Robert Raymond Smith Family
Rev. Robert Raymond Smith was sent to the Rusk Methodist Church in November 1935. He pastored several churches, including Rusk, Beatrice, Cisco, Island Run, Flint Run and Mt. Zion, which was located near the Ritchie / Calhoun line. At that time ministers had to walk or borrow a horse from the neighbors to go from one church to another. With his wife and seven children, he lived in the Methodist parsonage at Rusk until his death in 1937. His body was taken back to Mill Creek, Randolph County for burial. (The Smiths were originally from Randolph County.) He had preached at Falls Mills and West Milford before being sent to Ritchie County by the Methodist Conference.
After his death, Mrs. Smith and the children remained in Ritchie County and moved later to the Null farm on Gillespie, which they purchased. They attended the North Fork Baptist Church and Cairo High School.
Mrs. Smith died in 1968, two years after her son was killed. The children included:
French Smith, who married Mary Virginia Pribble and lived with their three children, Connie, Lynn and Richard, at Cisco. French died in 1986, just four months after Mary Virginia's death.
Olive Smith married Ernest "Buss" Kerns anad lived in Wood County with their three children, Eldon, James and Barbara. He was a native of Gillespie Run and died in 1992. She currently resides at Murphytown, Wood County.
Lawrence Smith married Betty Lou Nichols after serving several years in the U. S. Navy. They were later divorced. He died in 1980.
Edith Smith married Harold Mason from Gillespie Run and they lived there with their four children, Roger, Linda, Perry and Sandra. Harold died in 1989. Edith now lives in Parkersburg.
Iris Smith married Paul Parks from Gillespie and they lived in Florida with their children, Paulette, Pamela and Kimberly. She died in 1989 and he in 1993.
Robert and Raymond were twins and attended Jackson grade school on Gillespie Run and Cairo High School. Robert became an ordained minister and in 1965 married Patricia Lewis. He was killed in an automobile accident in 1966 on Rt. 47 at the Ritchie / Wirt County line.
Raymond worked for many years in the airline business with National Airlines and then Pan American World Airways after they bought National. He worked in New York City, South Carolina, California, Florida and Texas before retirement. A bachelor, he now lives in Parkersburg and has been president of the Cairo High School Alumni Association for the past six years.
--by Raymond Smith