Smith Cemetery

Russell, Arkansas

Photo by Gerald Torence

This Cemetery is also known as: None known

GPS Location: 639666-3913697

Arkansas Archeological Survey site #: 3Wh0648

Number of Marked Graves: About 50

Number of Unmarked Graves: Unknown

The last complete survey of this cemetery was: By Leroy Blair

There has been Obituaries that were printed in the newspaper posted since the last survey was made.

Current status of cemetery: : This cemetery is no longer in use.

Point of contact for cemetery. No known contact person.



This cemetery was so overgrown when volunteer Gerald Torrence visited it for the White County Historical Society in October

2000, he had to clear undergrowth to read many of the stones. It is in extremely poor condition after years of disregard. He said he

found it by following these directions: take Highway 367 to Russell, turn right and cross the railroad then cross Highway 67 and go

to a stop sign; turn left and go to a T in the road; go straight into a field road about 1/4 mile to the cemetery. He said a man named

Roetzel owns the cemetery property and that he lives to the left at the T in the road. The cemetery may have been known as

Roetzel or Russell Cemetery at one time. Torrence reported seeing two graves of children with no markers, and other graves with

no markers – including some surrounded by a concrete fence and one covered with a concrete slab. He said also found a grave

marked with rocks all around it that a Mr. McAnally said contained several bodies that were unidentifiable when a sawmill

exploded. An Arkansas Democrat-Gazette article November 14, 1999, stated that the explosion occurred in 1923, killing three men.

Marvin Harvey, who said he had lived in the area for many years, said local residents call the graveyard "Smith Cemetery." He gave

the following directions for reaching it: Going east through Worden, take the first road to left (Rio Vista Road) and go

approximately six miles to the end of the blacktop, then turn right on the gravel road and go about a mile to the cemetery.

When Leroy Blair of the White County Historical Society visited the cemetery December 7, 2000, some of the leaves were gone

from trees and thickets and he was able to find 44 additional burial sites, 12 of them approximately 100 feet from the rest of the

cemetery – "like it was a second cemetery." Those graves included Peter A. Weber, Celia Weber, George Pearce, Macdilena Weber,

Benjam Weber, Elizabeth Snyder, Lena L. Mech, Sophia Remley, and four with no names. Because of weeds, bushes and some

leaves remaining, Blair reported "I probably missed some graves as the flat stones are covered with dried grass and leaves."

Following is a list of known burials in this cemetery.

Davis, Will – March 16, 1895 – November 11, 1913 - Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR

Klotz, ? – March 4, 1885 – April 14, 1924 - Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR

Klotz, Albert W. – March 27, 1914 – March 21, 1918 - Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR

Klotz, Alvina L. – November 15, 1862 – February 14, 1925 - Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR

Klotz, Auvis Leo – April 30, 1908 – October 4, 1908 - Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR



Klotz, Charley – Died June ?, 1932 – Age 40 years - (Unmarked grave) - Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR - (Obit)

Klotz, Elma Minnie – January 16, 1896 – February 28, 1896 – Daughter of Leo & Aline Klotz - Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR

Klotz, Leo J. – July 5, 1853 – July 11, 1910 - Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR

Klotz, Myrtle Fay – June 21, 1901 – March 7, 1927 - Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR

Klotz, Sophia Alvine – June 10, 19803 – June 20, 1903 – Daughter of Leo & Alvine Klotz - Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR

Klotz, twin Daughters of Leo & Aline – Born & Died November 20, 1898 - Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR

Kohl, Emel – July 17, 1895 – September 22, 1895 – Son of Frank & Pauline Kohl - Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR

Kohl, Frank – October 20, 1863 – October 20,? – Stone has been shot with a shotgun - Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR

Kohl, Hulder Olgar – August 20, 1898 – September 7, 1898 – Daughter of Frank & Pauline Kohl - Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR

Kohl, Minnie Terasa – April 30, 1901 – May 15, 1901 – Daughter of Frank & Pauline Kohl - Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR

Kohl, Pauline Mech – January 15, 1875 – December 30, 1926 - Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR

Kohl, Richard Frank – August 30, 1898 – November 1898 – Son of Frank & Pauline Kohl - Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR

Mech, Amelia – April 19, 1839 – March 10, 1914 - Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR

Mech, Henrich – September 19, 1835 – February 8, 1891 – Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR

Mech, Lena Lovina – January 9, 1886 – May 21, 1887 – Daughter of William & Ed Mech – Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR

Mech, Richard A.K. – January 29, 1880 – January 19, 1901 – Dates & words are in German – Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR

Pearce, George – February 15, 1885 – January 19, 1919 – Husband of Lena Pearce – Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR

Remley, Sophia E. – April 10, 1885 – October, ???? – Wife of Henry Remley – Stone is broken – Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR

Roetzel, Adeline – November 30, 1875 – October 25, 1951 - DS with Jacob A. Roetzel – Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR - (Obit)

Roetzel, Argusta – December 11, 1872 – March 26, 1900 – Wife of John D. Roetzel – Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR

Roetzel, Daniel – Died February 21, 1904 – age 58 –DS with Henrietta Roetzel – Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR

Roetzel, Dorthy – 1922 – Only date listed – Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR



Roetzel, Fannie – September 32, 1870 – April 6, ???? – Wife of John D. Roetzel – Stone is broken – Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR

Roetzel, Frank Henry – Died May 3, 1915 – age 73 years, 6 mos,, 5 days –DS with Katherine Elizabeth Roetzel – Smith Cemetery,

Russell, AR

Roetzel, Frank William – June 15, 1908 – January 22, 1908 – Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR

Roetzel, Gertrude May – May 14, 1886 – October 8, 1902 – Wife of Frank F. Roetzel – Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR

Roetzel, H. Frank – March 28, 1863 – September 25, 1896 – In German writing – Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR

Roetzel, Harry – 1894 – 1918 – Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR

Roetzel, Henrietta – Died July 3, 1911 – age 76 –DS with Daniel Roetzel – Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR

Roetzel, Jacob A. – October 28, 1874 – February 4, 1951 –DS with Adeline Roetzel – Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR

Roetzel, Katherin Elizabeth – Died February 7, 1914 – age 74 years, 4 mos., 9 days –DS with Frank Henry Roetzel – Smith Cemetery,

Russell, AR

Roetzel, Leo H. – December 2, 1886 – July 17, 1965 – Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR – (Obit July 19, 1965 paper)

Roetzel, Minnie – March 15, 1865 – November 10, 1942 – Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR

Roetzel, Willie – February 26, 1900 – August 12, 1900 – Son of John D. & Argusta Roetzel – Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR

Serrles, Artie M. – No dates listed – Co. I, 50

th

NY Eng. – Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR

Snyder, Elizabeth – Died March 16, 1904 – age 82 years – Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR

Weber, Benjam – March 28, 1894 – July 2, 1894 – Son of John & Lena Weber – Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR

Weber, Celia – October 9, 1884 – April 16, 1935 - DS with Peter A. Weber – Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR

Weber, John Douglas – September 30, 1903 – November 6, 1931- (Unmarked grave) - On Record at Powell Funeral Home – Smith

Cemetery, Russell, AR

Weber, Leo W. – April 27, 1882 – February 13, 1927 – Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR

Weber, Macdilena – February 18, 1855 – April 16, 1915 – Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR

Weber, Peter A. – July 18, 1876 – June 14, 1928 –DS with Celia Weber – Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR

Whitford, Jimmy – no information – Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR



Withers, Rosa – June 28, 1857 – January 3, 1900 – Wife of Sam Withers – Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR

Woods, Jack – August 19, 1877 – April 8, 1899 – Son of John & Rosa Woods – Smith Cemetery, Russell, AR

Woods, John – Died September 28, 1899 – age 62 years – Smith Cemetery

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Legend: Copyright-Aug.23, 2016-Paul V. Isbell-Webmaster:

Most of the cemetery information listed was collected by Leroy “Lee” Blair Former member of the White

County Historical Society Board of Directors. Now working at the White County Historical Society office on

the square in Searcy. WCHS P. O. Box 537 Searcy, Ark. 72145.

If you have any additions or corrections to the burial listing please contact the Historical Society. Phone 501-

278-5010 or Email me at

lblblair74@gmail.com

or wchs1962@gmail.com

I will be posting more burials later. The Searcy Daily Citizen donated all their Micro Film and Ledgers dating

back to 1953. After reviewing them, if I find a death of a person that we do not have I will to add to the

cemetery listings.

There are some graves listed as unmarked that may have had a tombstone set since the listing was made.

I may have missed some graves when I prepared the listing. Some cemeteries are very hard to get an

accurate listing due to how some graves are scattered

The following Abbreviations are used in the listings

.

FM-Funeral home marker DS-Double tombstone TS-Triple tombstone



(Obit)-means that the Historical Society has, or has access to the Obituary for this person.