The Coconino sun., 1927-04-08
PIONEER FATHER OF JESS
r. SMITH DIED MONDAY

The west lost one of its rugged and
picturesque pioneers Monday evening
at Prescott in the sudden death Of
Louis Benjamin Smith Of Oljeto,
Utah.
Death was due it was thought, to
heart strain received three weeks
previously, when Mr.. Smith had
worked from 8 o'clock in the morning
to III the afternoon trying to start
his car, which stalled Is miles from
Kayenta on the road to Red Lake.
Ever in the best of health, he was ac-
cugtomed to use his superb strength
without stint. But the excessive exer-
tion followed by the long walk back
to Kayenta in searchingly cold wind
told even on his remarkable physique.
The trip after the car next day added
to this, proved too much. He COM
planned that night of q pain IN his
heart and was forced to remain In
bed for several days. DR.. Campbell
of Tuba City attended him and ad-
vised his going to Tuba. This he did,
accompanied by his wife and son
Ned. There he seemed to improve
and decided to go to Phoenix for ex-
animation by Dr. Ed Payne Palmer.
Accompanied by his wife and son Ned
he got as far as Prescott, when he be-
came so weak that he entered Mercy
hospital, where he died on Monday.
Another son, Jess r. Smith, and wife
reached him that morning before he
died, as did another son, Albert, from
Grand Canyon.
The widow and sons accompanied
the body to Flagstaff on Tuesday.
Mrs. John Taylor, the daughter with
whom Mr.. and Mrs. Smith made their
home at Oljeto, heard Of her fathers
death Wednesday when she reached
Tuba City, and came to Flagstaff that
night.
The funeral was held yesterday aft
ernoon at 2:30 from the Federated
church, Rev. F. S. Herndon of Tuba
City officiating Interment was in
Citizens cemetery. The pail bearers
were-R. B. Corbett, William O'Brien,
John Nichols, Hubert Richardson,
Melvin Corbett and Oliver Allsup.
Louis Benjamin Smith was born 65
years ago on a farm in Iowa of
pioneer parentage, his mothers sister
having been the first white child born
in Chicago His parents made three
LTiDS dEIOSS LAlt p1diilS 1Al etIt. OA-IrAA ~
the third trip being when he was three
years old. They settled near Denver,
where the father pioneered with other
miners and stockmen of Central City
and Black Hawk. His boyhood was
passed in this environment, and when
he grew to manhood he carried on his
fathers stock raising business, which
had become one of the larger ones Of
Colorado.
He married Inez Levey, a Colorado
girl, when he was Fl, and established
his home near Longmont, Colo. He
continued in the live stock business
but also participated in the building of
the TT. Lyon canal. During the Boer
war he handled many horses for the
British. He cleared the ranges Of
eastern Colorado of wild horses.
Later on he moved TO Nevada, where
he spent four years with his son, jess,
catching and shipping wild horses to
the market at st. Louis. They ship
ped the remarkable number of 5000
horses and cleared mostsof them from
the range. For the past seven years,
until recently, he had lived at Cortez,
Colo, where he engaged in the sheep
and cattle business on the reservation.
He IS survived by his widow, three
sons. Jess r. Smith Of Tuba City, Ned,
in the reclamation service at Tuba
City, and Albert, forest ranger in the
park service at Grand Canyon-and a
daughter, Mrs. John Taylor OF Oljeto.