Annie B. Hamilton Smith

Among the advantages of living for a century or more is seeing how the family continues to grow in number. When Annie died at age 104, she had the impressive title of being the matriarch of 258 offspring. Even though only five sons and a daughter were living when she died, counting all the offspring of all her children, she was also survived by 86 grandchildren, 102 great-grandchildren, and 64 great-great-grandchildren.

Census records collectively list a total of 14 children born by her over a 25-year span. Annie was used to a large family, having been the seventh of 14 children herself. Her father was a farmer, and both of her parents were born into enslaved families in eastern Virginia in the middle of the Civil War. Eleven of her siblings were at home when the 1910 census was taken, which listed Annie working as a “laundress,” as was her mother.

Not long after that, Annie moved north to Philadelphia, perhaps with other family members. One day at church she met Samuel Smith (shown here), a handsome man  about nine years older than her, who worked at the Baldwin Locomotive Works. In 1916 they began their journey together as husband and wife, until he died nearly 40 years later. When he registered for the draft in 1917 their first daughter had been born with a second on the way.

Samuel may have served in that war but it’s not clear what he did or where. One possible record says he was overseas as a musician 3rd class for eight months. Starting in 1919 he held a steady position with the Pennsylvania Railroad. He had railroad retirement income in his later years, and a pension card recorded his continuous service as station cleaner, which may have meant a custodian. 

New members were added to the family as older ones moved on from the home in the Mill Creek section of the city. The census taken a few months after the stock market crashed in 1929 listed eight children at home. Shortly after that they moved near 39th and Olive Streets in Mantua.  One of the boys, Samuel Jr., took his place in the Army during World War II. Perhaps one of his seven brothers did the same, but no documents were found to confirm.

The spokesman for the family when Annie died was Eugene, born in 1930 and a heavy equipment operator for the city of Philadelphia for 30 years. He said she only worked outside the home for a short period of time, waiting tables at Linton’s Restaurant at 30th Street Station. 

His best recollection of her was how family and friends always sought her advice, and they would listen, too. She also passed on many stories of the horse and buggy days and growing up on a farm.

Just a month before her death she spent a very busy Mother’s Day in 1997 talking to her grandchildren, and her heart was blessed and happy. But it was also weak after 104 years. Less than a month later, a large crowd of relatives from six states packed the Pinn Memorial Baptist Church to celebrate “Mom Smith” and a life well lived.