Fidelia Adelaide SMITH was born on 7 Dec 1861 in the Stillwater portion of Smithfield, (Providence), Rhode Island to Henry A. SMITH (1818-1876) and Emily M. MATHEWSON (1840-1886). Fidelia descends from several of Rhode Island's founding families, including WILLIAMS (Roger), HARRIS, OLNEY, ANGELL, MOWRY, SAYLES, BROWN(E), HARRIS, ARNOLD, WINSOR, WATERMAN, WHIPPLE, etc., etc.
Fidelia was raised in Smithfield, (Providence), Rhode Island with her seven younger siblings, who are listed as follows:

2. Mary Eliza SMITH (1863- ) md 1st- 21 Mar 1885 to Charles Denner ARNOLD (1861-1926) Issue: Charlotte M. ARNOLD (1886- ), Frederick Pardon ARNOLD (1887-1942), Cora J. ARNOLD (1889- ). Charles and Mary were divorced prior to 1900. She md 2nd- 8 Jun 1908 to James Jillson BROWN (1852-1927).

3. Lenora Jane SMITH (1865-1935) md 18 Apr 1888 to Albert Joseph SALT (1865-1917).

4. Lydia M. SMITH (1867- ).

5. George Arnold SMITH (1869-1924) md 22 Aug 1894 to Lillian E. NUTTING (1875- ) Issue: Everett Forest SMITH (1895-1978), Esther Rita SMITH (1896- ), Lillian Louise SMITH (1899-1976), Emily Augusta SMITH (1905- ), Henry Edgar SMITH (1908-1998), Wilson A. SMITH (1914-1990).

6. Emily E. SMITH (1871-1903) md 7 Jun 1893 to William Alfred WHITE (1870-1944) Issue: Anna Mae WHITE (1898-1983), Thelma Florence WHITE (1903-1984).

7. Abraham Lincoln SMITH (1873- ) md 27 Nov 1890 to Blanche WHITE (1873- ) Issue: Elsie May SMITH (1891-1986), Ralph Lincoln SMITH (1898- ).

8. Hannah Eldora SMITH (1874-1877)

The family of Henry SMITH was fairly affluent, being worth $30,000, according to the 1870 U.S. Census.

On 16 Oct 1884 at Smithfield, (Providence), Rhode Island, Fidelia married Andrew DEAETT. He was born on 16 Oct 1860 in Richford, (Franklin), Vermont and died on 17 Jul 1934 in Middleboro, (Plymouth), Massachusetts of a heart attack. Andrew descends from Pierre GUILLET dit Lajeunesse (1626-1695), who emigrated from La Rochelle, France to Quebec in about 1645. The name was changed due to the illiteracy of Andrew's father, Isaac DEAETT, who left Quebec to settle in Northern Vermont. Records for Isaac have his name spelled various ways, including DEAETT, DOET, DEAETTE, DEATT and DEATTE.

Andrew was baptized as Roman Catholic at St. Albans, (Franklin), Vermont on 1 June 1862. This is still a mystery as to how it was acceptable for Fidelia and him to wed. They didn't have a Catholic wedding ceremony, nor are they buried in a Catholic cemetery, but a few of their children and grandchildren were/are active Catholics. If you have any details as to the reaction of Fidelia's puritan/Quaker family would be very interesting.

Andrew, along with two of his brothers, left Vermont, and moved to Providence, (Providence), Rhode Island. They were in the dairy industry, initially as milkmen, but finally owning and operating successful dairies in the East Providence area.

Andrew and Fidelia settled at 28 Mary Avenue in East Providence, (Providence), Rhode Island. This property was both their home and the dairy. They had seven children, all born in East Providence:

1. Nettie Aldora DEAETT (1885-1977) md 17 Mar 1903 to Charles Herburt GOULD (1882-1946) Issue: Herburt Andrew GOULD (1904-1950), Helen V. GOULD (1911-2000)

2. Chester Arthur DEAETT (1886-1972) md 12 Nov 1907 to Alice Louise SOULE (1888-1986) Issue: Ruth Louise DEAETT (1908-2002), Hazel M. DEAETT (1911-1998), Dorothy DEAETT (1915-1989).

3. Earl Albert DEAETT (1888-1940) md about 1920 to Fanny Elizabeth LITTLE (1890-1981) Issue: Elizabeth Little DEAETT (1922-1922).

4. Elsie May DEAETT (1890-1976) md 2 Dec 1910 to William Frank FICKERT (1887-1963) Issue: Ernest E. FICKERT (1912-1987).

5. Pearl Inez DEAETT (1893-1893).

6. My Great Grandfather, Elton Harold DEAETT (1897-1965) md 3 Dec 1917 to Marie Elise Bernadette "Alice" FOURNIER (1895-1987) Issue: Elton Harold DEAETT (1918-1993), Chester Andrew DEAETT (1920-2014), Donald Arthur DEAETT (1922-2009), Rita Doris DEAETT (1923-1997), Peter Warren DEAETT (1925-Living), Marjorie DEAETT (1927-Living), Alice DEAETT (1929-Living).

7. Ernest Andrew DEAETT or Ernest John DEAETT (1900-1972) md Yvonne M. __________ (1898-1968). No issue.

Fidelia died prematurely of an unknown illness at the age of 53 on 26 April 1914 at home in East Providence.

Shortly after her death, her widower, Andrew married a divorced woman about 30 years his junior, named Eva M. (BESSETTE) BLAIS (1887-1955). Eva was a childhood good friend of Andrew and Fidelia's daughter-in-law, Alice (FOURNIER) DEAETT, both having grown up in New Bedford, (Bristol), Massachusetts.

Family lore explains that a few years after their wedding, Andrew sold the dairy and home in East Providence, and moved, with Eva, to New Bedford, purchasing and running a boarding house in the area. The new business depleted any profit made from the sale of the dairy. Eva then had an affair with a younger man, whom she met while working at the boarding house. Once Andrew was made aware of this, he divorced her, leaving New Bedford, financially ruined.

He spent the remainder of his life living with his daughter and son-in-law, Charles and Nettie (DEAETT) GOULD in Grafton, (Worcester), Massachusetts. He was again working, as a steamfitter's helper for a Dye Works factory in 1930, at the age of 60.

Most of his children remained in the New England area throughout their lives, however his son Elton Harold DEAETT and wife Alice (FOURNIER) DEAETT moved to the west coast, settling in the San Diego area in the early 1960s.

If you have additional details on this family (big or small), please email me at [email protected].