Family Cemeteries

Zachariah Bailey and Kesiah Isabel 'Belle' Smith (WHEELER). Our great-grandparents. Zachariah was eight years old when his father —James Washington Smith— died fighting for the Confederacy in the Civil War.

Beverly John Smith was one of Zachariah's younger brothers. Beverly married his 1st cousin 1x removed, Sarah M. Garrett. You can see more about her and their son on the Curtis at (Garrett Cemetery) on the Garret Funerary page

John Martin and Elzie Catherine Smith (RYDER) are buried in the same cemetery as John's parents, —Mack Cemetery. John lived to almost 94 years of age. I remember meeting him at our grandfather Ernest's funeral. He was so fit and knowledgeable, and he gave me my first taste of family history on my dad's side.

He told me about our ancestor, his grandfather, who fought in the Civil War and died after getting gangrene from his bullet wound in the knee. I still have my notes from that discussion written on paper from our hotel. Unfortunately he told me his grandfather Joshua Roman Smith married a Kizzie Pash. And that Josh was the one killed in the war. It wasn't until over 20 years later when I started down the ancestry research path, that I discovered Joshua Romans Wheeler married Kizzie Pack. And that it was his other grandfather, James Washington Smith, that fought and died in the war.

Freelan Henderson Smith was another one of Ernest's older brothers. They had a additional connection as they married Dixon Sisters. Feelan married Ethel May Dixon and they had three kids. Ethel died and the age of 27. Our grandfather, Ernest, married Ethel's sister —Cornelia Greton Bessie Bell Dixon. They had five children including our father, Don. That meant that those eight Smith's were "Double Cousins" since they share the same four sets of grandparents instead of two.

Because they share four grandparents instead of two, double first cousins share roughly 25% of their DNA. This is the same amount shared by half-siblings, aunts/uncles, or grandparents.

Alma Alice Wright (SMITH) was the one of Ernest's sisters. Her first husband was Bernard L. Ryder and they had two boys together. Bernard died at the age of 30 and Alama married her second husband, Lorenzo Clarkson Wright. They would have five children together.

June Belle Patrick (SMITH) was another of Ernest's sisters. June married Ollie Patrick and they had ten children. Wow!! June lived to be 91 years of age. Over the years I have been in contact with some of the Patrick relatives on Ancestry.com.

James Hobert Smith was the youngest son of Zacahariah and Kesiah Smith (WHEELER). Most of the documentation I have found refer to him by his middle name, Hobert. He married Fairy Lena Ingram and they had four children together.

Kizzie Wheeler Welch (SMITH) was the fourth of five daughters of Zacahariah and Kesiah Smith (WHEELER). She married Walter Everette Welch in 1920 and they had eight children together.

Ernest Franklin and Cornelia Greton Smith (DIXON), our grandparents. Growing up we didn't get to see this set of grandparents very much. They lived in West Virginia, while we lived in Nebraska. They came to Nebraska at least once that I remember. We visited them at least twice. Once on a trip to see them along with my dad's brothers, Gene and Aubrey. One in Ohio and the other in Florida. And his sister, Dorothy in West Virginia.

When Ernest died in 1978, my brother Dave and I went with our parents to his funeral in West Virginia. We got a chance to hang —and meet for the first time— some cousins, aunts and uncles and even some grandaunts and granduncles.

Donald Keith and Marie Magdalene Carol Smith (ČERNÍK). Our parents. Don was the youngest child of Ernest Franklin and Cornelia Greton Smith. He left West Virginia when he joined the Air Force. He met our mother, Marie, when he was stationed near her hometown of Wahoo, Nebraska. They married in 1950 and never moved, even though our dad worked for IBM (I've Been Moved). Our mom died at the age of 70 with cancer. Our dad lived until he reached the age of almost 91. They had six boys: Mark, David, Brian, "Donnie", Dale and Jim.

Samuel "Sam" Aubrey Smith was the oldest son of Ernest Franklin and Cornelia Greton Smith, and our uncle.. Sam married Virginia Whitlock in 1939. He served in span WWII aboard several US Navy ships. They never had any children.

Virginia Margaret Smith (WHITLOCK) was the wife of Samuel "Sam" Aubrey Smith, our dad's oldest brother. They have no children.

Eugene Filmere Smith was the second oldest son of Ernest Franklin and Cornelia Greton Smith, and our uncle.. Eugene married Betty Lou Christian before 1951. He served in span WWII in the Navy's Air service. They had three daughters.

This is the actual grave of Eugene Filmere Smith.

Betty Lou Christian was the wife of Eugene Filmere Smith. They married Betty Lou Christian before 1951. They had three daughters, including Sandy, who I often communicate with on family history topics.

Dorothy Ellen William (SMITH) was the only daughter of Ernest Franklin and Cornelia Greton Smith, and our aunt. Dorothy married Charles McClellan Williamson in 1943. They had a son and a daughter.

Charles McClellan Williamson was Dorothy's first husband and the father of her two children.

Sharon Louise Kelly (SMITH) was the middle daughter of Eugene Filmere and Betty Lou, and our first cousin. She died at the age of 52.

Susan Luree Smith (MARCHESE) was the wife of the second oldest Smith brother, Dave. Sue died at the early age of 43 of cancer. Taken far too soon. Dave and Sue married in 1973 and had three sons. Sue's middle son —Todd— was also take early by cancer at the age of 44. His final resting place is Resurrection Cemetery, Omaha, Nebraska.

Timothy "Timmy" Alan Smith was the first of the Smith grandchildren to be take from us. He passed and the age of 27 years after a courageous battle with health issues since birth. Timmy loved bubbles.