One of Winn Parish's two 100 year old residents, R. P. "Uncle Bob" Smith died Monday in Winnfield General Hospital after several weeks' illness. His funeral was set for 2 p.m. today.
Until just recently, he had been the life of his family, hosting the 18th annual community birthday party at his home last March, and raising a garden.
He often said his long life was mainly a result of hard work and being careful about what he ate and drank.
His death leaves Mrs. Josephine McDow as the only known Winn resident now 100 years old. She lives in Autumn Leaves Nursing Home in Winnfield with her daughter, Mrs. Jess McCarty, a neighbor of Mr. Smith's.
"Uncle Bob" was born on March 23, 1872 and always celebrated his birthday on the nearest Sunday.
Last March 19, 400-500 people came to the home he built himself out of lumber he sawed in his own mill. He moved on his place in 1899, paid $1.25 an acre for 160 acres and
homesteaded 40 more. A sawmill he got when he was 28 turned out the lumber and he rived out the cypress boards by hand.
His father, John Franklin Smith, lived to 99 years and his youngest brother, P. W. "Pete" Smith of Sikes is 97.
"Uncle Bob" and his first wife, Mary Lou Thornton, had eight children, all still living. Following her death, he married Miss Cora McCartney who died in 1968.
His children are: Walt, Joe, Clarence, Eugene of Sikes; Daniel of Winnfield; Mrs. Etta Medford, Overton, Tex., Mrs. Cora Townsend, Joyce, and Miss Ora Smith of Sikes.
Mrs. Bob McCarty (Beulah), a sister, lives in Monroe and is 97. There are 29 grandchildren, 66 great grandchildren, and 21 great-great grandchildren.
"Uncle Bob" began voting at 21 and never missed a major election. He spent his life at the soil and never missed a spring without tilling and planting.
Once he told a newsman that he "bought the first cottonseed meal ever used here for fertilizer." He brought it on a wagon from a steamboat on the Ouachita River at Columbia.
There wasn't much around Sikes when he moved there. He helped to organize the Union Grove Community Church 79 years ago. And it was much of his effort that went into building the two room Brister School, now inactive but used each August for a homecoming. In 1969 he put up $535 of the $900 used to restore the building for homecoming purposes.
He was against war, and often said he wouldn't have war if he could handle things. He figured he had been good to himself by working hard and taking care of his health and once he was quoted as saying simply "Been good to my country, too."
Today's services were to be conducted by Rev. Ernie Yocum at 2 p.m. in Southern's Chapel. Then burial was planned for the James Cemetery, about two miles south of the Brister Schoolhouse.
Published in The Winn Parish Enterprise-News American, November 15, 1972
Until just recently, he had been the life of his family, hosting the 18th annual community birthday party at his home last March, and raising a garden.
He often said his long life was mainly a result of hard work and being careful about what he ate and drank.
His death leaves Mrs. Josephine McDow as the only known Winn resident now 100 years old. She lives in Autumn Leaves Nursing Home in Winnfield with her daughter, Mrs. Jess McCarty, a neighbor of Mr. Smith's.
"Uncle Bob" was born on March 23, 1872 and always celebrated his birthday on the nearest Sunday.
Last March 19, 400-500 people came to the home he built himself out of lumber he sawed in his own mill. He moved on his place in 1899, paid $1.25 an acre for 160 acres and
homesteaded 40 more. A sawmill he got when he was 28 turned out the lumber and he rived out the cypress boards by hand.
His father, John Franklin Smith, lived to 99 years and his youngest brother, P. W. "Pete" Smith of Sikes is 97.
"Uncle Bob" and his first wife, Mary Lou Thornton, had eight children, all still living. Following her death, he married Miss Cora McCartney who died in 1968.
His children are: Walt, Joe, Clarence, Eugene of Sikes; Daniel of Winnfield; Mrs. Etta Medford, Overton, Tex., Mrs. Cora Townsend, Joyce, and Miss Ora Smith of Sikes.
Mrs. Bob McCarty (Beulah), a sister, lives in Monroe and is 97. There are 29 grandchildren, 66 great grandchildren, and 21 great-great grandchildren.
"Uncle Bob" began voting at 21 and never missed a major election. He spent his life at the soil and never missed a spring without tilling and planting.
Once he told a newsman that he "bought the first cottonseed meal ever used here for fertilizer." He brought it on a wagon from a steamboat on the Ouachita River at Columbia.
There wasn't much around Sikes when he moved there. He helped to organize the Union Grove Community Church 79 years ago. And it was much of his effort that went into building the two room Brister School, now inactive but used each August for a homecoming. In 1969 he put up $535 of the $900 used to restore the building for homecoming purposes.
He was against war, and often said he wouldn't have war if he could handle things. He figured he had been good to himself by working hard and taking care of his health and once he was quoted as saying simply "Been good to my country, too."
Today's services were to be conducted by Rev. Ernie Yocum at 2 p.m. in Southern's Chapel. Then burial was planned for the James Cemetery, about two miles south of the Brister Schoolhouse.
Published in The Winn Parish Enterprise-News American, November 15, 1972
One of Winn Parish's two 100 year old residents, R. P. "Uncle Bob" Smith died Monday in Winnfield General Hospital after several weeks' illness. His funeral was set for 2 p.m. today.
Until just recently, he had been the life of his family, hosting the 18th annual community birthday party at his home last March, and raising a garden.
He often said his long life was mainly a result of hard work and being careful about what he ate and drank.
His death leaves Mrs. Josephine McDow as the only known Winn resident now 100 years old. She lives in Autumn Leaves Nursing Home in Winnfield with her daughter, Mrs. Jess McCarty, a neighbor of Mr. Smith's.
"Uncle Bob" was born on March 23, 1872 and always celebrated his birthday on the nearest Sunday.
Last March 19, 400-500 people came to the home he built himself out of lumber he sawed in his own mill. He moved on his place in 1899, paid $1.25 an acre for 160 acres and
homesteaded 40 more. A sawmill he got when he was 28 turned out the lumber and he rived out the cypress boards by hand.
His father, John Franklin Smith, lived to 99 years and his youngest brother, P. W. "Pete" Smith of Sikes is 97.
"Uncle Bob" and his first wife, Mary Lou Thornton, had eight children, all still living. Following her death, he married Miss Cora McCartney who died in 1968.
His children are: Walt, Joe, Clarence, Eugene of Sikes; Daniel of Winnfield; Mrs. Etta Medford, Overton, Tex., Mrs. Cora Townsend, Joyce, and Miss Ora Smith of Sikes.
Mrs. Bob McCarty (Beulah), a sister, lives in Monroe and is 97. There are 29 grandchildren, 66 great grandchildren, and 21 great-great grandchildren.
"Uncle Bob" began voting at 21 and never missed a major election. He spent his life at the soil and never missed a spring without tilling and planting.
Once he told a newsman that he "bought the first cottonseed meal ever used here for fertilizer." He brought it on a wagon from a steamboat on the Ouachita River at Columbia.
There wasn't much around Sikes when he moved there. He helped to organize the Union Grove Community Church 79 years ago. And it was much of his effort that went into building the two room Brister School, now inactive but used each August for a homecoming. In 1969 he put up $535 of the $900 used to restore the building for homecoming purposes.
He was against war, and often said he wouldn't have war if he could handle things. He figured he had been good to himself by working hard and taking care of his health and once he was quoted as saying simply "Been good to my country, too."
Today's services were to be conducted by Rev. Ernie Yocum at 2 p.m. in Southern's Chapel. Then burial was planned for the James Cemetery, about two miles south of the Brister Schoolhouse.
Published in The Winn Parish Enterprise-News American, November 15, 1972
Until just recently, he had been the life of his family, hosting the 18th annual community birthday party at his home last March, and raising a garden.
He often said his long life was mainly a result of hard work and being careful about what he ate and drank.
His death leaves Mrs. Josephine McDow as the only known Winn resident now 100 years old. She lives in Autumn Leaves Nursing Home in Winnfield with her daughter, Mrs. Jess McCarty, a neighbor of Mr. Smith's.
"Uncle Bob" was born on March 23, 1872 and always celebrated his birthday on the nearest Sunday.
Last March 19, 400-500 people came to the home he built himself out of lumber he sawed in his own mill. He moved on his place in 1899, paid $1.25 an acre for 160 acres and
homesteaded 40 more. A sawmill he got when he was 28 turned out the lumber and he rived out the cypress boards by hand.
His father, John Franklin Smith, lived to 99 years and his youngest brother, P. W. "Pete" Smith of Sikes is 97.
"Uncle Bob" and his first wife, Mary Lou Thornton, had eight children, all still living. Following her death, he married Miss Cora McCartney who died in 1968.
His children are: Walt, Joe, Clarence, Eugene of Sikes; Daniel of Winnfield; Mrs. Etta Medford, Overton, Tex., Mrs. Cora Townsend, Joyce, and Miss Ora Smith of Sikes.
Mrs. Bob McCarty (Beulah), a sister, lives in Monroe and is 97. There are 29 grandchildren, 66 great grandchildren, and 21 great-great grandchildren.
"Uncle Bob" began voting at 21 and never missed a major election. He spent his life at the soil and never missed a spring without tilling and planting.
Once he told a newsman that he "bought the first cottonseed meal ever used here for fertilizer." He brought it on a wagon from a steamboat on the Ouachita River at Columbia.
There wasn't much around Sikes when he moved there. He helped to organize the Union Grove Community Church 79 years ago. And it was much of his effort that went into building the two room Brister School, now inactive but used each August for a homecoming. In 1969 he put up $535 of the $900 used to restore the building for homecoming purposes.
He was against war, and often said he wouldn't have war if he could handle things. He figured he had been good to himself by working hard and taking care of his health and once he was quoted as saying simply "Been good to my country, too."
Today's services were to be conducted by Rev. Ernie Yocum at 2 p.m. in Southern's Chapel. Then burial was planned for the James Cemetery, about two miles south of the Brister Schoolhouse.
Published in The Winn Parish Enterprise-News American, November 15, 1972
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