Ruth Burgess Lebo Smith collection
Collection
Identifier: L147
Scope and Contents
The collection includes correspondence, a diary, clippings and articles, periodicals, pamphlets, ephemera, a yearbook, a pin, and other papers from Ruth Burgess Lebo Smith, Charles H. Smith, Mildred Smith Holsworth, and members of the extended Burgess and Smith families in Indiana, the United States, Europe, north Africa, and the Middle East, ranging from 1851 to 1967 and undated, relating to their daily lives, education vocations, travels, family history, and the Methodist Episcopal Church. There are also letters from Charles H. and Ruth Lebo Smith and Ruth's travel diary from their cruise through the Mediterranean, visiting north Africa, Europe, Russia, and the Middle East, in 1933. Many of the newspaper and magazine clippings concern Charles Smith's work with the Methodist Church.
There is also Charles H. and Ruth Lebo Smith's marriage license dated June 14, 1905 (OB249).
There is also Charles H. and Ruth Lebo Smith's marriage license dated June 14, 1905 (OB249).
Dates
- 1851-1967
Creator
- Holsworth, Mildred Alice Smith, 1909-2000 (Donor, Person)
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Rare Books and Manuscripts, Indiana State Library, Indianapolis, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Rare Books and Manuscripts.
Biographical Note
Ruth Burgess Lebo was born on April 2, 1884 to Frank J. (1858-1887) and Lucy Anna (Burgess) Lebo (1860-1948). She had a younger sister, Mildred Pauline (1885-1929). She attended public schools in Tipton, Indiana and graduated from Tipton High School in 1902. Lebo then attended Indiana State Normal School in Terre Haute to become a teacher. She taughter grade school in Tipton for 3 years. Lebo married Charles Harrison Smith (1878-1963) on June 14, 1905 in Tipton, Indiana and they had three children: Dorothy Wilhelmina (1906-1987), Mildred Alice (1909-2000), and Robert Harmon (1918-2006).
Before their marriage, Charles worked as a teacher (1895-1899), then attended DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, graduating in 1902). Ruth and Charles Smith first lived in Rossville, Staten Island, New York where Charles was serving as a pastor while attending Drew Theological Smeinery in Madison, New Jersey. The couple returned to Indiana where Charles served as a Methodist Episcopal minister in several northern Indiana towns, including First Methodist Episcopal Church in Fort Wayne (1929-1944). Ruth was deeply engaged in church activities, assisting with choir and music programs, teaching Sunday School, and led various organizations, including as president of the local Women's Christian Temperance Union and the Goshen District of the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church. She was also involved in the Parent-Teacher Association, the White Cross Hospital Guild, the Ministers' Wives Association, and the board and several groups of Kemp Methodist Episcopal Church in Tipton.
In 1945, the Smiths moved back to Tipton to care for Ruth's ailing mother, Lucy Craft. Ruth Lebo Smith died of congestive heart failure on September 12, 1954 and is buried in Farview Cemetery in Tipton, Indiana. Her husband Charles H. Smith died on September 19, 1963.
Mildred Alice Smith was born October 4, 1909 to Ruth and Charles Smith in Huntington County, Indiana. She married Eugene W. Holsworth (1910-2004). The Holsworths lived in Ludington, Michigan where Mildred worked as a Welcome Wagon hostess in the 1950s. Mildred Holsworth died on October 20, 2000 in Clarksville, Tennessee and is buried in Farview Cemetery in Tipton, Indiana.
Sources:
Items in the collection.
Ancestry.com. "Ruth L. Smith." 1910 United States Federal Census. Accessed July 30, 2024. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Ruth L. Smith." 1920 United States Federal Census. Accessed July 30, 2024. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Ruth L. Smith." 1930 United States Federal Census. Accessed July 30, 2024. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Ruth L. Smith." 1940 United States Federal Census. Accessed July 30, 2024. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Ruth L. Smith." 1950 United States Federal Census. Accessed July 30, 2024. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Robert Harmon Smith." Indiana, U.S., Birth Certificates, 1907-1944. Accessed July 30, 2024. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Findagrave.com. "Charles Harrison Smith." Find a Grave Memorial. Accessed July 29, 2024. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/42886611/charles-harrison-smith.
Findagrave.com. "Robert H. Smith." Find a Grave Memorial. Accessed July 29, 2024. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/42922833/robert-h-smith.
Findagrave.com. "Ruth Burgess Lebo Smith." Find a Grave Memorial. Accessed July 29, 2024. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/42886622/ruth_smith.
"Mrs. Ruth Smith Dies in Hospital, Services Set." Tipton Daily Tribune, September 13, 1954. Accessed July 30, 2024. Newspapers.com.
Before their marriage, Charles worked as a teacher (1895-1899), then attended DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, graduating in 1902). Ruth and Charles Smith first lived in Rossville, Staten Island, New York where Charles was serving as a pastor while attending Drew Theological Smeinery in Madison, New Jersey. The couple returned to Indiana where Charles served as a Methodist Episcopal minister in several northern Indiana towns, including First Methodist Episcopal Church in Fort Wayne (1929-1944). Ruth was deeply engaged in church activities, assisting with choir and music programs, teaching Sunday School, and led various organizations, including as president of the local Women's Christian Temperance Union and the Goshen District of the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church. She was also involved in the Parent-Teacher Association, the White Cross Hospital Guild, the Ministers' Wives Association, and the board and several groups of Kemp Methodist Episcopal Church in Tipton.
In 1945, the Smiths moved back to Tipton to care for Ruth's ailing mother, Lucy Craft. Ruth Lebo Smith died of congestive heart failure on September 12, 1954 and is buried in Farview Cemetery in Tipton, Indiana. Her husband Charles H. Smith died on September 19, 1963.
Mildred Alice Smith was born October 4, 1909 to Ruth and Charles Smith in Huntington County, Indiana. She married Eugene W. Holsworth (1910-2004). The Holsworths lived in Ludington, Michigan where Mildred worked as a Welcome Wagon hostess in the 1950s. Mildred Holsworth died on October 20, 2000 in Clarksville, Tennessee and is buried in Farview Cemetery in Tipton, Indiana.
Sources:
Items in the collection.
Ancestry.com. "Ruth L. Smith." 1910 United States Federal Census. Accessed July 30, 2024. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Ruth L. Smith." 1920 United States Federal Census. Accessed July 30, 2024. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Ruth L. Smith." 1930 United States Federal Census. Accessed July 30, 2024. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Ruth L. Smith." 1940 United States Federal Census. Accessed July 30, 2024. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Ruth L. Smith." 1950 United States Federal Census. Accessed July 30, 2024. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Robert Harmon Smith." Indiana, U.S., Birth Certificates, 1907-1944. Accessed July 30, 2024. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Findagrave.com. "Charles Harrison Smith." Find a Grave Memorial. Accessed July 29, 2024. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/42886611/charles-harrison-smith.
Findagrave.com. "Robert H. Smith." Find a Grave Memorial. Accessed July 29, 2024. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/42922833/robert-h-smith.
Findagrave.com. "Ruth Burgess Lebo Smith." Find a Grave Memorial. Accessed July 29, 2024. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/42886622/ruth_smith.
"Mrs. Ruth Smith Dies in Hospital, Services Set." Tipton Daily Tribune, September 13, 1954. Accessed July 30, 2024. Newspapers.com.
Extent
0.65 Cubic Feet (2 manuscript boxes, 1 medium oversize folder)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
This collection is arranged by subject.
Custodial History
This collection was received by Rare Books and Manuscripts as a donation from Mrs. Eugene Holsworth on 1967/10/28 and 1967/11/29.
Accruals
No further additions are expected.
Processing Information
Collection processing completed 2010 August by Jessica Combs. EAD finding aid created 2010 August by Jessica Combs. Collection reprocessing completed 2024/07/30 by Brittany Kropf. EAD finding aid revised 2024/07/30 by Brittany Kropf.
- Certificates
- Clergy
- Clergy -- Indiana
- Clippings
- College students
- Correspondence
- Diaries
- Diplomas
- Ephemera
- Europe -- Description and travel -- 20th century
- Family life
- Israel
- Methodist Episcopal Church
- Methodists
- Newspaper articles
- Palestine
- Pamphlets
- Photographs
- School yearbooks
- Schools
- Schools -- Indiana
- Scrapbooks
- Students
- Teachers
- Tipton (Ind.)
- Travel narratives
- Yearbooks
Creator
- Holsworth, Mildred Alice Smith, 1909-2000 (Donor, Person)
- Smith, Ruth Burgess Lebo, 1884-1954 (Person)
- Smith, Charles Harrison, 1878-1963 (Person)
- Burgess family (Family)
- Smith family (Family)
- Title
- Ruth Burgess Lebo Smith collection
- Status
- Completed
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Repository
Contact:
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671
