Reuben Earl Smith (1822–1890) & Sarah Ann Bump (1830–1903)
A Legacy of Faith, Family, and Frontier Resilience
Reuben Earl Smith was born on Oct 31, 1822, in Salina, now known as Syracuse, New York, into a time of growth and change in America. Raised in a farming family, he grew to be a hardworking man, skilled with horses and the practical tasks of pioneer life. By his early adulthood, Reuben had taken up work as a teamster, driving wagons and hauling goods—an occupation that prepared him for the long journey westward that lay ahead.
In 1847, Reuben married Sarah Ann Bump, a young woman from the same region. Born Oct 2, 1830, in New York, Sarah was known for her steadiness and resilience. She came from a family with deep pioneer spirit, traits she would need in the years to come. Together, Reuben and Sarah set out to build a life grounded in faith, hard work, and family.
Westward to Michigan
Like many in their generation, Reuben and Sarah were drawn by the promise of fertile land and opportunity in the Midwest. Sometime after 1850, they left New York and lived in Wisconsin for several years before settling in Michigan, where the land was still being carved into farms, towns, and homesteads.
They eventually chose Grant Township in Mason County as their home, a place where forest met farmland, and where communities were still in their infancy. Reuben worked tirelessly to clear the land, raise crops, and provide for his family. His work as a teamster continued to serve him well, as hauling goods and supplies remained essential in a frontier community.
Family Life
Reuben and Sarah raised a large family, their household filled with the sounds of children, farm chores, and the rhythm of daily pioneer living. Life was not easy—Michigan winters were long and harsh, and the labor of clearing forests and farming the soil was backbreaking. But through it all, Reuben and Sarah leaned on each other and on their faith.
Sarah, as the matriarch of the family, was the heart of the home. She was a mother not only in the practical sense—cooking, tending the household, raising children—but also in spirit, shaping the character of her family with quiet strength.
Later Years and Legacy
After decades of farming and raising a family in Grant Township, Reuben’s health declined. He passed away on September 11, 1890, at the age of 68. He was laid to rest in Grant Township Cemetery in Mason County, Michigan, a final resting place near the land he had worked so hard to cultivate.
Sarah lived on for another thirteen years, continuing to be a steady presence in the lives of her children and grandchildren. She passed away on June 5, 1903, at the age of 73, while living with her oldest daughter in Pennsylvania. Her body was transported home by train and she was buried alongside Reuben in Grant Township Cemetery.
Remembering Reuben and Sarah
Reuben and Sarah’s lives tell the story of ordinary yet extraordinary pioneers—people who faced hardship with courage, who valued family above all else, and who laid the foundations for generations to come.
Their gravestones still stand in Grant Township Cemetery, quiet markers of lives that were once full of toil, love, and legacy. For their descendants, Reuben and Sarah are reminders that the choices and sacrifices of the past are the roots of the present.
Detailed Timeline
Reuben Earl Smith
Birth: 31 OCT 1822 Salina, Onondaga Co, New York.
Note: The town Salina was later changed to Syracuse.
Name Var: Ruben
1840 Census: Mexico, Oswego Co, New York
Note: Ages fit to be Reuben, sister Wealthy, and parents Cornelius and Hulda. Also one more male between ages of 15-20 in household.
Marriage: 06 DEC 1846 Clay, Onondaga Co, New York
Religion: Possibly a deacon of the Baptist Church of Mexicoville, later renamed the First Baptist Church of Mexico. There does appear to be another Reuben in Mexico in 1840, though, so not sure which one was the deacon.
Birth of Son: 03 SEP 1849
Name: Cornelius Aurlius Smith
Place: Mexico, Oswego Co, New York
1850 Census: 11 OCT 1850
Place: Mexico, Oswego, New York, USA
Note: Wife, Sarah, son Cornelius, and Franklin Wing (age 10) living in household.
Moved to: BETWEEN 1851 AND 1853
Place: Wisconsin
Birth of Son: 17 MAR 1853
Name: Delavan Adelbert Smith
Place: Waukesha Co, Wisconsin
Note: Living next door to Aaron Bump – confirming his wife’s parents.
Birth of Son: 09 OCT 1855
Name: Manvil A. Smith
Place: Lyslou, Waukesha Co, Wisconsin
Birth of Daughter: 09 DEC 1856
Name: Hulda A. Smith
Place: Lyslou, Waukesha Co, Wisconsin
Moved to: BETWEEN 1857 AND 1859
Place: Michigan
Note: The Smiths came to Michigan as part of the lumber industry. They followed the railroads out west from New York.
Birth of Daughter: 12 SEP 1859
Name: Weltha Almina Smith
Place: Union City, Branch Co, Michigan
1860 Census: 02 AUG 1860
Place: Union, Branch, Michigan, USA
Note: Was a carpenter and a joiner.
Birth of Daughter: 17 FEB 1862
Name: Pluma Euphema Smith
Place: Michigan
Civil War Draft Registration: June 1863
Place: Union, Branch Co, Michigan
Birth of Daughter: abt 1864
Name: Deborah E. Smith
Place: Michigan
Moved to: 1865
Place: Mason County, Michigan
Birth of Daughter: 22 FEB 1868
Name: Laura E. Smith
Place: Mason Co, Michigan
Occupation:19 NOV 1868 – 07 FEB 1871
Note: Was a Postmaster for Lake Greenwood, which was later named Colfax, Mason County, Michigan.
Birth of Son: 07 SEP 1869
Name: Otis E. Smith
Place: Michigan
1870 Census: 02 JUL 1870
Place: Victory, Mason Co, Michigan, USA
Note: Farmer
Land Rec: 10 FEB 1875
Place: Section 22, Township 20-N, Range 17-W, Mason Co, Michigan, USA
Note: 160 Acres
1880 Census: 19 JUN 1880
Place: Grant Twp, Mason Co, Michigan.
Note: Wife, Sarah, and five children are living in household. His son, Cornelius, is living next door.
Family Photo:
back row-Laura, Otis, Wealtha, Manvill, Pluma
front row-Cornelius, Reuben (father), Deborah, Sarah Bump (mother), Hulda, and Delbert
Death: 11 SEP 1890, Grant Twp, Mason Co, Michigan
Note: Died of heart disease.
Death Record: 16 MAY 1891
Place: Grant Township, Mason County, Michigan, USA
Note: Parents listed as UNKNOWN on this record.
Buried: Grant Twp Cemetery, Grant Twp, Mason Co, Michigan
Click here to see parents: Cornelius Smith and Hulda Austin
Sarah Ann Bump
Birth: 02 OCT 1830 Elizabeth, New York
Note: or Howac or Kowac, Renslar Co, NY. None of these towns exist, but there are a couple of Elizabethtown, New Yorks – one in Essex Co and one in Herkimer Co. (Someone on Ancestry.com says she was born in Troupsburg, Steuben Co, New York.)
1840 Census: There is an Aaron Bump in Clay, Onondaga Co, New York who has a 10 year old daughter. Believed to be Sarah’s family.
Moved to: 1846-1890 See above. Activity listed under her husband
Note: AFT 11 SEP 1890
Details: After her husband died, she went to live with Hattie Parson’s family for some time.
1900 Census: 12 JUN 1900
Place: Grant Twp, Mason Co, Michigan
Note: Her daughter-in-law’s brother, Charles Elkani Reynolds, is boarding with her. Also Agusta Stanelin is boarding at her home (no relation that I’m aware of)
Death: 05 JUN 1903
Note: Died in Pennsylvania at the home of her oldest daughter, Hulda Hagadorn. (Charles and Hulda Hagadorn were living in Troy, Bedford Co, Pennsylvania during the 1900 census.)
Paper also says Milton came home for his grandma’s funeral.
Obituary: 18 JUN 1903
parents are Aaron Bump and Deborah Milliman
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