Florence Powers Smith

Florence Powers Smith

J. P. Moore

F. J. Moore, Manager

West Meriden

Conn.

Florence J. Powers was born in Meriden, Connecticut, October 31, 1856.

According to the Lineage Book from the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (Vol. 8, 1895), Florence Powers was a descendant of Capt. Enos Hawley of Connecticut; she was the daughter of Luther A. Powers and his wife, Elizabeth “Libbie” J. Clark; granddaughter of Harvey Clark and wife, Jane Andrews; great granddaughter of Elijah Andrews and Hannah Hawley and great great granddaughter of Enos Hawley, who in 1776 was lieutenant of minute men and in 1779, commanded a company in defense of New Haven.

Florence married Frank Daniel Smith on October 12, 1875.

In the 1900 census she is shown to have had two children, but only one living; a daughter Edna W., born in December of 1882.

I have found very little mention of Florence, but a bit more about her husband and the Smith line she married into.

Frank Daniel Smith was a descendant of James Smith, born in England, who came to Massachusetts Bay Colony before 1639.  The line of decent is through his son, Nathaniel Smith, born in Weymouth in 1639; his son, Nathaniel (2) Smith, who moved to Hartford, Connecticut, and was one of the early settlers of Litchfield; his son Jacob Smith, a lieutenant of the Revolution; his son, David Smith, born at the Litchfield homestead; his son, David (2) Smith, father of Frank Daniel Smith.

Frank was born July 22, 1852, at Litchfield, CT., the son of David and Fedilia (Parker) Smith. He was about 2 years old when his parents moved to Meriden.  The public schools furnished him with an education, and when he was sixteen he set out to make his way in the world.  His first employment was with the firm of Bowditch and Company, furniture dealers in Meriden, and there he remained nearly 10 years during which time he was able to learn the business.

In 1878 the firm was dissolved and Mr. Smith and Mr. J. C. Twitchell took over the business under the name of F. D. Smith and Company. After several successful years the name of the firm was changed to Smith and Twitchell, and the two continued in partnership for 20 years.  

In 1898 Mr. Smith purchased the interest of his partner, and continued the business under his own name until he retired in 1913, at which point he turned the family business over to his son-in-law, William E. Graham.  Mr. Smith was president of the Smith, Tompkins Company, house furnishers in Torrington, Connecticut; director of the Puritan Trust Company, and a trustee of the Meriden Savings Bank.

He married (1) October 12, 1875, Florence J. Powers, and (2) June 25, 1911, Mrs. Ida Booth Wilcox.

~ Meriden Morning Record - Sept. 30, 1909

F.D. Smith’s Wife Dies In Minnesota

End Wednesday morning at Great Sanatorium of Drs. Mayo in Rochester

Mrs. Florence Powers Smith, wife of Frank D. Smith the well known furniture dealer, died Wednesday morning at the widely known sanatorium of the Mayo brothers in Rochester, Minnesota where she was undergoing treatment.  The body will be brought here on the 11:30 train, Friday morning; the arrangements for the funeral will be made upon the arrival of Mr. Smith and Dr. E. W. Smith, his brother, who accompanied Mrs. Smith to the sanatorium last week.

Mrs. Smith has not been in good health for some time and treatment at the famous sanatorium was deemed advisable.  The late Governor Johnson of Minnesota underwent treatment at the same place.

Besides her husband, Mrs. Smith is survived by a daughter, Mrs. W. E. Graham, and a brother, Charles C. Powers.