Smith, Nancy Ankrum

Passed: 1901-10-22

Age: 81

Source: Jackson Herald

Death Notice:

Obituary Date: 1901-10-25

Information: GROUND TO DEATH BY THE WHEELS - MRS. NANCY SMITH RUN OVER BY THE LOCOMOTIVE, LIVING BUT TWENTY MINUTES -   About noon Tuesday, Mrs. Nancy Smith, widow, was killed by the engine of the R.& M. C.V., near the crossing, in front of Carson Co.'s West Ripley store, living but twenty minutes.  The unfortunate woman was the widow of the late Jackson Smith, of near Mt. Alto, who had been dead five years.  She was the mother of David Smith of Cow Run, Wm. Smith of Mason County, Mrs. B. F. Ridenour and Mrs. Thad Bush of School House, Mrs. Brig Sherly, widow, and Mrs. Daniel Webster of Fairplain.  She was 81 years old and highly respected by all.      She was just returning from a ten day visit with Mrs. Webster, intending to go first to her son David's, and was anxious to procure her ticket and be gone.  She was accompanied by her son-in-law, Mr. Webster.  The train was on the crossing and Mr. Webster advised that they wait until the crossing was clear, but Mrs. Smith willed otherwise and they walked down the track a few steps before attempting to cross.  Mrs. Smith caught a foot and fell; her son-in-law seized her and tried to get her out of the way of the train, which was in motion when they started to cross, but was unable to do so until the pony-trucks, the drive wheels and one pair tank wheels had passed over her left foot and right thigh, mashing them into pulp. She was removed after the train stopped.  Consciousness from the shock was never recovered and death followed twenty minutes later.  The remains were interred in Hopewell cemetery Wednesday.      Engineer Atkinson was at the throttle at the time of the fatality.  He had just looked front at a clear track and at that moment had his eye in the rear on the brakemen who were dropping a car.  No blame attaches to him.  The road has been in operation since September 1888, thirteen years, and but two persons had been killed previously by the trains, viz; Deputy Sheriff Isaac Sayre and Mr. John Hockenberry.      Copied from microfilm by Ada Ruth Sayre. She writes:  according to the book, ""The Families of Christena Roush Who Married David Durst then Ruben Smith"", Nancy Smith was the daughter of Richard Ankrum.  She married Jackson Smith 17 October, 1839.