Person:Frederick Smith (26)

birth parents: Charles Smith and Elizabeth McGrath (1)

FREDERICK W SMITH WAS REGISTERED ON THE BROOKLYN NY VOTER REGISTRATION RECORD IN 1895 WITH THE FOLLOWING PERSONAL DESCRIPTION. HEIGHT 5 FEET 8 INCHES, WEIGHT 123 LBS, HAIR LIGHT (MAYBE RED BUT SAID TO HAVE BEEN GRAY BY HIS EARLY 20'S) AND AGE 22 YEARS. On his World War 1 draft registration card, dated Sept 12,1918, Frederick W Smith is medium height,medium build with blue eyes and gray hair. Frederick William Smith was known by the name Ducky Smith. He was a feather weight boxer in Brooklyn NY when he was a young man. The federal census record indicates he was born in 1873. The date 1873 was chosen as his Long Island Railroad retirement record stated 1873. HE LIVED ON ST MARKS AVE AND 19 THOMPSON PL BROOKLYN NY BEFORE MOVING TO 165 Forest Ave ROCKVILLE CENTRE NY. HE BELIEVED THAT AS DEATH APPROACHED A DYING PERSON THE WINDOW MUST BE OPENED TO LET THE SPIRIT LEAVE. HE ALSO USED THE BIRTH DATE 4 AUG 1875. HE MARRIED NELLI FULLERTON IN ST MATTHEWS ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 1123 EASTERN PARKWAY BROOKLYN NY NOV 5,1895. HE IS ALSO SAID, BY IRENE REAVES DEGNEN TO HAVE CONVERTED TO CATHOLICISM. WHEN IRENE REAVES WAS GROWING UP SHE OFTEN HEARD HER GRANDFATHER FREDERICK SMITH AND HIS SISTER EMMA SPEAK OF A CROW HILL. THOUGH THERE IS A CROW HILL/NOW CROWN HEIGHTS THAT THEY LIVED IN IN BROOKLYN THERE IS ALSO A CROW HILL IN MONTVILLE CONNECTICUT THEY MAY HAVE BEEN REFERRING TO. FREDERICK SMITH HAD THE NICKNAME DUCKEY SMITH AS HE FOUGHT ALOT WHEN HE WAS YOUNG. FRED CHANGED HIS SOCIAL SECURITY CARD(717-05-0248) DATE OF BIRTH TO 6 AUG 1873 from 1875. When he made the change he changed his mother's maiden name from McGrath to Berry. FREDERICK WAS A BLUE EYED RED HEAD LIKE HIS MOTHER BUT HIS HAIR IS SAID TO HAVE TURNED WHITE BY HIS EARLY TWENTIES. FREDERICK WORKED AS A LINEMAN ON THE LONG ISLAND RAILROAD FROM ABOUT 1900 UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT ABOUT 1938. ACCORDING TO IRENE REAVES, FREDERIDK SMITH'S GRANDDAUGHTER, FREDERICK SMITH AND HIS FAMILY BELIEVED IT WAS BAD LUCK TO TAKE A PICTURE OF A CHILD. IRENE REAVES ALSO SAID THAT FREDERICK SMITH'S SISTER EMMA WOULD HAVE TO WALK HIM TO SCHOOL IN THE MORNINGS AND WAIT AND WATCH FOR HIM AS HE WOULD SOMETIMES SLIP OUT THE SCHOOL WINDOW. EMMA HAD TO MAKE SURE HE STAYED IN SCHOOL. I WONDER IF THE FIGHTS HE GOT INTO EARLIER IN HIS LIFE WERE DUE TO BEING TEASED ABOUT HIS FATHER BEING AN INDIAN. IRENE REAVES SAID HER GRANDFATHER (GRANDPA) FREDERICK SMITH NEVER MENTIONED HIS FATHER AS FAR AS SHE CAN REMEMBER THOUGH HE WOULD GO TO VISIT HIS MOTHER IN BROOKLYN NY UNTIL HER DEATH IN 1929(SHE WAS LIVING WITH EMMA AT 585 LEXINGTON AVE). WHAT IRENE REAVES KNEW OF CHARLES SMITH FATHER OF FREDERICK SHE LEARNED FROM HER MOTHER WHO WAS THE GRANDDAUGHTER OF CHARLES SMITH and her Aunt Bessie Darmstardt(her mother's sister). Frederick Smith believed that having a picture taken captured the soul of the one who's picture was being taken. He avoided having his picture taken. FREDERICK SMITH WANTED HIS GRANDDAUGHTER IRENE REAVES TO BE NAMED JUBY. HOWEVER IRENE'S MOTHER CHOSE JUDY AS A NICKNAME INSTEAD. FREDERICK NONETHELESS ALWAYS CALLED HIS GRANDDAUGHTER IRENE JUBY AND HER SISTER SIS. Frederick W Smith died at his daughter Elizabeth (Bessie) Darmstarts's home on Skillman Ave in Oceanside NY. FREDERICK W SMITH SPOKE OF HELPING TO RAISE ONE OF HIS NEPHEWS. IT MAY HAVE BEEN HIS BROTHER'S SON CHARLES JOSEPH SMITH JR. IN THE 1920'S AND EARLY 1930'S CHARLES JOSEPH SMITH JR OFTEN CAME TO VISIT HIS UNCLE FRED IN ROCKVILLE CENTRE NY. IN SEPTEMBER 2003 IRENE REAVES DEGNEN TOOK A ANCESTRY DNA TEST BY DNAPRINT GENOMICS. THE RESULTS WERE 82% EUROPEAN AND 18% NATIVE AMERICAN. I ESTIMATE THAT 12 OF THE 18% (OR TWO THIRDS) OF THE NATIVE AMERICAN DNA IS FROM CHARLES JAMES SMITH, THE FATHER OF FREDERICK SMITH.