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John B. Smith was born in
Belgium in 1811. He early emigrated to America, and after a brief stay in
several localities he eventually reached Grand Rapids in
1856, and worked as a farm hand five years before purchasing the place
where his family resides. He was married in 1842 to Lavina Doant, a native of
Belgium. They had five children-Augustus, George, Eva, Charlie and Mary, all
married except the latter, who remains with her mother. Augustus, the eldest,
was a soldier throughout the civil war. In 1864 Mr. Smith died and his widow
married John Dutmer, a respected farmer of this tp.
Source : (collective work) : History of Kent County, Michigan : together with
sketches of its cities, villages and townships, educational, religious, civil,
military, and political history, portraits of prominent persons, and biographies
of representative citizens : history of Michigan, embracing accounts of the pre-historic
races, aborigines, French, English and American conquests, and a general review
of its civil, political and military history.; Chicago: C.C. Chapman & Co.,
1881, 1414 pgs.
CHARLES L. SMITH, a prosperous farmer of
Plainfield township, Kent county, was born in Walker township, September 8,
1857, the youngest of the family of five children that
blessed the marriage of John and Levina (Dhont) Smith, both natives of Belgium.
John Smith was born about the year 1811, was reared a farmer and was married in
his native land. About 1857 he brought his wife and European-born children to
America, located on a farm in Walker township, Kent county, Mich., and lived on
the place about six years, when he purchased a farm in section No. 20,
Plainfield township, on which he resided until his death, which occurred a short
time thereafter, when Charles was only six years old. Mrs. Levina Smith was born
in or about 1815. For her second husband she accepted John Dutmers, to whom she
bore four children. These, as well as those whom she bore to her first husband,
she reared to maturity, and aided them to settle in life. She was a very bright
and industrious woman, grew peaches and other fruit, made butter, etc,, and was
quite well to do at her death, on the 9th day of February, 1898.
Charles L. Smith may be styled a self-made man, from a business point of view.
At the age of fourteen years he began making a livelihood for himself by hiring
out as a farm hand, and continued so to labor about four years, when he rented a
farm, which he cultivated for two years, and then purchased a farm of forty
acres in section No. 19, Plainfield township, on which he lived until about
1896, when he again rented land for a year and then purchased his present place
of 100 acres, in section No. 20, which he has since greatly improved by
indefatigable industry, and now has a large peach orchard, which gives promise
of great profit in the near future.
Mr. Smith was united in matrimony September 14, 1875. with Miss Clara Brown, who
was born in Casnovia, Tyrone township, Kent county, Mich., September 4, 1859,
the eldest child of William and Mary Jane (Davenport) Brown. This marriage has
been blessed with six children, born in the following order: Florence Eva, wife
of Charles M. Smith, of Grand Rapids; George William, Levina, Janie, Anna and
Letha. Mr. Smith is a democrat in his political faith, and in religion is a
Catholic. He and wife are greatly respected in their community and well deserve
the position they have attained in the esteem of their neighbors.
Source : (collective work) : The City of Grand Rapids and Kent County, Mich.,
up to date : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative
citizens.; Logansport, Ind.: A.W. Bowen & Co., 1900, 1090 pgs.