Malissa Ann (Harris) Smith (1839 - 1921)

Born 10 Dec 1839 in Canaan, Shelby Twp, Jefferson, Indiana, USA

Ancestors

Daughter of Hiram Harris and Martha Harris

Wife of Francis Marion Smith — married 3 May 1858 in Jefferson, Indiana

Descendants

Died 19 Aug 1921 at age 81 in Studley, Sheridan, Kansas, USA

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Barry Smith [send private message] and Weldon Smith [send private message]

Biography

Malissa's marriage is of public record^[1].

In 1900, Malissa was a widow, 61, farming in Sheridan County, KS^[2]. She stated that she was mother of eight, six still living. Her son Frank A. Smith (23) is shown as head of house, and son Walter C. Smith (17) living there as Ag. Lab.

Malissa farmed 160 acres, being a Q of 24-7-36 in Sheridan County, KS^[3]. In addition she left personal property valued at $1258^[4], including:

• 5 yo mare
• 17 yo horse
• 5 yo cow
• calf
• 450 bu corn
• 423 bu wheat
• cash assets

Name shown as Mallissa, Malissa, Melisa, Malisa, and Melissa in various records. The marriage license says Malissa, as does her grave monument and her obituary, so that is what we use; the 1880 census and most later family records use Malisa (the LDS transcription of the 1880 census shows Melissa.) The family may have called her Eliza when she was younger^[5].

Her published obituary^[6],which contains our only known public record of her DoB, reads:

MRS. SMITH, AGED STUDLEY WOMAN, IS AT REST

August 19, the Studley community was called upon to mourn the loss of one of its own citizens when the recording angel claimed the life of Mrs. Malissa Smith, who had been a familiar character in that community for over thirty years, and was always kind and considerate of others and never grew weary in well doing.

This good lady was the mother of a large family of highly esteemed children who will always reverence and cherish her memory.

Obituary

Malissa Ann Harris, daughter of Hyram and Martha Harris, was born December 10, 1839, at Canaan, Jefferson County, Indiana.

On May 4, 1858 she was united in marriage to Francis M. Smith. To this union were born eight children: Martha Jane Crom, Frankfort, Kansas; Charles Newton Smith, Jewel City, Kansas; Claire Loretta Freeman, who died in 1891; Luella, who died in infancy; Sarah Edith Mauck, Morland, Kansas; F. A. smith, Lucerne, Kansas; George J. Smith, Beloit, Kansas; and Walter C. Smith, who died at Studley in 1917.

In the year of 1886, the deceased moved to Randall, Kansas, then later to Scottsville, Kansas, where the husband died in 1894. Five years after his death she moved to Sheridan county where she continued to make her home until her death which occurred at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Mauck.

She was converted and united with the M. E. church when but twelve years of age, and later was baptized into the reorganized church of Jesus Crist of Latter Day Saints of which faith she was a constant believer and always found great joy in the Christian life she loved.

Her remains were taken to Beloit, Kansas, and laid to rest beside her husband, funeral services being in charge of Elder Luther Shoemaker.

Sources

1. ↑ "Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VBQ2-1GD : accessed 1 June 2016), Francis M Smith and Malissa A Harris, 04 May 1858; citing Jefferson, Indiana, United States, various county clerk offices, Indiana; FHL microfilm 1,310,209.
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MMY5-73Z : accessed 14 August 2022), Melissa A Smith in household of son Frank A Smith, Adell, Bow Creek & Union Townships, Sheridan, Kansas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 156, sheet 5A, family 85, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.)
3. ↑ Probate Court schedule of real property, notarized 31 Aug 1921, Sheridan County, Kansas
4. ↑ Probate Court Residue of Property and Effects, 31 Aug 1921, Sheridan County, Kansas
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHJ2-GH7 : 4 April 2020), Hirum Harris, Canaan, Jefferson, Indiana, United States; citing family 304, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
6. ↑ Newspapers.com shared image

Acknowledgments

• Family researcher and profile creator, Weldon Smith
• Thanks to all cousins, keepers of Malissa's family records
• Thank you to Kitty Smith for contributions to this profile.
• Thank you to SJ Baty for obit clippings.

DNA

We look for cousins who match our DNA. Hopefully, both matching people have family trees able to show the most recent common ancestors (MRCA) of the matching cousins.

• Paternal and maternal relationships are DNA-Confirmed with a 23andMe test match between William Kincaid and Weldon Smith, third cousins. Predicted relationship from 23andMe: "3rd to 5th Cousin based on 0.39% DNA shared across 2 segments." This is likely the minimal possible DNA overlap for direct 1-1 comparison, but comparison with other identified relations shows similar overlaps on the segment of chromosome 3.
  • The MRCA of Weldon and William is Weldon<-James Smith<-Charles Smith<-Malissa Ann Harris<-(MRCA Hiram Harris+Martha Harris)->Martha J. Raybourn->Sarah Kincaid<-Enoch Kincaid<-William
• A 23andMe test match between Weldon Smith and Ancestry tester jason1955_js, 2C1R. The match is 103cM over 4 segments.
  • The MRCA of Weldon and Jason is Weldon<-James Howard<-Charles Newton<-MRCA(Francis Marion Smith + Malissa Harris)->Francis Arno->Arno->Elbert Leslie->Jason Smith