Stanley Stewart Smith

Stanley Stewart Smith, born on January 11, 1919, in Apollo, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, was the son of Howard “Smitty” Stanley Smith and Myrtle Mary Stewart. He was the eldest of three children, with a sister named Alma Margaret Smith and a brother named Richard Franklin Smith. Stewart is the first cousin once removed of my husband, sharing common ancestors John Milton Smith and Amanda Larimer Horne, my husband’s great-grandparents. It seems Stewart’s first name honors his father’s middle name, while his middle name is a tribute to his mother’s maiden name.

Stanley and his parents, Howard and
Myrtle (Stewart) Smith

On April 28, 1919, Stanley was baptized at the First Presbyterian Church in Apollo.

Roll of Infant Church Members, Apollo First Presbyterian Church

On January 12, 1920, Stanley and his family resided with his widowed maternal grandmother, Mary B. Stewart, and his uncle, Harry H. Stewart, on the south side of North Fourth Street in Kiskiminetas Township, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. His grandmother owned the home outright. At just 11 months old, Stanley was the only child of his parents. His father worked as a clerk in a mill office, while his uncle Harry was a hardware merchant. All the adults in the household were literate.

Stanley Smith

Stanley and his sister Alma

Alma and Stanley

On April 11, 1930, the Smith family lived in a home valued at $3,000, owned by Stanley’s parents, in the First Ward of Apollo. The home was equipped with a radio. They resided 10 houses away from Georgia (Anna McIlwain) and Charles Austin, Stanley’s half first cousin once removed. His father worked as a hardware merchant. By this time, Stanley had a sister, Alma, aged 8, and a brother, Richard, aged 5.

Stanley, Alma, and their mother Myrtle

Stanley attended Jeannette High School in Jeannette, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, and graduated in 1936. During his time there, he was a member of the junior varsity football team.

Stanley Smith (1936)

On April 4, 1940, the family continued to reside in the same home they had lived in since 1930, with the home’s value remaining at $3,000. Stanley, now 21, worked part-time as a mortician’s helper. His father remained employed as a hardware store salesman. His sister Alma, aged 18, assisted their mother with household duties, while his brother Richard, aged 15, was a high school student.

Stanley registered for the World War II draft in Apollo on October 16, 1940. He was described as having brown eyes, blonde hair, and a light complexion. He stood 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighed 132 pounds. At the time, he still lived with his parents in their Apollo home and worked at a funeral home operated by Elmer Buzzard. Stanley listed his father as the person who would always know his address.

Stanley’s World War II draft registration card

Stanley entered active service as a private with the U.S. Army Air Corps in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania, on March 14, 1942. He remained in the States until October 6, 1942, when he was deployed overseas. He served in foreign assignments from October 7, 1942, until March 16, 1945, when he returned to the United States. Stanley was honorably discharged from active service at Seymour Johnson Field, North Carolina, on October 21, 1945.

Stanley married Gladys Margaret Wiant, the daughter of George Thomas Bruce Wiant and Laura C. Shook, on February 21, 1942, in Wellsburg, Brooke County, West Virginia. The ceremony was officiated by Rev. William J. Frayer of the Assembly of God Church. At the time of their marriage, Stanley was 23 years old, and Gladys was 21. The couple had at least one child, a son, whose name I will not disclose due to privacy reasons.

Stanley Smith and Gladys Wiant marriage certificate

Stanley submitted a U.S. Veteran Compensation Application on January 20, 1950. On March 23, 1950, he was awarded a total of $500, with $140 for domestic service and $360 for foreign service.

On April 8, 1950, Stanley and Gladys lived with her parents on Harrison Avenue in Vandergrift, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. Stanley worked as a drill press operator at a steel foundry. His mother-in-law owned a retail furniture store, while his 70-year-old father-in-law was apparently retired. Gladys stayed home to manage the household.

Stanley’s father, Howard, passed away at his Apollo residence on January 14, 1961, after suffering another heart attack. He was laid to rest at Riverview Cemetery in Apollo. Howard had dedicated 38 years of service as the Apollo Borough Council secretary.

At some point, Stanley and Gladys divorced. On August 2, 1977, the Simpson’s Leader-Times in Kittanning, Pennsylvania, reported that Stanley intended to marry Madeline Ann Deitz of Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania. Although I have not found an official marriage record for the couple, Madeline gave birth to a son on December 24, 1977, at Armstrong County Memorial Hospital. I have identified the name of this son but will not disclose it for privacy reasons. The couple may have had an additional son and a daughter, but I have been unable to confirm this.

Stanley’s mother, Myrtle, passed away at home in Apollo on September 5, 1978, and was laid to rest beside Stanley’s father at Riverview Cemetery in Apollo. His brother, Richard, tragically died in an automobile accident in Kiski Township on May 29, 1984, just one month after his retirement. Richard was buried at Greenwood Memorial Park in Lower Burrell, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.

Stanley moved to Venice, Sarasota County, Florida, in 1987.

Stanley’s sister, Alma, passed away in Kiski Township, Armstrong County, on November 9, 1992, and was buried at Riverview Cemetery in Apollo. I recall that my mother-in-law was close to Alma. Stanley, the last surviving member of his immediate family, passed away at Hospice House in Venice on June 24, 1998. He was survived by his wife, two sons, and three grandchildren. Unfortunately, I have been unable to determine Stanley’s final resting place.

Stanley worked as a heating and air conditioning specialist at the U.S. Steel Research Center in Monroeville for 27 years. He was an active member of the United Presbyterian Church in Apollo and belonged to the Venice American Legion.

During my research, I found his name recorded as both Stanley and Stewart in roughly equal measure. For this sketch, I have chosen to use Stanley as his first name, as it was recorded that way in his obituary.

 References

• Births, Simpson’s Leader-Times, Kittanning, Pennsylvania, December 27, 1977.
• Editorial, Howard S. Smith, newspaper unknown, January 20, 1960 [sic].
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/216213786/laura_c-wiant: accessed August 9, 2024), memorial page for Laura C. Shook Wiant (14 May 1886–24 Jul 1978), Find a Grave Memorial ID 216213786, citing Greenwood Memorial Park, Lower Burrell, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, USA; maintained by Barbara Guyer (contributor 48203289).
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/35258349/george_thomas_bruce-wiant: accessed August 9, 2024), memorial page for George Thomas Bruce Wiant (21 Nov 1879–23 May 1951), Find a Grave Memorial ID 35258349, citing Greenwood Memorial Park, Lower Burrell, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, USA; maintained by G. Stoecklein (contributor 46965842).
• Gladys Margaret (Wiant) MacLean obituary, Curran-Shaffer Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc., Apollo, Pennsylvania; https://www.curranfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Gladys-Margaret-Wiant-MacLean?obId=2821311#/obituaryInfo. 
• Marriage Intentions, Simpson’s Leader-Times, Kittanning, Pennsylvania, August 2, 1977.
• Myrtle M. Smith obituary, newspaper unknown, September 1978.
• Stanley S. Smith, formerly of Apollo, obituary, newspaper unknown, June 1998.
• Stanley S. Smith, Pennsylvania, Veteran Compensation Applications, WWII, 1950.
• Stanley S. Smith, Social Security Death Index.
• Stanley S. Smith, U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938–1946.
• Stanley S. Smith, U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850–2010.
• Stanley Stewart Smith, Florida Death Index, 1877–1998.
• Stanley Stewart Smith, Pennsylvania, Apollo First Presbyterian Church, Births, Baptisms, Marriages, Deaths, 1910–1919; U.S., Presbyterian Records, 1743–1970.
• Stanley Stewart Smith, U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940–1947.
• Stewart Smith, Jeannette High School, 1936; U.S., School Yearbooks, 1900–2016.
• U.S. Federal Census, Apollo, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, 1930, 1940.
• U.S. Federal Census, Kiskiminetas Township, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, 1920.
• U.S. Federal Census, Vandergrift, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, 1950.