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Martha J. Smithart was born in Kentucky, on March 29, 1845 and died at her late home in Sigourney, Iowa, November 11, 1906, aged 61 years, 7 months, 14 days.

October 24, 1865 deceased was married to Rev. John E. Runyan, whose death occured in July, 1902. To this union seven children were born, six whom are now living and three were present at these services.

Mrs. Runyan became a member of United Brethern Church in her early life, and retained her membership in that denomination until death transferred her to the Church Triumphant. During her life she generally enjoyed good health but two years ago disease attacked her constitution of which she finally surrended.

Services were held in Rock Creek Church, Ollie, Iowa. The Rev. Palmer officiating. Interment took place in Rock Creek Cemetery.

April 1, 1936 . Orla Smithart commits suicide at Smith garage yesterday.

The death of Orla Smithart, age 54, occured at 12:15 p.m. Tuesday when he shot himself through the head with a .32 caliber pistlo. He has lived in the community most of his life and is well known here. He had been about the streets all morning, apparently feeling as usual. Mr. Smithart had recently purchased the Don Loomis property in Hedrick. The morning of his death he had made arrangements to purchase a new car but members of the family discouraged the transaction, For the present to which he agreed.

His wife preceded him in death three years ago next month. He is survived by two children, Leon Smithart and Mrs. Earl McVay of Hedrick, four grandchildren, two brothers Eber of Oskaloosa and Vain of Sigourney: four sisters Mrs. Eva Reider of Sheifield Illinois, Mrs Wilber Teller of Albia , Mrs. Millan Hall of Ollie, and Mrs John Nicholi of Sigourney , Keokuk county , Iowa .

Funeral services will be held at the Methodist church Thursday at two pm with Rev. B.G. Hankins in charge. Interment will be made at the Van Orsdall cemetery near Ollie.

The funeral service for Flander W. Smithart, age 73 years, who died last Sunday at his home near Martinsburg, was held yesterday afternoon at the Rock Creek church, conducted by the Rev. W.J.Fowler, pastor of the local Methodist church. Burial was made at the Rock Creek cemetery.

Mr. Smithart was born near Lancaster, Keokuk county Iowa on November 7, 1867 and was the son of Mr. and Mrs. John Smithart.

For the past nine years he had made his home with his neice, Mrs Mae Corpron of Martinsburg.

Preceding him in death were his wife, one daughter , four brothers and one sister. Surviving are one daughter, Mrs. Lola Herber and six grandchildren.

Gladys Helen , youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Len Smithart was born August 6, 1904 and departed this life on February 6, 1925 , age 20 years and 6 months.

She leaves to mourn her departure her father , mother, one brother, Willis of Sigourney; one sister , Mrs Sylvia Kerber of Sigourney ; and a number of other relatives and friends. Two sisters and one brother have preceded her to the great beyond. All of her life has been spent in and around Sigourney . She and her mother have been constant companions all of her life, never having apart but one night, as she had always been a constant sufferer of heart trouble. She bore her suffering cheerfully and patiently, and never complained of her lot. No purer sweeter life has ever been lived than this of Gladys. She was always of a kind and loving disposition and ever trying to make those about her happy. Those who knew her best loved her most. The Heavenly Father had called and Gladys had answered the call. She has gone to meet those who have gone on before and is waiting the coming of the loved ones left.

" The vacant place, the empty chair. We see it day by day And oh, it fills our hearts with care Since our loved one went away."

Funeral services were held at the Lancaster Christian Church at 12:00 on Sunday, February 8, 1925, conducted by Roy C. Leeds , pastor of the Sigourney Christian Church . Interment was made in the Rock Creek cemetery,Keokuk County, west of Ollie.

M.L."Len" SMITHART , the son of John and Sarah Smithart was born in Simon county Illinois, January 1, 1865 and departed this life February 20, 1941 at the age of 76 years 1 month and 19 days. He came to Iowa with his parents at the age of two and settled in Keokuk county near Lancaster. He spent most of his life on a farm, moving to Sigourney in November 1937.

On January 18, 1885, he was united in marriage to Dora Quick and on January 18 of this year they celebrated 56 years of companionship together. He was baptized and united with Lancaster Christian Church a number of years ago and remained a member, always loyal to his faith.

Mr. Smithart was preceded in death by four children. Surviving are his wife, one daughter Sylvia Kerber of Sigourney; on son J.W. known as Dick of albia; on brother Flander of Martinsburg; nine grandchildren and ten great- grandchildren, besides most of his friends and relatives.

Funeral services were held from the home at one o'clock and from the Rock Creek church at two o'clock Sunday afternoon, February 23, 1941 conducted by Rev. John G. Ballens. Internment was in the Rock Creek cemetery.

John Wilson ( Willis ) Smithart, a 75 year old Sigourney farmer, died Tuesday March 10,1964 at his home.

The son of Leonardo and Doa Quick Smithart, he was born September 1889, at Ollie. He was a lifelong resident of Keokuk County . He was married to Bessie Conner of Sigourney February 5, 1908.

Mr. Smithart is survived by his wife; three sons, Leonard, Leo and Russell, all of Sigourney; two daughters, Mrs Kenneth Bales and Mrs. Keith Kleinschmidt, both of Sigourney; five grandchildren; eight great grandchildren and one sister, Mrs. Henry Kerby of Delta.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother; three sisters, Mrs Laffe Northup , Gladys Smithart and Ema Smithart and one son in infancy.

Funeral services were held Friday March 13 at 2 p.m. at Renolds Funeral Home in Sigourney; conducted by Rev. W.H. Cross. Burial was at Conner cemetery southwest of Sigourney.

Vane J. Smithart , 72, of Oskaloosa formerly of Sigourney, Keokuk County Iowa , passed away at the home of his daughter, Mrs Obera Fairchild in Oskaloosa, Tuesday afternoon , June 17, 1959 after an illiness of five years duration. Funeral services was held Thursday at 1:30 in the Community Funeral Home in Ottumwa , with the Rev. Max Johnson, pastor of the Assembly of God church in Oskaloosa in charge and burial was in the Pleasant Grove cemetery, west of Sigourney. Mr Smithart was born July 17, 1886 on a farm near Ollie , the son of J.W. and Mary Ann Smithart. In 1914 he was married to Elsi May Whitten of Sigourney. They spent their entire married life in the Sigourney community. Mr Smithart was a retired farmer and railroad man. He was preceded in death by his wife in1926 and a daughter, Virginia Ann, 1919 , three brothers and one sister. Surviving besides his daughter is a son James J. Smithart of Marshalltown; four grandchildren and four sisters. Mrs Eva Reider of Sigourney, Mrs Golda Hall of Ottumwa,Mrs Verna Nicoli of Memphis, Missouri and Mrs Kate Teller of Moravia. Pall bearers were E.E. Tremmel, Dick Ellis, Lloyd Crow, Dr. O.J. Dubois, H.B. Young and Wallace Gilliland .

Little Virgina Ann , the infant daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Vane Smithart died September 6, 1919 ending a brief life on earth of less than three months. Her birthday was June 9th.

Simple funeral exercises were conducted Monday from the home at 10 a.m. by R. B. Hyten, minister of the Sigourney Christian church. The remains wre laid to rest in West cemetery in Keokuk County .

The sway of death is not forever." Sometime,somewhere,meet we must. For life is ever lord of death; And love can never lose it own."

Elsie May Witten was born September 12, 1891 and passed away in her home in Keokuk County ,Sigourney , Iowa May 25,1926 at the age of 34 years, 8 monthes and 13 days.

She was united in marriage to Mr. Vane Smithart March 11, 1914. To this union were born three children Virginia Ann who only lived three months , James , now three years of age and Obera Estell, eight weeks old.

Mrs. Smithart had not been in good health for some time but on the morning of her death seemed as well as she had been for a long time. Death came without warning and before we knew she was any worse, she was gone. She was a good wife and loving companion. How anxious she was to regain her health so that she might live for her dear children but it was not so, she is gone and they are left without a mother.

Funeral services were held Thursday morning, May 27, from the home where a large concourse of friends gathered to pay their tribute of respect and express their sympathy for the husband and children who are left to mourn their loss.

Mrs Mary Ann Smithart , died on Monday evening, April 13, 1931 at the home of her son Vain Smithart. Surviving her are three daughters and two sons. The funeral was held Wednesday afternoon at two o'clock from the family home near Ollie, conducted by Ott Harmon. Burial was made in the Van Orsdall cemetery in Keokuk County Iowa

Owen Smithart, son of Mr. And Mrs. James Smithart was born at the present home of his parents northwest of Ollie, Keokuk County ,Iowa February 19, 1891 and departed this life August 14, 1914, age 23 years, 5 months and 25 days. Being born and reared on a farm he naturally took up farming as his vocation and together with his brother Eber, was living on the Ed Gruber farm 3 1-2 miles northwest of Martinsburg , their sister keeping house for them.Owen, in company with Joe Burough and Lafe Northup , had been attending the skating rink at Martinsburg and while returning home in their buggy were struck by the night passenger on the M.&St.L., which killed Owen instantly. He leaves to mourn for him his father and mother, four brothers, Orla and Vain of Sigourney, Guy and Eber of near Ollie and five sisters, Mrs Kate Teller , Mrs. Belle Van Orsdall, the Misses Eva and Goldie Smithart all of near Ollie and Mrs. Verna Nicoli of Sigourney . One brother and sister died in infancy . Also many other relatives and a host of friends. Owen was a kind and loving son and brother always with the interest of his parents, brothers and sisters most at heart, and by many of his acts of kindness had endeared himself to a great number of people and his untimely death causes genuine sorrow to all who knew him and the sympathy of all goes out largely to the family who have suffered this loss.

OBITUARY of Cornelia Jeanette 'Nellie' Smithhart Danner, born Oct. 1857 Travis Co., TX to Miles Armstrong & Nancy Ann (Townsend) Smithhart, and died 1934 Coke Co.,TX. (transcribed copy of this obit from Reba Church to Carol Martin, Feb. 2002);
Danner Rites on Wednesday Aged Resident Here Succumbs to Throat Infection Mrs. Cornelia J. Danner, 77, died at 2:40 o'clock Tuesday morning here of a throat infection. She had been ill since last Thursday only. The funeral service will be at 2 o'clock Wednesday afternoon from Johnson Chapel with the Rev. K.P. Barton officiating. The body will lie in state at the home at 304 N. Park Street until the hour of the funeral. Burial will follow in the cemetery at Robert Lee (TX). Surviving are seven daughters, one stepdaughter, two sons, three sisters, one brother, 44 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren. The daughters are Mrs. Henry (Annie) Tatum of Burnet (TX), Mrs Irene Martin of Mason (TX), Mrs Ollie Ralston of Kerrville (TX), Mrs W.F. (Sarah) Nolen of Dallas (TX), and Mrs. Dee (Cissie) Overby, Mrs Myrtle (Dick) Church and Mrs. Mary Wigington of San Angelo (TX). The stepdaughter, Mrs. Alton Laywell, resides at Fort Worth (TX). Sons are Ira Danner of New Orleans (LA) and Dewey Danner of Houston (TX). sisters are Mrs. Dora Stinnett of Hall (TX), Mrs. Mary Evans of Houston (TX) and Mrs. John Coulder of Robert Lee (TX). W.J. Smithart, a brother, lives at San Antonio (TX). Mrs. Danner has resided in West Texas since 1901, being at Mason for six years, and subsequently at Robert Lee and San Angelo. She formerly resided near Marble Falls (TX). She was a member of the Pentecostal Assembly of Jesus Christ.

MARBLE FALLS MESSENGER VOL III, Thursday, Oct. 17, 1901
Marble Falls, Burnet Co., TX
DIED
Mr. Smithart of Double Horn passed away at his home last Monday morning. His death was caused from the effects of an accident of several days since. He was about 80 years of age, and leaves a large family to mourn his loss. He was a good man and a good citizen in the community. Our sympathy is extended to the bereaved family.
From this same paper, on Thursday, Oct. 3, 1901
M.A. Smithart of Double Horn neighborhood happened to a very serious accident last Monday. He was holding a gate open for the stock to pass through, when he was knocked down. His hip was broken from the effects of the fall and it is feared will prove fatal.