Joseph Azor Smith (1921 - 1991)

Born 13 Oct 1921 in Bixby, Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States

Husband of Patricia Delphine (DeFoe) Smith — married about 1956 in Washington, Arkansas, United States

Died 3 May 1991 at age 69 in Alabama, United States

Biography

The son of Daniel Webster Smith (1883-1958) and Nina Lester Hudnall (1893-1973), Joe was born in Bixby, Oklahoma in 1921.^{[citation needed]} In 1930, he and his family lived in Bentonville, Arkansas, where his father worked as a cobbler at a shoe shop.^[1]

His parents divorced; in 1940, Joe lived in Muskogee Township, Oklahoma with his father and his siblings. His father worked as an automobile mechanic, working at his own shop and that year, Joseph worked at an iron foundry as a core maker.^[2] His siblings included:

1. Edward Smith (1907-1978)
2. Ruby Reamer Smith (1909-2003)
3. Spencer D. Smith (1911-1962)
4. Nathaniel A. Smith (1919-1998)
5. Donley Smith (1924-)
6. Wilburn D. Smith (1926-1988)
7. William N. Smith (1927-)
8. Margaret Leona (Smith) Megee (1928-1995)

Joseph enlisted in the United States Army on August 21, 1940, enlisting at Tulsa, Oklahoma and serving as a Private in the Quartermaster Corps.^[3] He was discharged on October 17, 1945.^[4] He registered for the World War II draft that same year, when he was 24, registering in Tulsa, Oklahoma on October 23, 1945.^[5] He stated that he lived in Bixby, Oklahoma and that he did not work, as he was a disabled veteran.

Joseph married Marguerite Amy Cunningham (1917-1963), the daughter of Earl Brown Cunningham and Amy Lovice Eagley, her third husband, having one daughter together, Marsha Ann Smith (1945-2000). The marriage did not last and Joseph remarried, marrying Elizabeth Louise (Harrison) Crabtree (1919-1990), the daughter of Thomas Elmer Harrison and Effie Josephine Sidebottom, her second husband, marrying in Washington County, Arkansas on February 13, 1947.^[6] Elizabeth Crabtree had been married previously to Herbert Thomas Crabtree (1924-1985). That marriage ended in divorce, with the divorce petition final in Marion County, Florida in 1948.^{[citation needed]}

After the divorce, Joseph re-enlisted in the United States Army, serving as a Corporal, entering service on June 29, 1948 and being discharged on March 30, 1950.^[7] Joseph remarried, marrying Patricia Delphine (DeFoe) Smith, marrying in Florida around 1957 and having two children with her. That marriage ended in divorce and Joseph married a fourth time, marrying Mary Ann Diebold (1921-), receiving their marriage certificate in Sand Springs, Oklahoma on December 20 with the marriage solemnized there on December 22, 1977.^[8]

Joseph Smith passed away at the age of 69, residing last in ^[9] and is buried at Fort Gibson National Cemetery in Fort Gibson, Oklahoma.^[10]

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1930", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XM26-JMM : Wed Oct 04 06:36:36 UTC 2023), Joseph Smith in Entry for Joseph Smith, 1930.
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VBK4-TL2 : Tue Nov 28 14:09:21 UTC 2023), Joseph Smith in Entry for Spencer D Smith and Olive Jaunita Smith, 1940.
3. ↑ "United States World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KMNV-259 : 5 December 2014), Joseph A Smith, enlisted 21 Aug 1940, Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States; citing "Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938-1946," database, The National Archives: Access to Archival Databases (AAD) (http://aad.archives.gov : National Archives and Records Administration, 2002); NARA NAID 1263923, National Archives at College Park, Maryland.
4. ↑ Joseph A Smith discovered in U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010[1] via @Ancestry. Beneficiary Identification Records Locator Subsystem (BIRLS) Death File. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Ancestry.com. U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
5. ↑ National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For Oklahoma, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 469; Serial No. T-1192; Order No. T-10798-A. Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Ancestry Record 2238 #14077133 with attached Image
6. ↑ "Arkansas, County Marriages, 1837-1957," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V4N9-DF4 : 9 March 2021), Joseph A Smith, 13 Feb 1947; citing Marriage, Washington, Arkansas, United States, county offices, Arkansas; FHL microfilm 2,020,348.
7. ↑ Joseph Azor Smith discovered in U.S., Veterans' Gravesites, ca.1775-2019[2] via @Ancestry. National Cemetery Administration; U.S. Veterans' Gravesites. National Cemetery Administration. Nationwide Gravesite Locator. National Cemetery Administration. U.S., Veterans' Gravesites, ca.1775-2019 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.
8. ↑ "Oklahoma, County Marriages, 1890-1995." Database with images. FamilySearch. "Oklahoma, County Marriages, 1890-1995," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2Z5-Z1WJ : 22 July 2021), Joseph Azor Smith and Mary Ann Diebold, 20 Dec 1977; citing Oklahoma, various county courthouses, Oklahoma; FHL microfilm.
9. ↑ "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V3WB-3ZF : 10 January 2021), Joseph A Smith, 14 Sep 1991; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
10. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/3016412/joseph_azor-smith: accessed February 18, 2024), memorial page for Joseph Azor Smith (13 Oct 1921–3 May 1991). Fort Gibson National Cemetery, Fort Gibson, Muskogee County, Oklahoma, USA; Maintained by R Burnett (contributor 47445819). Find A Grave: Memorial #3016412