Oct, 17, 2018 from Robin Patton.....I found the following on https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/collaborate/KVJY-CKZ , written by Alan E. Whitehead. It's a nice summation of what the pieces of genealogy show us about Willis Smiths' family:
From Alan Whitehead on 15 Nov 2006:
Samuel B. W. Smith's parents were Willis Teen Smith and Anna Jones. Willis Teen Smith was born about 1814 (various records indicate his place of birth was Georgia or Alabama, I think both may be correct because Alabama didn't become a state until 1822 and was still part of Georgia when Willis was born) and he died 18 Aug 1891 in Burnet County, Texas. He is buried in the Tobey Cemetery near Oakalla in Burnet County, TX. The date of death is on the headstone. The headstone has no date of birth but says he was aged 77 years.
Willis T. Smith's parents were James Smith born abt 1793 in Georgia and Elizabeth _____ born about 1792 in North Carolina. The 1880 Census of Burnet Co., Texas lists the birthplace of his father as North Carolina and his mother as South Carolina.
In 1850 James Smith's father, and Willis Smith, his son, families are living next door to each other in Gravel Hill, McNairy Co., Tennessee.
Anna Jones was born about 1820 in Alabama and was still living on 20 Nov 1891. She is not buried with Willis Teen Smith. Family tradition has it that after Willis' death she went "back east." Possibly to McNairy County, Tennessee where Willis Smith still owned land at the time of his death and where her son Washington and his family were living. I don't know who Anna's parents were. There were several Jones children living with Willis Smith's brother Jonathan in 1860 in McNairy County.
Willis Teen and Anna were living in McNairy County, Tennessee in the 1850 and 1860 censuses. The 1850 and 1860 censuses list their children as:
Joseph born about 1839 in Mississippi
Washington born about 1841 in Mississippi
Sarah Catherine born Feb 1843 in Tennessee (she married Toliver Lafayette Dycus and died on 4 Aug 1926, she is buried with her husband at Liberty Hill, Williamson County, Texas).
Lucretia born about 1845 in Tennessee
Archibald (his name may be Archabala) Monroe Smith born 6 Dec 1847 in McNairy County, Tennessee and died 23 Jul 1922 in Oakalla, Burnet County, Texas. He is buried in the Tobey Cemetery (with both of his wives and a couple of his children) near his father Willis.
John William "Bill" born about 1848 in Tennessee.
Martha Elizabeth "Lizzie" born about 1849 in Tennessee. She married D. J. Roberts.
Thomas J. Smith born about 1852 in McNairy County, Tennessee.
Samuel B. W. born Dec 1853 in Tennessee.
I have not been able to find any members of the family in the 1870 Census.
Willis and Anna Smith were living in Burnet County, Texas in the 1880 census. Two grandchildren were living with them (possibly the children of John William Smith). Their son, Archibald Monroe Smith, was also living with his wife and children in Burnet County in the 1880 Census.
Samuel B.W. Smith and his brother John W. Smith ( who is listed as a widower) were living with their brother T.J. Smith and his wife and children in the 1880 census in Kaufman County, Texas.
Anna Jones Smith filed a probate of the estate of Willis Smith as his surviving wife on 21 Aug 1891 in Burnet County, Texas. (Burnet County Probate Records Book F, Case No. 283, pages 189-192, 276).
The probate petition states that Annie Smith married Willis Smith more than fifty years previously and that she had resided with him in Burnet County for some years past. The petition lists the following children who survived Willis Smith:
Joseph Smith aged about 52 years residing in Kaufman County, Texas
Wash Smith aged about 50 years residing in McNairy County, Tennessee
Sarah Dycus aged about 47 years residing in Williamson County, Texas
Monro Smith aged about 46 years residing in Burnet County, Texas
Bill Smith aged about 42 years residing in the Indian Territory
Lizzie Roberts aged about 38 years residing in Lampasas County, Texas
T. J. Smith aged about 32 years residing in thr Indian Territory
Sam Smith aged about 30 years residing in the Indian Territory (the 1910 census of Kaufman County, Texas indicates that Samuel's son Henry W. Smith was born in Oklahoma).
The petition also lists three grandchildren Wash, John and Hannah Speers surviving children of Lucretia Speers deceased who was a child of Willis and Annie Smith. (I don't know who Lucretia's husband was but there was a Spears family living next to the Smith's in 1860 in McNairy County).
The assests of the estate were 160 acres of land in Burnet County known as the Willis Smith prescription, 47 horses, 37 head of cattle, 23 goatsand 2 hogs. Also listed was 130 acres of land in Tennessee. All of the cattle and 7 of the horses were in the possession of T.J. Smith in the Indian Territory.
The petiton for probate was signed Annia Smith by T. L. Dycus.
On 20 Nov 1891 Anna Smith filed a request to be removed and discharged from looking after the estate for the reason of age and being totally blind she was wholly unable to further look after said estate.
Samuel Smith and his wife Lunora (Lula or Luzora) were living in Kaufman County, Texas in the 1900 and 1910 censuses.
I hope this is of some help. Alan
Last Changed: 27 August 2013 by Jerry Hurd-Smith
