Tombstone Tuesday - William & Druzillah Smith

My maiden name was Smith and after being teased my whole life, example "sure your name is Smith" and no I'm not related to the Smith's down the street, or up the street or in the next town, I must admit when I married I was happy to change it to something else.  Just one too many Smith's in the world and therefore very difficult to trace your family line.

1819-1902

1830-1901

That being said, I really wish I could trace this line better than I have.  My great great grandfather, William G. Smith married Druzillah J.Gray. They had 10 children. We drove up to Hollis, Maine and found their gravestones in Hillcrest Cemetery.  William has an American legion post 73 G.A.R. (Grand Army of the Republic) flag on his grave.   I also discovered he served in the Civil War. Buried beside them is their daughter Florence. Read: /2011/07/suffer-little-children.html  Unfortunately, I am stuck right here, I don't know any more than that or who is parents are.

I was fortunate to meet someone on the Internet who was a descendant of one of his children, sister to my great grandfather, Joseph Smith and she provided the pictures to me for which I was very grateful.  The first thing I noticed was his thick head of hair and hairline, just like my grandfather, Malcolm Smith (son of Joseph) had.

Just recently I discovered the parents of Druzillah J. Gray.  Her father was Luther Gray (1801-1880) and her mother was Hannah Ciessy, born 1803, death date unknown.  Druzillah died of hepatorenal syndrome, almost always fatal unless liver transplantation is performed. Senility (Alzheimer's by today's standards), plus nephritis (inflammation of the kidney), hepatic cirrhosis (inflammation of the liver, not uncommon in that era if lived on a farm) and cirrhosis (enlargement) also common diagnosis if lived on a farm, which they did.