Charles Henry Smith

Charles Henry Smith is my great grandfather.  For my nieces and nephew, he is your Grandpa Smith's grandpa. He was born in 1873 and is the first of the Smiths in our line to be born in the United States.  His parents were born in England.  He was in a big family!  He had 4 brothers and 6 sisters.

Charles was baptized in his youth, but somehow, the record of his baptism got lost and right before he went on his mission, he had to get baptized again.  He served his mission in England.

When he came back from his mission, he married Lillie Veletty Stokes.

Lillie Smith with her grandson (my dad)

 When Charles and Lillie first moved to Idaho, their house was not very comfortable.  They had to burn sagebrush for heat and haul water from a well. 

The Smiths eventually had a better house near Burley, Idaho.  Charles was a farmer and a well driller.  They had an orchard, sheep, geese, cattle and horses. The Charles Smith family was also big.  He and Lillie had 10 children. Charles was the first bishop of the Pella Ward, near Burley.

I did not ever get to meet Charles.  He died in 1944 LONG before I was born.  But I did get to meet Lillie.  The little girl in this picture is me and the little boy is my brother Jeff.  Lillie is the woman on the far right.  I don't remember this meeting.

Many years later at the Burley airport

One of the daughters of Charles and Lillie lived a long time and died just last year.  She was almost 101 years old! 


Me and Lareana