Obit: Smith, Frank Xavier (1868 - 1938)

Contact:  Crystal Wendt

Surnames: Smith, Zess, Bentz, Stone

----Sources: Neillsville Press (Neillsville, Clark County, Wis.) 4 Aug. 1938

-Smith, Frank Xavier (3 Jan. 1868 - 26 July 1938)

Frank Xavier Smith was born in Gromenrueth, Bavaria, Germany, January 3, 1868, and died at his farm home in the town of Lynn July 26 at the age of 70 years. Mr. Smith came to America at the age of 16 with an uncle. He worked for a number of years around Mauston, Wis., then went west and railroaded in Washington and Oregon and later worked on levees in Louisiana and Mississippi.

Mr. Smith returned to St. Paul in 1891 and thence went to Cudahy where he worked in the meat packing plant until September 23, 1919, when he moved to Clark County with his family, buying what is known as the Ingersoll farm in the town of Lynn, where he lived until his death.

Mr. Smith was united in marriage with Ida L. Zess, April 24, **1867. To them were born four children, who with the wife, survive, being Raymond of Milwaukee; Urban of Visalis, Calif.; Alice (Mrs. Oscar E. Bentz) of Alden, Ill., and Vernon at home.

Funeral services were held on Friday afternoon at the Gilbertson funeral parlors, Granton, Rev. E. P. Stone of Neillsville officiating. Burial took place in Windfall Cemetery.

***Note -- This was the way it was typed in the original write up. After doing some searching it appears they were married in 1897, according to the census records and marriage index for Milwaukee County, Wis.; The month and day are correct. Ida is index with the surname Jess under the marriage index.