Smith, J. B. (1870-1951)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1951 Oct 4 p. 1

Birth date: 1870 Apr 9

text of obituary:

Well-Known Minister, Writer Died in Ohio

J. B. SMITH WAS AUTHOR OF BOOKS & PAMPHLETS ON BIBLE THEMES

Elida, Ohio. — J. B. Smith, elder minister of the Salem Mennonite church here, died Sept. 22 after an illness of only a few hours. Funeral services were held at the Salem church, and burial was made in the adjoining cemetery.

Bro. Smith was widely known as a Bible lecturer and writer. He was the author of a number of pamphlets and books, among them “The Bible, Chapters on Bible Doctrines" and “One Thousand Best Bible Verses." Two more books, a commentary on Revelation and a New Testament concordance, were nearly ready for publication at the time of his death.

He was born at St. Jacobs, Ontario on April 9, 1870, and took his college and graduate work in the United States, receiving the D.D. degree from Oskaloosa College in Iowa and the B.D. degree from Temple university. Later he took further work in Hebrew and Greek at the Evangelical Theological seminary, Naperville, Ill.

After serving as minister at various churches, and as president of Eastern Mennonite school 1917-22, he came to the local congregation in 1922. He served on a number of Mennonite General Conference boards, including 22 years on the Mennonite Board of Education.

His wife, six children and a number of grandchildren survice [sic]. A son, J. Harold Smith, is a member of the Goshen College faculty.