Obituary of Dr. Jacob Shrader Smith of Bellingham, Washington

I was surfing the web the other day and I came across an obituary of Dr. Jacob Shrader Smith of Bellingham, Washington.  Dr. Smith is a descendant of Isaac Smith and Miss Simms (through his son Isaac Smith, Jr.).  This obituary originally appeared in The Bellingham Herald on September 14, 1939:

Dr. Jacob S. Smith, 64, who retired as Whatcom County commissioner in January of this year, died at home early Thursday morning after a lingering illness.  As a doctor, World War veteran and public officer, Dr. Smith became prominent during the thirty-six years of his residence here.  He was born in Chapbellsburg, Kentucky, in 1875 of a pioneer family, son of Judge Jacob S. Smith of Henry County.  He was graduated from the Louisville Medical College and took numerous post-graduate courses.  As first lieutenant in the Medical Reserve Corps he saw active duty with the sanitary train of the Sixth division of the U.S. Army in France.  At the time of his death he was a lieutenant colonel in the Medical Reserve Corps.  Dr. Smith was a member of the Veteran of Foreign Wars, a charter member of the Albert J. Hamilton Post of the American Legion, and past president of the Bellingham Rotary club.

In 1934 Dr. Smith became milk and meat inspector for the City of Bellingham and served in that position until he was elected county commissioner and while serving the city, he devoted much of his time to providing free medicine and hospitalization for under privileged citizens of the county.  At one time he conducted the Bells Free Clinic and was instrumental in bringing about improved conditions in the county hospital.  Dr. Smith worked hard for the building of a tuberculosis hospital in this county, but did not realize his ambition.  Surviving relatives are the widow, Susan Rucker; a daughter, Mrs. Rogan Jones; a son Jacob Ladd; a daughter-in-law, a son-in-law, and four grandchildren, all of Bellingham, and a sister, Mrs. Lillie Chilton, of Campbellsburg, Kentucky.  The remains are resting at the funeral home of Harlow-Hollingsworth where services are being arranged.