G2G: I am looking for birth records and parents of Daniel Webster Smith born about 1888 in PA.

Question

My grandfather, Daniel Webster Smith, died at age 56 years of age, before I was born.  I have questioned my aunts and uncles, and they say he never mentioned his family. None of his children knew anything of  his family or background.  I found a census that states he was born in Pennsylvania in about 1888.  I do know that he ran away from home at the age of 14 and that he lied about his age and joined the navy.  The navy kicked him out when they learned his true age.  He then went on to be a police officer, a fireman, and several other occupations.  He married Mamie Idella Boyer (my grandma) and they had 14 children.  Alma, Harriet, Arlis, Margaret, Della, Wilma, Marian, Doris, Audrey, Ethel, Lincoln, Edward (Chet, my Dad), Daniel, Charles.

Answer 1

The first thing I would do is gather all the paperwork you can on him that's available from your family ( his sisters ). Do yo have his marriage license to your grandmother ? His birth certificate ?? His death record ?? His burial spot ??

Have you tried www.familysearch.org ??

And also the Pennsylvania section of www. ancestry.com ??

 

 

Answer 2

From his marriage and death certificates - he was born June, 1889 in Johnstown, PA and married there. His parents are listed as John and Matilda Smith.  From that information you may be able to search for more using familysearch.org or by checking records in Johnstown.

Good Luck

From familysearch:

Ohio Deaths

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11775-26270-66?cc=1307272&wc=12813951

Daniel W Smith

address:  81 Oak Terrace, Summit OH

Male  age: 56y 6m 25d  Married  White

occupation:  Machinist

birth date    22 Jun 1889 Johnstown, PA

Death  17 Jan 1946  

Burial  January 20. 1946  Ellet Memorial Park

Funeral Director:  Don  R Long,  293 E. Market, Akron

father: John Smith  mother:  Unk

spouse: Mamie  age 48

Informant:  Lincoln Smith, 81 Oak Terrace

 

Pennsylvania, County Marriages

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-159316-23344-94?cc=1589502&wc=MMY5-334:1207541015

Daniel W. Smith

Residence  Johnstown, PA

age: 22    White

father: John Smith  mother: Matilda

Marriage  05 Jun 1913  Ebensburg, Cambria, PA

Official  G W Rench, Minister of the Gospel

spouse: Mamie I. Boyer

Residence   Johnstown, PA

age: 17  est birth 1896  

father: John Boyer   mother: Margaret

 

Answer 3

I guess you have seen this link, correct?

http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=scpoppy&id=I48946

and this attached Post-em: http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igmpostem.cgi?op=show&app=scpoppy&notify=SaKGHM3C6oDquRmC-Mv1Ry3J0H9mp6xu&key=I48946&return=%3Ca+href%3D%22%2Fcgi-bin%2Figm.cgi%3Fop%3DGET%26amp%3Bdb%3Dscpoppy%26amp%3Bid%3DI48946%22%3EReturn+to+WorldConnect%3C%2Fa%3E