SMITH CEMETERY 
 
 

Section 15 Mantua twp Monroe county Iowa located 5 miles east of Albia.  The cemetery is visible from old highway 34, (now 35), at the crossroads, turn north on county road T55, then west-onto a narrow shale lane which crosses a creek to the cemetery gate.

Frank Myers has the following to say about Smith cemetery: Smith cemetery ranks as one of the oldest burying grounds in Monroe county. A tantalizing although somewhat obscure connection may be made between individuals buried in this cemetery and the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) during its period of migration, first from Ohio to Missouri, and then from Missouri to Nauvoo Ill.  Specific connections may be made to persons buried here and persons buried in another Mantua twp cemetery, this one in Mantua township, Portage county, Ohio.  The connection with the LDS migration comes through certain families, those of William Miller, Harry Miller, Ira Beebe, Gershom Judson, Israel Sperry, P L Tyrrell, Lorenzo Warner, William Warner, and possibly others who traveled from Ohio to the area that now is Caldwell county, Missouri, at about the time the Mormans made their journey from roughly the same portion of Ohio to approximately the same area of Missouri.  At about the time the Mormons removed to Nauvoo, their principal headquarters until the great migration to Utah, these families came north into the area that became Monroe county.

In at least four instances, persons buried in Smith cemetery may be connected to persons buried in Pioneer Trail Cemetery, Mantua Township, Portage County, Ohio, where LDS families are also buried.  It is presumed that the Portage County township was the source for the name of the Monroe county township.  Sarah, wife of Gershom Judson (she died Dec 25 1830 age 44) is buried in the Ohio cemetery. Stephen Miller (died July 16 1852 age 65) is buried there as well A Gershom Judson, who may have been Sarah's husband, is buried in Smith cemetery as are Stephen Miller's two sons John and Alpheus F Miller.  Lydia (Lamb) Miller (died Jan 13 1884 age 91) wife of Stephen Miller is buried in Oak View,  the Albia municipal cemetery.  Some of her Lamb relatives are buried in the Portage county cemetery.  Beebes are buried in the Smith cemetery.  An S W Beebe was buried in Pioneer Trail.

The cemetery was recorded by Frank Myers.  A later record was made by Sarah Hindman.  There appear to be many unmarked graves and many stones were impossible to assign to rows Information in parenthesis was obtained from personal knowledge and various sources