Looking for info on my grandfather He was born in Syria around 1888 and his name was Jabber Asmail Skyer but when he

Question

got to America he changed it Jasper Hamad Smile and also went by Jaber Boyd Smile
He was brought in for questioning about his wife's murder in America and over 100 people called the police station urging them not release him. He was a hero in both the Syrian military and American. He was friends with Lawrence of Arabia.

Comments

Dear Ashleigh,

   Your grandfather may have lived in Tennessee for a while.  Here is a potential census entry from 1940.

"United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K448-3TB : accessed 14 July 2017), Jasper Smile, Elizabethton, Civil District 15, Carter, Tennessee, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 10-12, sheet 61A, line 6, family , Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 3878.

  Is this your ancestor?  -NGP

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This could be him, too:

"United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XM6J-XNS : accessed 14 July 2017), Jasper Smile, Wheelwright, Floyd, Kentucky, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 19, sheet 11A, line 7, family 202, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 745; FHL microfilm 2,340,480.

-NGP

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Yes!!!! This is him!

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Hi Ashleigh, welcome to G2G forum.

To make a more accurated search there are two points I'd like you might tell us more:

1. Based on your family tree, your father was born on the 1960's, so your grandfather was age 72 or older when your father was born. Are these dates correct?
2. Do you know your grandfather's wife's name?

If you can provide some more information it's much more likely some one can find valuable information for you.

 

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Yes that is correct!! He had several children from all these marriages. My grandmother was Hinda Atrach, she was born around the 1940's her birthday was always in question. She was only 12 when she married Mr. Smile, and came to America with 3 young babies. She couldn't speak any English. The marriage was a Syrian arranged marriage.

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Ashleigh,

This 1920 Passport Application might be of your grandfather:

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9XM-675L

There's a photo at the bottom left corner on the next image (632 of 791).

I saw a photo of your unkle Tony in his gravestone and I think they both look alike very much.

If this Jaber B. Smile is your grandfather the following records may be of interest for you:

WWI Draft Reg. Card: The card on next image (1873 of 3067), Mhmed Smile, might be his younger brother, both of them born in the same city and working for the same company.

Censuses cited by Nanette:

1930 Census: KY, Floyd, Wheelwright, ED(Enumeration District No.) 36-19 (Line 7) Smile Jasper, 42, widow from Syria.

There also is 1930 Census, KY, Floyd, District 6, ED 36-22 (Lines 36 to 38) Smile Jaber B.39, married, from KY, wife Orrema and daughter Dixie (Maybe Dixie Z. cited by Wayne).

Both Mr. Smile same "OCCUPATION" and "INDUSTRY" (Merchant, Drg goods) and (Maybe meaningless) living next door to a family with the last name Little.

1940 Census, TN, Carter, Civil District 15, Elizabethton (Lines 6 to 9) Smile Jasper, 48, married, from Syria, wife Margaret and two daugthers (22 and 19, Otrah and Shikrie on Wayne's first answer) born in Syria, working in a restaurant.

There also is 1940 Census, TN, Sullivan, Civil District 11, Kingsport (Lines 68 and 69) Smile Jaber, 42, married, from Syria, wife Reba, working as mgr lunch counter. This Jaber Smile stated he was living in Prestonsburg, KY on April 1 1935. (Prestonsburg is only 32 Mi. from Wheelwright).

I hope you find useful this information for your research.

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Wow! I'm so sorry I haven't responded sooner! I'm starting to figure the navigation of this site! Thank you so much for this information! That was a picture of my uncle Tony! And all of the information is correct you provided. Another cool fact I found was that my grandmother Linda (Hinda) Smile's father was Sulten Pasha Al-Atrash, he had a lot of achievements in the Civil War.

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Yes that is definetly him

Answer 1

These people came with him in immigration,

Jasper Smile (Merchant)

Otrah (Daughter) ,Hamad (Son), Shikrie (Daughter) Raknieh (Wife) Jadaa

step Daughter.Came on SS MN Vulcania.July 12 1931,Wife and Step daughter,could speak no English,both from Palestine.Hamad had a Engineering Degree and lived in Elizabethton,Tenn.

Comments

Thank you!!

Answer 2

Virginia Marriages 1936-2014, Jasper Smile married Margarette Howington,

Aug 28 1939,Lebanon,Wythe Virginia,Her father W.E.Howington,mother

Louise Thomas,His father Asmail Smile,mother Zana Abo Hasson.

Comments

Yes this is also correct. He was married several times under both names Jaber and Jasper

Answer 3

Tennessee Death Cert.24601,Says died from a self inflicted gun shot.Rukenie Smiles.

Nov 23 1937,Her father Ruken Burnken,mother Makbala Lola,both from

Palestine.

Comments

Yes they ruled,it out as a suicide

Answer 4

Ashleigh<how are related too Dixie Z.Smile who was born March 10 1929

Pike County Kentucky,Shows her mother Orena Gilliam.Looks like Jaber

was married several times.It is confusing,His wife Rukenie died in 1937

of a gunshot wound.Maybe you can explain this.

Comments

I read a newspaper article on this there was a lot of conspiracy on the death

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As far as I see Dixie is his daughter.... So Dixie would be my aunt... I have found so many amazing things about my family.