Graham Smith (1875 - 1949)

Born 5 Dec 1875 in St. Louis, Missouri

Died 1 Dec 1949 at age 73 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Michael Hruska [send private message]

Biography

Graham Houston Smith Dorey was born on December 5, 1875 to James Smith, who was a Scottish immigrant, and Catherine Jessie Meier. He had two siblings born to his parents, James Smith and Edward Smith, by 1880. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6N7-MM7

Then his father and his youngest brother, Edward, both pass away in 1880. Soon after, as in 1881 or 1882, Graham has to deal with a new father, Gideon Dorey, who he does not get along with, especially considering, he may be the only one of his siblings who remembers his father at all. Due to this, he quickly fell into the wrong crowds and began a life of crime.

In 1895, Graham was charged with assault to kill a 16 year old girl, Kate Nash, under the alias William Dorey. Though, the case was never tried. He is next seen in the enlistment records for the US Army where he was accepted on August 9, 1898 in St. Louis, Missouri, and was discharged on Feb 4 , 1899 where he had been at Ft. McPherson in Georgia (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-L1D8-4XS?i=524&cc=1880762).

After this, his whereabouts are not officially known, although, it is possible that he is in the following census records: 1905 New York State Census: as a boarder to Thomas K Roch and his wife Lydia: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:9Q97-YSR9-PHH?i=17&cc=1463113

or as a boarder to Annie(?) Bradley: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:9Q97-YSR9-JQ6?i=3&cc=1463113

1910 US State Census as a boarder in San Francisco, California: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9RNR-V32?cc=1727033

This one seems particularly likely as it states his father as being born in Scotland and his mother as being born in Pennsylvania, though, him being married for four years with no known wife documented at the moment seems to make that difficult, to be sure.

However, in 1920, he is married to Christine Hallinan who was born in Ireland to a Scottish father and English mother. They have a son named Kenneth who is 4 and Graham is the owner of a Taxi company. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GRF4-RM6?i=6&cc=1488411

After this, things get murky again, as in 1922, Graham, per his US passport application, lived in Cuba from January 11, 1922 to March 7, 1922. He then received his passport on April 24, 1922 and then sailed to France, England, and Spain in May 1922 and returned on June 9, 1922 aboard the SS Aquitania which he had boarded the Port of Southampton on June 3, 1922. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C955-R1PZ?i=417&cc=1368704

He then went back to Christina (who is conspicuous by her absence on this trip) long enough to get her pregnant and have his second child, Graham Thomas, in 1923. He then left her by 1925. After this, not much documentation regarding his time is available except that he moved to Chicago and died on December 1, 1949 after he married a woman named Lucille. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q23W-37G5 ^[1]

This profile is a collaborative work-in-progress. Can you contribute information or sources?

Sources

"United States Passport Applications, 1795-1925," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G96B-ZSN?cc=2185145&wc=3XZS-JWG%3A1056306501%2C1056523701 : 4 September 2015), (M1490) Passport Applications, January 2, 1906 - March 31, 1925 > Roll 1922, 1922 Apr, certificate no 152100-152475 > image 62 of 682; citing NARA microfilm publications M1490 and M1372 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.)

1. ↑ First-hand information as remembered by Michael Hruska, Sunday, August 31, 2014. Replace this citation if there is another source.

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