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. 

Smith family photos

Another in a series of photos from Bertha Smith Athya’s photo collection. This one is Howard Stanley Smith, his wife Myrtle Mary Stewart, Amanda Horne Smith (mother of Howard, George, and Bertha), and George Nelson Smith. All most likely lived in Apollo, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania at the time this photo was taken. Howard married Myrtle in 1916 so I’m guessing this photo was taken somewhere between 1916 and 1920.

Amanda is my husband’s great-grandmother; Howard and George his grand uncles. 

Ladies of First Presbyterian Church, Apollo, Pennsylvania

In May 2018, I blogged about a photo album that once belonged to my husband’s grandmother, Bertha Edna Smith Athya and is now in the possession of my husband and I. Bertha also left a box of photos behind, many of them from her early years. Most of the photos are the size of a baseball card, measuring 2½ inches by 3½ inches.

Bertha was born in Paulton, Pennsylvania but the Smith family has roots in Apollo. Bertha and her husband George Durie Athya lived in Apollo after their marriage in Pittsburgh on June 14, 1924, 96 years ago this weekend.

The photo below is one of the photos from that box. Bertha herself labeled the photo as the “Ladies from First Presbyterian Church, Apollo, Pa.” Bertha is not in the photo but her mother, Amanda Larimer Horne Smith is. She’s the woman holding the child, whom I believe is one of her grandchildren. My best guess for the child is that it’s either Stanley Stewart Smith, born 1919 in Apollo, or his sister Alma Margaret Smith, born 1922 in Apollo. Both are the children of Amanda’s son Howard Stanley Smith and his wife Myrtle Mary Stewart Smith, whom I believe is the woman with a necklace, standing in the center, looking down. I also believe that Myrtle’s mother, Mary Bell Johnston Stewart, is the woman standing between Myrtle and Amanda (center with dark hair and glasses). These are just my best guesses so if you can tell me otherwise, or identify anyone else, I’d love to hear from you.

On a side note, it wasn’t until I enlarged the photo (remember it’s the size of a baseball card) that I realized several of the ladies are either eating or holding an apple. That's probably an apple tree behind them.

Postcard - First Presbyterian Church of Apollo, Pa.

Bertha Smith’s photo album—a family treasure

Page from Bertha's photo album

The 52 Ancestors theme this week is “another language” and as hard as I tried, I couldn’t come up with anything. So instead, I’ll focus on documenting another family treasure—a photo album that belonged to my husband’s grandmother, Bertha Smith Athya.

The album is bound in brown, textured leather and is 7 1/4 x 10 1/2 inches. The edges show a few signs of wear but is in very good condition otherwise. The inside pages are standard, black photo album paper. There are 164 photos on 30 of the 50 pages. One page has a greeting card glued to it and 19 pages are blank. All of the photos are glued on the pages and not a single photo is labeled. Luckily, Bertha left behind a box of photos and she wrote names on the backs of some of them. With the help of those photos, I’ve been able to identify a few of the people in the album.

Front cover of Bertha's photo album

Note the quarter on the bottom row. Many of the photos are that small.

The album appears to contain photos of both family and friends dating from the early 1900s to the mid-1930s. One photo is marked 1-7-17. Many of the photos are of Bertha herself. Some are her mother Amanda Horne Smith, her Aunt Electra Smith Jack, brothers Howard, George, and John Smith, sisters Edith and Helen Smith, sister-in-law Myrtle Stewart Smith, and sons John and Howard Athya. Several are a group of church ladies, I believe from Apollo, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. Bertha’s family lived in Apollo and later Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania so I’m assuming that would be where most of the people in the album lived as well.

Note the middle photos and how Bertha cut the one photo and split it.

The photo below is a post card and not part of the album. “Bertha Smith, Paulton, Pa.” is written on the back so I assume it was taken at whatever school Bertha attended at the time. Bertha (or maybe it's her sister Helen) is standing at the end of the second row in the dark dress. I estimate she’s about nine years old so that would date the photo circa 1907. If that's Helen in the photo, the date would be circa 1904. After comparing the group photo to some of the individual photos from the box, it appears some are the same girls and boys.

Take a look for yourself. What do you think? Are the people from the album found in the group photo?

If you recognize anyone, I’d love to hear from you.

52 Ancestors – Connections to Apollo’s history (90-2016)

The borough of Apollo, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania is celebrating their bicentennial this year and are in the midst of a “year-long community celebration that will culminate in a 10-day festival July 1, 2016 through July 10, 2016.” This caught my attention several months ago because my husband’s maternal roots extend deep into Apollo’s history. So out of curiosity, I thought I would pull together some of the key items of interest to see how it played out. I’ve noted his direct lines as well as collateral ancestors. Some lived their life quietly, going about everyday business, while others took action and helped shape Apollo.

John Thompson Smith (second great-grandfather)
John T. Smith, a local innkeeper, was elected Apollo town councilman on May 3, 1848 at an election held at his house—the inn. He was also an Apollo postmaster, running the post office from his tavern. When Apollo celebrated its Quasqui Centennial (125th anniversary) June 29 – July 4, 1941, John was included on page 24 of the souvenir program published for the celebration as part of Apollo’s history where it noted his part in Apollo’s first election. Page 41 of the program notes him as a Apollo “First”—the first tailor. John died in Apollo on March 11, 1864 and was buried at Riverview Cemetery in Apollo.

Apollo's Quasqui Centennial souvenir program.
We have Mary Athya's copy.

Five of John’s six children were born in Apollo: Electra Burnette Smith on February 11, 1841, Eunice Alvira Smith on September 19, 1844, Martha Jane Smith on October 3, 1846, Minerva Smith on May 21, 1849, and John Milton Smith on February 27, 1851. Minerva died from cholera on May 17, 1850 and was buried at Riverview Cemetery.

His wife Jane Gordon Smith died on March 11, 1877 and was buried at Riverview Cemetery. The tombstone is a marker for Jane, Jane’s first husband John McIlwain, who died in Apollo in 1837, and John Thompson Smith. John McIlwain was listed on page 22 of Apollo’s Quasqui Centennial souvenir program. He was one of the early settlers of the town of Warren, which eventually became part of the borough of Apollo. John McIlwain was a tavern owner there. Upon his death, Jane married John Thompson Smith. T. J. Henry’s book History of Apollo, PA. 1816 – 1916: The Year of a Hundred Years (published in 1916 by The News-Record Publishing Company in Apollo) notes on page 23 … “After the death of John McIlwain, John T. Smith married his widow and they kept tavern for many years on the corner of Warren Avenue and First Street.”
 

John Milton Smith (great-grandfather)—son of John Thompson Smith and Jane Gordon
Census records show that John and his sister Electra lived in Apollo on June 23, 1880. John married Amanda Larimer Horne, daughter of Moses Horne and Elizabeth Larimer, at Apollo United Methodist Church on January 19, 1882. John died on March 9, 1912 in Bell, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania and was buried at Riverview Cemetery on March 12.

John's wife Amanda was received by probation at the Apollo United Methodist Church on October 25, 1874. She died in Apollo on January 13, 1943 and was buried at Riverview Cemetery.

Amanda Larimer Horne Smith and her grandson John Thompson Athya

John's son Benjamin Gordon Smith was born in Apollo on November 18, 1882. His mother Amanda, a seamstress, made a baby dress for Ben in 1884. The dress hangs in my bedroom today. Ben joined the Apollo Presbyterian Church on January 21, 1900. He registered for the World War I draft in Apollo on September 12, 1917 and for the World War II draft in Apollo on April 27, 1942.

Benjamin Gordon Smith

Dress made for Benjamin G. Smith
by his mother Amanda Horne Smith

His daughter Edith McCrum Smith was born in Apollo on March 4, 1888. She died from typhoid fever at Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh on October 24, 1906. Edith was buried at Riverview Cemetery on October 26, 1906.

Edith McCrum Smith

 
His daughter Helen Margaret Smith died from heart disease in Westmoreland County on March 18, 1913. She was buried at Riverview Cemetery on March 20, 1913.
 

Unknown girl and Helen Margaret Smith

  
Moses Horne (second great-grandfather)
Apollo county land ownership maps recorded the Moses Horne family living on Indiana Street in 1876. Census records indicate Moses was a “dealer in groceries” in Apollo on June 26, 1880. Moses died of heart disease in Apollo on April 11, 1910. His death certificate indicates he was buried in Apollo but doesn’t note the cemetery name.

Several of Moses’ children were born in Apollo: Lydia E. Horne on September 18, 1864, George R. Horne on December 1, 1869, and Keziah Chambers Horne on July 24, 1873.

His daughter Josephine B. Horne was baptized by J. F. Murray at Apollo United Methodist Church on August 26, 1883. She died of mitral stenosis in Apollo on March 24, 1941 and was buried at Apollo Cemetery on March 26. She lived at 213 South Second Street at the time of her death. Jo was deaf and never married.

Josephine and Amanda Horne

Moses' wife Elizabeth died in Apollo on May 1, 1913. She was buried at Apollo Cemetery on May 3.

His son George died on December 19, 1915 from a fractured skull and other injuries caused after being struck by a locomotive on the Conemaugh Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad at the West Apollo Crossing. He was buried at Vandergrift Cemetery in Vandergrift, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.

Bertha Edna Smith (grandmother)—daughter of John Milton Smith and
Amanda Larimer Horne
Bertha probably attended events at Apollo’s Centennial celebration in 1916. We have the picture below of her standing in front of a house with patriotic banners I see in other pictures from that year.

Bertha Edna Smith on the left

Three of Bertha’s four children were born in Apollo: John Thompson Athya on June 12, 1925, Howard George Athya on April 2, 1927, and James Jem Athya on June 7, 1930. The family lived at 213 South Fourth Street when Jim was born.

Bertha Edna Smith Athya, Amanda Larimer Horne Smith holding Mary Margaret Athya,
Electra Smith Jack, John T. Athya, and Howard Athya

 
Bertha and her husband George Durie Athya (born in Glasgow, Scotland) lost a home on Cherry Lane when the Kiski River flooded in the early 1940s. The river flooded and took the house downstream where it crashed into a bridge. George built the house himself and was nearly done when the flood took place.

George Durie Athya in white shirt and his wife Bertha Edna Smith Athya
sitting beside him. Others are unknown.

 

Railroad Avenue, Apollo, Pennsylvania on March 18, 1936

 
Mary Margaret Athya (mother)—daughter of Bertha Edna Smith and George Durie Athya
Mary attended Apollo’s Quasqui Centennial in 1941. She was part of the “Kiskicade” cast and was listed on page 37 of the souvenir program: episode XII—Miss Apollo and Her Court—Foreign Countries.

Mary Athya is listed under "Foreign Countries"

Howard, Jim, and Mary Athya

Electra Burnette Smith (second great-aunt)—daughter of John Thompson Smith and Jane Gordon
Electra was born in Apollo on February 11, 1841. She was admitted to Apollo’s First Presbyterian Church on October 8, 1858 and was baptized and received full communion as an adult on October 10, 1858. Electra married Daniel Jack at the Apollo Presbyterian Church on February 20, 1896. Daniel was the widower of Electra’s sister Eunice. Information for Daniel Jack can be found under Eunice.

Daniel Jack, Electra Smith Jack holding an
Athya great-nephew

T. J. Henry’s book History of Apollo, PA. 1816 – 1916: The Year of a Hundred Years acknowledged Electra’s (and others) contributions for “information furnished from memory’s stores” in the book’s Foreward. She was also mentioned on page 89—“Mrs. DANIEL JACK (nee SMITH), is the oldest native inhabitant of Apollo.”

Electra Smith Jack

Electra's water pitcher sits on my dresser today

Sylvester Hildebrand (pictured below) and Xenophon W. McIlwain witnessed an affidavit in Electra’s filing for a widow’s pension (Daniel Jack) on January 11, 1926.

Electra died on April 1932 and was buried at Riverview Cemetery.

Erastus Smith (second great-uncle)—son of John Thompson Smith and Jane Gordon
Erastus mustered into Company E of the 139th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment as a private in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania on September 1, 1862. Perhaps wanting to make sure his spiritual life was in order before entering the war, he joined the First Presbyterian Church in Apollo. The church register shows that Erastus was admitted to the church by “Escamination” on October 10, 1862. He married Jane Rachel Anderson, daughter of Samuel Anderson and Mary Mawheny, on March 24, 1869 in Apollo. Census records indicate that Erastus, Jane, and daughter Elsie lived in the Kellys Station subdivision of Apollo on June 24, 1870. He was suspended from the First Presbyterian Church in Apollo on March 21, 1872. Erastus died from erysipelas in Apollo on April 13, 1886 and was buried at Riverview Cemetery. His wife Jane died in Apollo on March 5, 1916. 

Erastus Smith's stone

At least two of his children were born in Apollo: Florence G. Smith on December 2, 1875 and Richard Barton Smith on September 7, 1879 and at least three of his children died in Apollo: Florence on December 7, 1909, Mary Jane Smith on January 12, 1908, and Richard on April 12, 1931.
 

Ladies from First Presbyterian Church, Apollo, Pennsylvania

 

Eunice Alvira Smith (second great-aunt)—daughter of John Thompson Smith and Jane Gordon
Eunice married Daniel Jack, son of Samuel Smith Jack and Catherine Beck, on June 27, 1867 in Apollo. Eunice died in Apollo on March 19, 1890 leaving six children behind. She was buried at Riverview Cemetery. Six years later, Daniel married her sister Electra on February 20, 1896 in Apollo.

Eunice Alvira Smith Jack's stone

Daniel Jack was born in Apollo on August 30, 1840. He played first alto in Apollo’s First Brass Band in 1857 which disbanded when the Civil War started. Daniel was one of the first recruits to enroll on April 27, 1861 in support of the Union Army when he enlisted at Camp Wright. His unit—Company G, Pennsylvania Eleventh Reserves, 40th Infantry Regiment—was recruited by S. M. Jackson at the first call for troops to fight in the Civil War. Daniel held the rank of Sergeant. After the Civil War ended, another brass band was formed and Daniel again was a member. Apollo census records indicate that Daniel worked in a planing (lumber) mill on June 23, 1870. He and his family lived in the Kelly’s Station subdivision of Apollo. Daniel was elected Quarter Master of the Charles S. Whitworth Post on January 21, 1878. He submitted a Declaration for Invalid Pension in Armstrong County on March 13, 1896 stating that he was “partially unable to earn a support by manual labor by reason of general disability.” His address was Apollo, Pennsylvania. A July 1916 newspaper article (name unknown) ran stating “Mr. Daniel Jack is a life long resident of Apollo. He has been quarter-master of the local G.A.R. post for a long term of years and until two years ago has carried the colors to the cemetery on Memorial Day since the organization of the post. His residence is on S. Fourth Street.” Daniel appeared before a justice of the peace on April 15, 1921 in Apollo to file a declaration of pension. He claimed that he was 80 years old, a resident of Apollo, and the identical person who enrolled at Apollo under the name of Daniel Jack on April 27, 1861 as a Sergeant in Captain James H. Mills Company G, 11th Regiment, Pennsylvania Reserves Infantry, in the service of the United States in the Civil War. He further claimed that he was honorably discharged at Pittsburgh on June 13, 1864, ending his service. Daniel died of a paralytic stroke at his home in Apollo on December 10, 1925. He was buried at Riverview Cemetery. His obituary stated that he was “one of Apollo’s oldest and most esteemed citizens.”

Civil War Veterans. First row: Ed Dentzel, Henry Blystone, Mr. Ross, Joseph McGuire, Daniel Jack, Thomas Cochran, Sylvester Hildebrand, John Fiscus. Back row: Unknown, Enoch Whay, unknown, Samuel Ams, James Rowland, David Coulter, Hugh Owens, Col. S. M. Jackson.

Six children were born to Eunice and Daniel in Apollo: Charles Stanley Jack on May 3, 1868, Effie Gordon Jack on May 16, 1872, Ethel Jack on January 26, 1874, Alice T. Jack on May 28, 1875, Samuel Howard Jack on December 28, 1880, and Frank Walter Jack on April 28, 1885. Ethel died in Apollo on August 19, 1879 and was buried at Riverview Cemetery.

Martha Jane Smith (second great-aunt)—daughter of John Thompson Smith and Jane Gordon
Five children were born to Martha and her husband Hugh Evans in Apollo: Elsie E. Evans in September 1866, Annie Evans about 1869, William F. Evans about 1871, Edith Evans about 1873, and Alice Evans about 1875. Martha died in Apollo on March 31, 1921 and was buried at Apollo Cemetery.

Martha Smith Evans and husband Hugh Evans stone

Howard Stanley Smith (great-Uncle)—son of John Milton Smith and
Amanda Larimer Horne
Howard was born in Apollo on December 7, 1890. He was a hardware merchant in Apollo during the 1930s and 1940s, retiring in 1946. Howard and his wife Myrtle Mary Stewart lived in their Apollo home on 507 North Fourth Street for 44 years. He was the Apollo borough secretary for 38 years, resigning his post in December 1959 due to ill health after suffering a heart attack in November. Howard died in Apollo on January 14, 1961 following a heart attack and was buried at Riverview Cemetery. Howard was a member of the Westminster Presbyterian Church and a life member of F and AM Masonic Lodge 437 of Apollo. Friends called him “Smitty.”

Bertha Edna Smith, Howard Stanley Smith, Myrtle Mary Stewart Smith

Howard and Myrtle’s three children were born in Apollo: Stewart Stanley Smith on January 11, 1919, Alma Margaret Smith on February 25, 1922, and Richard Franklin Smith on July 17, 1924.

Stewart and Alma Smith

His wife Myrtle died in Apollo on September 5, 1978 and was buried beside Howard at Riverview Cemetery.

Myrtle Mary Stewart Smith

George Nelson Smith (great-Uncle)—son of John Milton Smith and
Amanda Larimer Horne
George was born on October 22, 1885 in Apollo. He died in Westmoreland County on April 27, 1959 and was buried at Riverview Cemetery.

Willis Hawk and George Nelson Smith

At least three generations of my husband’s family have a connection to Apollo’s milestone celebrations. While my husband isn’t attending the bicentennial celebrations this summer, this is my way of connecting a fourth generation. I wish the people of Apollo a very happy bicentennial!