James Luther Smith Family....The Beginning

James Luther Smith (1830-1911)

James Luther "J. L." Smith was born on November 9, 1830 in Saratoga County, New York.  He left New York at a young age and traveled by boat to New Orleans.  There, it is believed that he worked on boats and was a policeman for about a year.  

Henrietta DeGlando Smith

While living in New Orleans, J. L. met and married Henrietta DeGlando circa 1853.  Henrietta was born in New Orleans on September 29, 1836.

By 1860, J. L. and Henrietta had moved to Catahoula Parish and were living in the area of Trinity.  Some time between 1870 and 1880, they moved to Sicily Island where they bought a farm joining Gottleib Krause's farm.  The farmland was purchased from Mrs. Mary Doniphan and was part of Midship Plantation.  Part of this property is now Highland Cemetery.

In 1875, J. L. built a larger home.  The front part was four large rooms divided by a hall from front to back with an extra large fireplace in each of the two front rooms.  There was a railed gallery running the width of the front.  The large dining room and kitchen was an ell on the back with a porch on the inner side of this ell and across the back of the main house.  In the yard, out from the kitchen, there was a summer house where many household chores were done in the summer. (Our Island Heritage, Vol. 3, 1978, compiled by Sophie Haley and Mickie Smith) 

James Luther "J. L." Smith (left)

The five children born to J. L. and Henrietta were:

Mary Virginia "Jennie", 1856-1876 (m. Joseph A. "Frank" Blackman)
Catherine "Kate", 1859-1936 (m. Thomas Jefferson "Tom" Chisum)
James William "Buck", 1862-1936 (m. Margaret A. "Mary" Kendrick)
Francis Marion "Frank", 1867-1953 (m. Nettie Watson)
Edward Dorsey "Dorse", 1870-1940 (m. Helen Jackson)

Editor's Note:  The children and grandchildren of these five children numbered close to one hundred.  All living in the small village of Sicily Island between the late 1800s and early to mid-1900s. Additional postings will capture the lives of each of these five children and their descendants.

Mollie and Grandmother Henrietta

Mary Virginia "Jennie" died at the age of 20, leaving two small children, Mary Virginia "Mollie" and Henrietta "Nettie", who were raised by J. L. and Henrietta. 

J. L. (seated, far left); Henrietta (seated); granddaughter, Mary Virginia "Mollie" (standing)

James Henry Lytle

Henrietta's half brother, Jim Lytle, had five children when his wife died.
Two of his children, Henry and Mary were also raised by this couple.

Mary Lytle

Catharine, Henrietta's mother

After the death of her third husband and in her late years, Henrietta's mother, Catharine Fullar, lived with them until her death in 1878.  It is believed that Catharine came to America as a young girl from Wurttemberg, Germany with a couple named Herzer and worked as a tutor.  (Editor's Note:  The granddaughter of Johann Christoph Herzer, Caroline Rotham, married Gottleib Krause.) 

 

Henrietta was a well-educated lady who enjoyed reading.  In her late years, her eyesight failed.  As young girls, Janie and Ophelia Langston and Katie Krause would go read to her.  (Our Island Heritage, Vol. 3, 1978, compiled by Sophie Haley and Mickie Smith)

When J. L. died in 1911, his son, Dorse and his wife, Helen, lived in the house and cared for Henrietta until her death in 1917.  Upon Henrietta's death, the property was divided with each child receiving twenty acres.

Old J. L. Smith home place; across from Martin Jr. High

Portion of Highland Cemetery; property that formerly belonged to J. L. Smith

James Luther Smith died on January 25, 1911 and Henrietta DeGlando Smith died on March 28, 1917.  Both are buried in the Old Pine Hill Cemetery in Sicily Island.

James Luther Smith

Henrietta DeGlando Smith