~ Biographical Sketch ~

     Sadie Elizabeth Smith was born on Tuesday, October 23, 1894 in the family's log home - on the "John Smith Farm" on Goshen Ridge in Turkey River, Millville Township, Clayton County, Iowa, daughter of John Smith and Sarah Louisa Minger.^1,2

According to the US census of June 13, 1900, Sadie was living at home with her parents in Millville Township, Clayton County, Iowa. She was five years old.³

She appeared on the Millville Township census of April 28, 1910 living at home with her parents. She was 15 years old, single and had been attending school.⁴

Sadie married William Holub in 1914.^5,2

Sadie married Harry Smith in 1918 in Galena, Jo Daviess County, Illinois.^6,5,7

Sadie appeared on the Crown Point, Lake County, Indiana, US census of January, 1920 living with her husband, Harry. Due to the poor quality of the census image, birth locations were difficult to read. She was recorded as being 23 years old. (Other sources indicate that she was actually 25 years old.) Two children were living at home. Sadie's daughter, Gwendolyn age 3, was recorded as Harry's daughter, but other research indicates that she may have been his step-daughter. Their son, John, was less than a year old.⁸

She became a widow when her husband, Harry, died in 1945. 88.⁷

At age 51, Sadie married Rolla Hurlburt on Monday, July 8, 1946.^5,7

Sadie is listed as a survivor in the obituary of her brother, Irvin Ralph Smith. She was living in Plant City, Florida at the time.⁹

Sadie died on Tuesday, September 5, 1967. She was 72 years old.¹ She was laid to rest on Friday, September 8, 1967 in the Garden of Memories Cemetery in Waterloo, Black Hawk County, Iowa. The funeral service was held on Friday, at 3:00 P.M. at the Chapel of Memories West with Rev. Norman Sincebaugh of the Concordia Lutheran Church officiating. The organist was Mrs. Leo Bergmann and the soloist was Mrs. Dorothy Dehl. The casket bearers were Robert Anton, Thomas E. Henry, Percy Leaman, Earl Hicok, Tom Sweerin, and Isaac Leamann.¹

Sadie Elizabeth's obituary reads ~

Former Area Resident Dies
Funeral services were held last Friday at the Chapel of Memories West in Waterloo for Mrs. Rolla Hurlbut, 72, a former resident of the Turkey River community who died at Allen Memorial Hospital in Waterloo last Tuesday. The services were conducted by Rev. Norman Sincebaugh, and burial was in the Garden of Memories at Waterloo.

Mrs. Hurlburt, the former Sadie Elizabeth Smith, was born October 23, 1894, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Smith of Turkey River. In 1918 she was married to Harry Smith at Galena, Illinois. Mr. Smith died in 1945. On July 8, 1946 she was marred to Rolla Hurlbut of Waterloo, where they lived until 1958 when they moved to Florida, making their home at Plant City.

Surviving Mrs. Hurlburt are Mr. Hurlburt; one son, John Smith of Waterloo; two daughters, Mrs. Philip Anton of Marion and Mrs. Bernella Gipe of Waterloo. Also surviving are five grandchildren, one great grandchild, two sisters, Mrs. Grace Donnan and Mrs. Hattie Moser, both of Guttenberg, and three brothers, Ernest Smith of Missoula, Montana; Emmet Smith of Dubuque; and Ferman Smith of Millville. Mrs. Hurlburt was preceded in death by a brother, a sister and two children.⁷