SMITH.--Rev. William O. Smith was born on James River, about seven miles from the city of Richmond, Va., Aug. 31, 1810. While yet a child his father moved with his family to Kentucky, settling at Versailles, in Woodford County. When a young man William started in life for himself, and went to Owensboro, where he learned the tanner's trade. While there he was united in marriage to Mary Wallace. In early life he professed faith in Christ, and united with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and for more than forty years was an active minister. He served during the war as chaplain in the 25 and 35 Kentucky regiments. About twenty-five years ago he moved to Illinois, and has been an honored member of Foster Presbytery since his removal to this State. He fell asleep in Jesus at 10 a.m., April 9, 1896, at the home of his son, near Catlin, Vermilion, Co., Ill., aged 85 years, 7 months and 9 days. Father Smith, as he was familiarly called, became a candidate for the ministry in Ohio Presbytery in Kentucky in the fall of 1842. The presbytery met in a private home, the home of David Willis, in Ohio County. The opening sermon was preached by the Rev. Hiram A. Hunter, on a call to the ministry. Father Smith in relating this incident said" "The preacher gave my experience better than I could myself." In 1844 or 1845 he was ordained by the same presbytery to the whole work of the gospel ministry at Noblic Church in Kentucky, Rev. Hiram A. Hunter preaching the ordination sermon. [Correction: He was ordained October 21, 1847, at the meeting of Ohio Presbytery, Pleasant Hill Meeting house, Daviess County, Kentucky. Rev. Samuel Calhoun preached the ordination sermon H. A. Hunter presided and gave the charge.] As a minister of the gospel his labors have been confined for the most part to Kentucky and Illinois. At one time he had charge of Camden congregation in Indiana. As a preacher he was born logical and scriptural, and convincing. In his early ministry he was a pioneer circuit rider, working on a very meagre salary, the largest salary he ever received being $500. At one time in Kentucky he had charge of four churches; preached for them regularly for one year, was quite successful, and received into the churches about two hundred members, and received for the year's work $100. Certainly no man was ever more consecrated to his work or more loyal to his church than he. His devotion to his work and his loyalty to his church wee so constant that he even seemed to fail in his devotion to and his interest in his family and secular affairs, but he believed that God would care for these, and so he did, and from his meager support he succeeded in raising his family in respectability, and giving them a fair education. He seemed entirely divorced from the world, and relied wholly upon God and the support of his grace, and the direction of his providence to guide him in all things. Respected in his life, lamented in his death. A good man, a faithful minister of the gospel, and a loyal son of the church we love, has thus been called from the arduous labors of this life to the joys of that higher and perfect life in the glory world.
T. A. WILLIAMS.
Ridge Farm, Ill.

[Source: The Cumberland Presbyterian, July 9, 1896, page 31]

[Source of Correction: Minutes of Ohio Presbytery of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, October 19-21, 1847, pages 3-4]