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Erie Cemetery History Project



Permelia Childs (Earley) Smith (1852-1926)

The following obituary comes from the Erie Independent:

Laid at Rest

Funeral of Mrs. Permelia
Smith of Beardstown Held
Here Thursday

The funeral service of Mrs. Permelia Smith who died at Beardstown Monday was held here Thursday morning at the M.E. church, conducted by the Rev. Yemm. The members of the Eastern Star attended in a body. Deceased was former well-known resident of Erie. The remains were laid at rest in the Erie Cemetery.

The following article concerning her death is taken from the Beardstown Daily Star.

Mrs. Permelia Childs Smith, mother of Mrs. Ray Castle and Frank W. Smith of this city, passed away after an illness of but six hours on Monday night in the home of her friend Mrs. Mary Durchardt, Third and Jefferson St., Beardstown.

Mrs. Smith has been failing in health for the past year and yesterday while calling on her old friend Mrs. Durchardt, 3rd and Jefferson St. she was stricken with apoplexy at 4 p.m. Everything loving hands could do was done to relieve her suffering but to no avail and she passed away at 10:35 last night in the home of Mrs. Durchardt.

The body was taken to the Simpson Home for Service and will be removed to the Masonic Temple tomorrow afternoon at 3:30 where services will be held at 4 p.m. conducted by Rev. C.S. Boyd assisted by the Eastern Star who will attend in a body. The body will be taken on the midnight train for burial in the family lot at her former home in Erie, Ill.

Mrs. Permelia Childs Smith, daughter of the Rev. A.M. and R.B. Earley was born in Elizabeth, Jo Davies county, Illinois., January 11th, 1852, and passed away April 5, 1926, aged 74 years two months 25 days.

She was united in marriage to W.M. Smith on Sept. 24th 1870 at Erie Illinois to which union three children were born, F.W. Smith and Mrs. Ruth P. Castle of Beardstown and Mrs.Bertha Louise Jackson of Buffalo, N.Y., all whom with the husband are surviving. She is also survived by one brother, C.W. Earley of Prophetstown, Ill.

The deceased was a past Worthy Matron of the Eastern Star and a Past Worthy High Priestess of the Nazarene Shrine of the White Shrine of Jerusalem of this city and was always very active in Masonic circles. She has made her home with her daughter Mrs. Ray Castle, 712 Jefferson Street, for the past number of years.

From the Erie Independent.