John Patrick "Jno" Smith, my grandfather for whom I am named, was the fourth of eleven children of Patrick and Mary Reilly Smith, of San Augustine, Texas. As the result of an accidental gun shot wound he became a cripple, confined to a wheel chair prior to his marriage. This picture of Jno in his wheel chair was taken in his office of San Augustine County Treasure, ground floor, NE corner of the courthouse. Not certain of date taken.

On 28 Aug 1907, he married Mary Elizabeth SIZEMORE, the daughter of William R. and Mary K. SIZEMORE, of San Augustine, Texas and had two children. He also served as the San Augustine County Treasurer up till his death and was succeed in that office by his wife.

The iron fence surrounding the Smith section was ordered by Jno P. Smith, 15 Dec 1906 from the Stewart Iron Works, Cincinnati, Ohio, for $146.00 to be delivered by railroad. It then had to be installed and from an invoice from Frank Blount 9 April 1907, this had been done for $142.04. See copy of the fence order in the Photos...

The Smith/Catholic Cemetery land was originally owned by Bernard Reilly, who sold the 50 acres to Farrell Reilly, his older brother, for $150. In May, 1878, Patrick Smith acquired the property at a sheriff's sale. The land for the Smith/Catholic Cemetery was deeded by Patrick Smith to Nicholas A. Gallagher, Bishop of Galveston, on May 15, 1889.

In 1997, the local Catholic church prelates wanted to remove the iron fence. Ken Skilleren was able to keep them from doing that... thank you, Ken....

Michael G. Smith was the youngest child of the Smith family who wrote a biographical sketch of his parents and his siblings in the 1960's. The following is what he wrote about his older brother, John Patrick...

"John Smith was born July 7, 1880. He attended business college afer graduating from San Augustine Texas high school. He lived all his life in San Augustine and was crippled and on crutches due to accidentally being shot by Bernard. The bullet landed in his spine. He married Elizabeth Sizemore and to the union one son, William Patrick Smith (my father) was born. John died in 1929 and is buried in Smith Cemetery in San Augustine, Texas."