BIO: R. Morris SMITH, Beaver County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Judy Banja & Joe Patterson Copyright 2005. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/beaver.html http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/beaver/bios/bbios.htm Index for this bio book. _________________________________________________________________ BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES. This Volume Contains Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens of Beaver County, Pennsylvania. Buffalo, N.Y., Chicago, Ill.: Biographical Publishing Company, 1899, pp. 231-232. _________________________________________________________________ REV. R. MORRIS SMITH, a gentleman of high educational attainments, is pastor of the Baden Lutheran church, the Rehoboth church, the House of Mercy, and the Trinity church, of Freedom, Pa., and resides in the borough of Baden, where he is held in the highest esteem by his parishioners and fellow citizens. The extensive duties of his charges are very confining, but being a man of unusual energy and ability, and deeply absorbed in the work of Christ, he has performed them faithfully, as the increased membership will indicate. Mr. Smith was born in Easton, Northampton county, Pa., January 25, 1862, and is descended from a long line of distinguished ancestors. The first of the family of whom there is any record extant is his great-great-grandfather, who was a professor of dogmatic theology at Copenhagen University. His son, the great-grandfather of our subject, was a minister of the Gospel in the Lutheran church, of Denmark and was the first member of the family to come to America, prior to which he was united in marriage with a woman of German birth. He was the first Lutheran minister to preach in the old town of Easton, Pa. His son, P. F. B. Smith, grandfather of the subject of this record, was born seventeen days after the arrival of his parents in this country; he also studied for the ministry. He preached in Easton until his health failed him, when he resigned. His popularity is shown by the fact that he was immediately elected to the office of register and recorder of the county, - a position he held for a period of nine years, - when he retired and was then elected justice of the peace. Being a very fine penman, he had plenty to do in the way of writing wills and deeds. He and his wife had seventeen children, three of whom are still living. George Q. F. Smith, the father of the subject hereof, was the oldest son, and was born January 1, 1825, at Easton, Pa., and was intellectually trained in the Easton public schools. He became a merchant tailor and very successfully followed that vocation all of his active life, becoming quite prominent, but is now living a retired life in Stockertown, Pennsylvania. He is a Republican in politics, and, although he has been a hard worker for the party's success, he has never accepted office other than that of school director. Religiously, he is an active member of the Lutheran church, and has held all of the church offices. He is a member of the Masonic order, Knights Templar, and the Jr. O. U. A. M. Mr. Smith was united in marriage with Mary A. Millar, who was born at Mt. Bethel, Northampton county, Pa., and they have five children: Emma C. (Uhler); Millard Fillmore; Mary E. (Sandt); Amanda A. (Kiefer); and R. Morris, the subject of this biographical record. R. Morris Smith received his primary edu- 232 BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES cation in the public schools of Easton, after which he took a classical course at Trach's Academy and entered Muhlenberg College. He graduated from that institution in 1883, with the degree of A. B., and three years later with the degree of A. M., taking third honors in his class. He then went to Texas, where he was given charge of the Mission Valley Academy, but in 1884 he entered the Lutheran Theological Seminary, from which he was graduated in 1887, being ordained in June of that year. He was then called to Baden to accept his present charges, as successor of the Rev. Dr. Passarant, who, assisted by his son, had been established there for twenty-one years. It is the oldest church in Baden and he is its second pastor. Faithfully and well is he discharging the multifarious duties of these charges, and that his efforts have not been without their reward, we need but mention that the congregation of the Baden church has increased to double its size when he went there. He also erected a handsome new church edifice at Freedom, and is deeply interested in its future. Besides his pastoral duties, Rev. Mr. Smith has completed a post graduate course in the Chicago Theological Seminary, in the study of liturgics. He is at present engaged in literary work, and has several pamphlets on this subject, in the press. He is a member of the college fraternity, Alpha Tau Omega. On October 13, 1887, Mr. Smith was united in marriage with Minnie Balliet Trumbower, a daughter of Harrison and Josephine (Balliet) Trumbower, who was born in Hokendauqua, Pa., and obtained her education in the public schools of Allentown, graduating from the high school in 1886. Two children were born to bless their home, namely: Phillip M., deceased; and Mary J. Mr. Smith is a Republican in politics, and, although he does not desire office, believing they should be filled by the laity, he consented to accept the place of school director.