The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1909-03-26
bituary Of T. r. smoot.

obituary OF i. H. Smoot.
IS Che home Of his daughter, in Jack
<zA Tenn, T. r. Smoot died on Marcel
q the dread disease, pneumonia. He
|sj< Union City on Thursday March II
t9 visit his children, Mrs. Mary Kins
and Mr.. Ben Smoot, living in Jackson
la Monday, March Is, he was. seizec
Hlth Il violent chill, which developed in
03jE a1honia, which carried him off on
ti16 horning of Friday, March 10, be
it|g Sick but three and half days.
III the death of T. R. Smoot another
old PRESIDENT is no more, another famil-
face is missing, the places that once
knew him, and SO long knew him, will
know him no more. We will miss his
glad handshake, his pleasant, friendly
erecting and smile. Another old land
mark has gone from among us.
q. R. Smoot was born in Hunting
don, Tenn, rs years ago. In the pass
ing of his brothers, Ben, John (the Doc
torat Fulton, KY and DR.. R. K. Smoot
presbyterian minister in Austin, Tex. }
years ago, followed by the death of his
sister, Mrs. n p Evans, in this county
Z last September, T. r. Smoot was the last
of his family.
Before the war Mr.. Smoot was en-
ployed in a wholesale grocery business
in Paducah, KY. When the war broke
out in 1861 he joined the Southern army
and spent four years fighting for the
South. He kept diary while soldier
boy, which would see the light for an
occasional friend, and which was Won
derfully interesting, but saving that the
fact of his having been a Confederate
soldier was seldom referred to, he, be-
ing conspicuous, usually, by his absence,
at the old soldiers reunions.
After the war, in 1865, Mr.. Smoot re-
turned to Paducah, KY, and for several
years represented the same wholesale
grocery business, and that very success
fully, as knight of the Grip. by
boat and horse, on the Tennessee River,
at that time wild and woolly country
In 1868 or $50 he moved to Paris, Tenn,
where he was engaged in the dry goods
business. In 1872 he moved to Union
City, where he was at first engaged in
the dry goods business, at the corner
now occupied by the Union City Hard
ware Co. Then later he became head
man in d. P. Shoffner's grocery and
drug store, about where Kirkland's now
is on west side of First street. In 1886
to 1892 he was secretary of the G. b. A.
Central Benefit Association. In 1892
to 1894 he was president of that associ-
alton. Since that time he has been oc-
cupied largely in the interest of the fra
ternal order, United Order of the Col
den Cross" of which he was for two
years Grand Commander of the State
of Tennessee, and in which he carried
So. 900 insurance until his death.
I. r. Smoot was, by nature and cult
walton, a fraternal man, and was very |
successful in that field of endeavor, be-
ing both an optimist and an altruist,
which are highly requisite in true fra
ternal man.
L. R. Smoot was a member of the
Southern Presbyterian Church for over
As years At his death he had been an
active ruling elder in the Union City
church for over SO years, was superin-
tendent of its Sunday School for %
years, rarely absent, eminently faithful
in the discharge of his duties in these
offices, he very frequently represented
this church as delegate in Presbytery,
Synod and Assembly.
T. r. Smoot was a man of strong con-
victions, and able at all times to give
a reason for the hope that was in him. "
At the same time he was always willing
that the other fellow" should have the
same liberty that he claimed for HIM
self, viz: To know, to utter and to ar