Samuel Smith, 1900-1957, Ashton-Under-Lyne, England - Monson, Hampden County, MA, USA

Samuel is the son of William Smith and Agnes Eleanor Anderson. He was born Apr-May-Jun 1900 (no certificate yet). At age 23, Samuel sails from Southampton to New York City aboard the Olympic. He arrives in NYC 5 Sep 1923. He is going to live with his uncles' families (Joseph Anderson and John James Anderson).

Initially, he went to his Anderson relatives in Biddeford, Maine, but eventually moves on to be near Anderson relatives in Springfield, Massachusetts. The 1930 census shows him living with his aunt (Anna (Doran) Anderson). He's working at the Assembler Auto Company. The following year a city directory shows him living on his own at 790 Liberty, Springfield, Massachusetts. He is working for Westinghouse.

In a stroke of luck, while searching for something else entirely, I found his obituary.

The Springfield Union, Springfield, Massachusetts, Wednesday, 24 Apr 1957, page 29

SAMUEL SMITH

Monson, April 23--Samuel Smith of Stebbins Rd. died this afternoon in the home of his nephew, Edward Anderson. He was born in England, son of William and Agnes (Anderson) Smith and had lived here many years. He was a veteran of World Wars I and II, serving with the British Army in the first war and with the United States in the second. He was a member of the Notre Dame Club in Springfield.

He leaves two brothers, Richard and Harry, and three sisters, Mrs. June Henshaw, Mrs. Dina Kay, and Mrs. Esther Bailey, all in England, and two nephews, including Edward, with whom he made his home. Funeral will be Friday at 9 with Rev. Johnathan Morrill, pastor of St. Mary's Episcopal Church, officiating at the parlors of Palmer Funeral Service. Burial will be Woodlawn Cemetery, Biddeford, Me. Calling hours at the funeral home will be Wednesday and Thursday from 2 to 5 and 7 to 10.

I have information on all three of his sisters; however, his brothers were a complete surprise. So it's back to Cheshire BMD or Lancashire BMD to see what I can find. And then there are the military records...so much to look for courtesies of one lucky newspaper search.