Bernice Guellen (Fleshman) Smith (1872 - abt. 1959)

Born 7 Oct 1872 in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, United States

Ancestors

Wife of James Edward Smith — married 12 Dec 1889 in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, United States

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Biography

Bernice (aka "Burnis") Guellen Fleshman was born on October 7, 1772, in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, to Robert Moses "Mose" Fleshman, and his wife, Elizabeth (Thompson) Fleshman.

On December 12, 1889, at 17 years old, she married 22-year-old James E. Smith, b: March 10, 1867 in Roane County, West Virginia. They married in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, USA, and settled there. The couple had at least 2 daughters: ^[1]

1. Minnie Florence Smith b: 30 Aug. 1890 in Greenbrier Co., WV
2. Elsie "Ocie" Smith b: 14 January 1896 in Greenbrier Co., WV

On the 1900 US Census, James E. Smith's family was reported: ^[2]

1900 US Census: Quinnimont, Fayette Co., West Virginia, USA

Name....Role....Sex...Birth-Date...Birth-State..Occupation (if any)

James E Smith, Head, M, Mar 1867, West Virginia, RR Engineer

Bernice J Smith, Wife, F, Nov 1871 (sic), West Virginia

Minnie F Smith, Daughter, F, Aug 1889 (sic), West Virginia

Irene Smith, Daughter, F, Mar 1893, West Virginia

Elsie Smith, Daughter, F, Jan 1896, West Virginia

The Census also reported that Bernice had bore 4 children, 3 of whom were still living as of June 1, 1900.

Ten years later, the April 1910 US Census reported the Smith household living on a rented farm in Greenbrier County:^[3]

1910 US Census: Meadow Bluff, Greenbrier, W. Virginia, USA:

Name........Role....Sex....Age....Birth-State.....Occupation (if any)

J. Edward Smith, Head, M, 42, West Virginia, Coal Yard Laborer

Bernice Smith, Wife, F, 38, West Virginia

Minnie Smith, Daughter, F, 19 West Virginia

Rena (Irene) Smith, Daughter, F, 17, West Virginia

Elsie Smith, Daughter, F, 13, West Virginia

Robert Smith, Son, M, 8, West Virginia

Gladys Smith, Daughter, F, 6, West Virginia

Charlie Smith, Son, M, 4, West Virginia

George Nickle, Boarder, M, 16, West Virginia

The 1910 US Census also reported that Bernice Smith had bore 7 children, 6 of whom were living with their parents in 1910.

On January 1, 1920, the US Census reported the Smith household still living in Meadow Bluff District, Greenbrier County, West Virginia:^[4]

1920 US Census: Meadow Bluff, Greenbrier, W. Virginia, USA:

Name........Role....Sex....Age....Birth-State.....Occupation (if any)

J. Edward Smith, Head, M, 53, West Virginia, House Carpenter

Bernice Smith, Wife, F, 47, West Virginia

Elsie Smith, Daughter, F, 21, West Virginia

Robert Smith, Son, M, 19, West Virginia, Laborer Lumber Mill

Gladys Smith, Daughter, F, 16, West Virginia

Charles Smith, Son, M, 13, West Virginia

Howard Smith, Son, M, 9, West Virginia

Eleanor Smith, Daughter, F, 5, West Virginia

James & Bernice had had 2 more children and their 2 oldest daughters had married and left home between 1910-1920.

On the April 1930 US Census, the Smith household was still living in Meadow Bluff, Greenbrier, West Virginia:^[5]

1930 US Census: Meadow Bluff, Greenbrier, W. Virginia, USA:

Name........Role....Sex....Age....Birth-State.....Occupation (if any)

J. Edgar [sic] Smith, Head, M, 61, West Virginia, House Carpenter

Bernice G. Smith, Wife, F, 57, West Virginia

Howard G. Smith, Son, M, 19, West Virginia

Elliner [Eleanor] Smith, Daughter, F, 15, West Virginia

Gladys E. Harris, Daughter, F, 21, W. Virginia, Telephone Operator

James C. Harris, Son-in-law, M, 21, W. Virginia, Mine machinery

James Edward Smith died on February 9, 1939 in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. He was buried at the Rainelle Cemetery, Rainelle, Greenbrier, West Virginia, USA. The photo of his gravestone shows the space reserved for his wife's name etc. defaced/obliterated. ^[6] The only Find A Grave memorial for "Bernice G. Smith" born in 1872 is for a woman who died in 1959 at about 86 years old. She was buried at Fort Lincoln Cemetery, Brentwood, Prince George's County, Maryland, USA. ^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ BroylesFamily1596-2008 on RootsWeb: Bernice Gullen Fleshman
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M9CN-C24 : accessed 1 February 2019), Bernice J Smith in household of James E Smith, Quinnimont district (Precincts 4-6), Fayette, West Virginia, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 21, sheet 12A, family 190, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,758.
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MPNH-V32 : accessed 1 February 2019), Bernice Smith in household of J Edward Smith, Meadow Bluff, Greenbrier, West Virginia, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 40, sheet 1B, family 13, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1681; FHL microfilm 1,375,694.
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MN2R-WSG : accessed 1 February 2019), Bernice Smith in household of James E Smith, Meadow Bluff, Greenbrier, West Virginia, United States; citing ED 61, sheet 9B, line 86, family 168, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 1953; FHL microfilm 1,821,953.
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XM4K-7MK : accessed 1 February 2019), Bernice G Smith in household of J Edgar Smith, Meadow Bluff, Greenbrier, West Virginia, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 22, sheet 8B, line 93, family 163, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 2533; FHL microfilm 2,342,267.
6. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #92707965 retrieved 1 Feb 2019 James E. Smith
7. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #191505301 retrieved 1 Feb 2019

See also:

• "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6RL-J3F : 20 February 2021), Bernice G Fleshman in household of Robert M Fleshman, Meadow Bluff, Greenbrier, West Virginia, United States; citing enumeration district ED 35, sheet 345B, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,255,402.
• BroylesFamily1596-2008 on RootsWeb: Bernice Gullen Fleshman