Any Rebecca (Downey) Smoot was the daughter of James Downey (1790-1848) who was born in Virginia and died in Kentucky; and Mariah/Maria (Aldridge) Downey (1795-1860) who was born in Kentucky and died in Macon County, Missouri.

Rebecca was sometimes listed in census records as Annie, but her name is Any on her tombstone. She was listed as Rebecca on her marriage record and other census records.

Rebecca's parents were married in 1826 in Edgar County, Illinois. They continued to live in Illinois until after the birth of their first child in 1826. By 1832, they had moved to Henry County, Kentucky, where the remainder of their children were born, including Rebecca.

Rebecca had the youngest of the following known siblings:

Rachel Downey 1828-
Nancy Downey 1832-1910
Thomas Downey 1837-1908
Jacob Downey 1839-1885

Rebecca's father died in Kentucky 1848. By 1850, Rebecca's mother had taken the children to Macon County, Missouri.

1850 Census of District 52, Macon County, Missouri:

Mariah Downey 52
Rachel Downey 22
Nancy Downey 17
Thomas Downey 16
Jacob Downey 13
Rebecca Downey 7

1860 Census of Independence Township, Macon County, Missouri:

Maria Downey 65
Nancy Hines 26
Thomas Downey 22
Jacob Downey 20
Rebecca Downey 18

Rebecca's mother died shortly after this census.

On December 18, 1867, Rebecca married Abraham Smoot in Macon County, Missouri. (On their marriage record, Abraham's last name is incorrectly recorded as Dale. This was Abraham's mother's maiden name, but how it got on his marriage record is unknown.)

Rebecca and Abraham lived and farmed in Macon County, Missouri, for the rest of their lives. They had the following known children:

James W. Smoot 1869-
Thomas Eugene Smoot 1870-
Ida Jane Smoot 1873-1959
John Philip Smoot 1874-1945

Rebecca died in 1903 and Abraham in 1916. Both are buried at Hopewell Cemetery. There is a stone for Rebecca, at it assumed that Abraham is buried beside her, but there is no visable stone for him.

- Written and photographed by Blytha (Dennis) Ellis