Story from the book "one and one makes eleven". by Van Dorn Smith -1993-

Robert Earl Smith was born 20 January 1897 to James Edward Smith Sr. and Elizabeth Jennett Smithson, at Layton, Graham County, Arizona. He was the twelfth child borne of a family of fifteen children by his mother, and the twenty-third child of twenty-seven children fathered by James Edward Smith Sr.

James Edward had previously married Mary Susan Stephens, on 4 July 1869, in the St. George LDS Temple. They were first cousins, and were parents of children, when he married Elizabeth Jennett Smithson on 20 March 1878, in the St. George LDS Temple, she was 16 years old and James Edward was 26. This, of course, was a plural marriage, authorized and practiced by the members of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, according to the teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Fifteen children were borne by Elizabeth Jennett and twelve by Mary Susan. James Edward Sr. was 21 years of age when his first child was born and 51 years old when his last child was born.

I thought it to be very peculiar that when Elizabeth Jennett Smithson married James Edward Smith, all she had to do to change her name was drop "son" from her name, Smithson. This, I imagine, is a rare occurrence for any names.

Robert Earl had six full brothers and eight full sisters: Dora Burton, Martha Jane, Ida Mae, Allen Freeman, James Edward Jr., Mary Emma, Thomas Washington, Margaret Lucinda, Sabina Azelia, Nephi, Serilda Irene, Robert Earl, Elizabeth Viola, Barton Henry, and Elmer, born in this order. He had seven half-brothers and five half-sisters: James Adam, Charles Thomas, Lucinda Caroline, John William, Mary Susan, Mitchell Monroe, Nancy Edna, Elizabeth Delilah, Synthia Josephine, Artimesia, Sarah Isabell, and George Albert, born in this order. Margaret Lucinda lived longer than any of the twenty-seven children and died at 76 years and three months of age. Sarah Isabell was the last of the twenty-seven children to die, in July 1971, at age 75 years of age. Eight of our father's full brothers and sisters were still living when he died, and one half sister.

James Edward Smith Sr. and his twin sister were born somewhere along the Big Horn River in Wyoming on 15 June 1851. He was a farmer and a stockman in Southern Utah and died, 3 April 1908, at the age of 57, in Henrieville and is buried there beside his first wife Mary Susan.

Elizabeth Jennett Smithson was born 2 April 1861 in Washington, Utah and was at the center of many activities and events in and around Henrieville for many years, and was a great story teller. She was one of Henrieville's mid-wives and helped to deliver many of her own grandchildren. She was very useful in the care and healing of the sick. It's a wonder she wasn't hauled into court for practicing medicine without a license. She died

21 February 1949, at 87 years of age in Henrieville and is buried there with her husband James Edward and his first wife Mary Susan.

Robert Earl didn't like his first name Robert, so he was known by almost everyone as Earl.

Very little is known about Earl prior to the time he married Caroline Evelyn Goulding. LDS Church records indicate that the family lived in Layton, Woodruff, and Nutrioso, Arizona; Henrieville and Pahreah, Utah; and Wilford, Idaho. Records also indicate that in several instances a child was born in Utah and the next one in Arizona, then the next one back in Utah. These frequent moves from one state to another were to avoid the Federal Marshals who were in pursuit of those men that continued to live with and support their plural marriage families.

Earl spent most of his young life farming and raising livestock in and around Henrieville and at the Smith Ranch about seven miles north east of Henrieville. When he was in his late teens the vision in one eye was seriously damaged from a roping incident, leaving him with almost total loss of vision. This made him exempt from serving in World War I.

Robert Earl Smith and Caroline Evelyn Goulding were married in Henrieville, Utah on 5 December 1918 by James A. Goulding and witnessed by Dora B. Goulding and Alice E. Cope.

Earl was the father of seven sons and four daughters. All sons and daughters, except Guy Nephi, married and have children. All sons served in the Armed Forces of the United States. All sons were active in high school and college athletics, football, basketball, and track.

Guy Nephi graduated from Dixie Junior College and died while serving in the Navy. Van Dorn served two years in the Navy 1943-45, then enlisted in the Army and retired from the Army in 1967. Jed Earl served in the Marines. Lee Edward served in the Air Force. Don Allen filled a mission for the LDS Church and died while serving in the Army. Roe Elijah had three years of college and served as a Bishop in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and served in the Army. Vee Henry served in the Army.

Although Earl had a very limited formal education, he had many other talents. He could braid any amount up to twelve or fourteen strands. He braided several kinds of horse tack, quirts, bridle reins, head stalls, and hackamores. He did all kinds of leather repair including shoe repair. He could not read music, but could play the Harmonica and the Jew's harp. Neighbor children would often gather at our home to hear him play. He would also draw pictures of horses for them. He, like most of his brothers, was a good carpenter; I suppose this talent was a result of having had to do all their own building and repair work.

One time Earl was the village blacksmith, not that his skin was black and his name Smith, but that as the dictionary defines it "a Smith who works in iron, including the making and fitting of horseshoes." A neighbor, Harvey Chynoweth, owned the blacksmith shop and Robert Earl operated it.

During the depression years, mid 1930's, Earl found employment with the W.P.A. (Work's Progress Administration) and the C.C.C.'s (Civilian Conservation Corps). These were US Government projects enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. These projects, just like herding sheep, took Robert Earl away from home a great deal of the time.

When writing about someone, there is always the last chapter of anyone's life. Some have had a long journey through life; for others, it has been only a short trip. Earl died at 49 years of age. He was an old man physically and in appearance, and had suffered for years with a peptic ulcer and died from a gastric hemorrhage.

Earl and his son Jed, who was 15 years of age, had driven a herd of sheep belonging to Vic Showalter of Panguitch, Utah from Cedar Mountain to West Hunt Creek of the East Fork of the Sevier River near Bryce Canyon, Utah, where Robert Earl died on 17 August 1946. Jed had to ride horseback about 15 to 20 miles to make notification of the death, then return with the doctor and a party of men to recover his body. He is buried in Henrieville beside his wife.