was valued at $2,000 and they had a radio in their home. Moroni was working as a teacher in church services. They may have had another son and 3 more daughters, but I could find no further public records for Moroni except for his death.

Moroni passed away on May 14, 1972, at the age of 76 years old in Provo, Utah. He was buried in the Provo City Cemetery, along with his wife, Lena, who passed away March 4, 1976, and the age of 74 years old. One of their daughters, Ramona, born March 2, 1927, in Richfield, Sevier, Utah, passed away March 20, 1979, and was also buried in the Provo City Cemetery.

Ramona Smith married J. Dale Miller, and had 2 sons and 2 daughters. One of their daughters was Dalynn Miller, born December 7, 1960, in Salt Lake City, Utah, who died at the young age of 48. She had two sons, Aaron and Alexander Herd. Dalynn shares the same gravestone with her mother, Ramona, in the Provo City Cemetery.