Irvin Benjamin Smith

Place of Birth

Lawrence, Indiana, US
Place of Death

Indianapolis, Indiana, US

Born: 15 March 1885, Lawrence, Indiana
Died: 26 January 1947, Indianapolis, Indiana
Also known as: Ervin B. Smith, Irvin B. Smith, “Tom” Smith

Documented History

Irvin Benjamin Smith was born on March 15, 1885, in Lawrence, Indiana, according to the Indiana Marriage Index (1800–1941). That much is certain.

The rest? Well, that’s where things get complicated. Multiple census and marriage records show an Irvin or Erwin Benjamin Smith—exact birthdate, similar parents—appearing in several places, sometimes with different wives and varying middle initials. For now, I’m assuming these records point to the same man, pending any evidence to the contrary. The one anchor I can fully rely on is his confirmed marriage to Helen Marie Blake.

Let’s walk through the records and follow the breadcrumbs:

Marriage #1: Edna Dugan

🗓️ Married 24 August 1908, Marion County, Indiana

The Indiana Marriage Collection shows Irvin B. Smith, age 23, marrying Edna Dugan—his birthdate matches—March 15, 1885.

On June 5, 1909, Edna gave birth at home to their daughter, Mabel Irene Smith, at 1456 South East Street in Indianapolis. Irvin is listed as a drayman (a kind of delivery driver), and Edna was just 16 years old.

📝 A young, working-class couple with a newborn baby and a rented home—it’s a familiar American story at the dawn of the 20th century.

Irvin Benjamin Smith – 1909 Birth of Daughter Mabel

1910 Census

📍 Indianapolis Ward 12
Irvin (spelled Ervin) Smith, 25, was head of household. He lived with Edna, daughter Mabel, and two boarders—Lennard Loses and Wm Ryaner. Irvin worked in a machine shop. He could read and write, which was not always a given for men of his station in that era.

This census listing supports the marriage and birth records—the same name, the same birth year and location, and the presence of Mabel.

Marriage #2: Lulu Sanders

🗓️ Married 16 April 1913, Marion County, Indiana

According to multiple Indiana marriage indexes, Irvin Ben Smith married Lulu Sanders. His parents are listed as John M. Smith and Nancy C. Newhouse.

⚠️ Name variation alert: “John M.” here versus “John F.” on his death certificate. It is not uncommon, but it is worth keeping an eye on.

1914 City Directory

Irvin was still living at 1456 S. East Street and listed as a laborer. Notably, he appears to be single again.

1915 New York State Census

Irvin B. Smith, age 30, is single and shows up in Manhattan at 36 W. 59th Street. No occupation is listed.

Whether he was chasing work, running from a failed marriage, or simply caught in the migratory tide of the early 1900s, his trail leads out of Indiana briefly before returning.

Irvin Benjamin Smith – 1915 Census – New York

Marriage #3: Helen Marie Blake

🗓️ Married 8 November 1916, Marion County, Indiana

At last, a confirmed relationship. Irvin married Helen Marie Blake in Indianapolis. He was listed as divorced, and his parents this time were John Arthur Smith and Nancy Newhouse. Once again, his birthplace and birthdate remain consistent—Lawrence, Indiana, 15 March 1885.

WWI Draft Registration – 1918

Irvin registered in Indianapolis, giving his address as 602 Woodlawn and naming Helen as his wife. He worked as a welder and gave a physical description: short, medium build, blue eyes, and medium hair.

Irvin Benjamin Smith – WWI Draft Registration

1920 Census

📍 Indianapolis Ward 13
Irvin appears as a widower, boarding in the home of Charles and Frances Haffner. He worked as a mechanic in the auto parts industry.

The return to boarding—possibly even the same house from 1910—is interesting. It may reflect Helen’s death and a return to familiar ground for support.

Daughter’s Death – 1933

On October 4, 1933, Mabel Irene Smith (daughter of Irvin and Edna) died at just 24 years old. Her obituary lists her stepfather as Charles D. Cunningham, indicating that Edna remarried. Mabel left behind a husband and an infant daughter. She’s buried at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis.

Irvin Benjamin Smith – 1933 Death of Daughter

WWII Draft Registration – 1942

At age 57, Irvin registered for the WWII draft. He was living in rural Indianapolis (RR10 Box 553) and listed Alta M. Smith as someone who would always know his whereabouts. Another wife? Possibly. However, it remains an open question without a matching marriage record or census entry.

Irvin Benjamin Smith – 1942 WWII Draft Registration

Death – 1947

Irvin B. “Tom” Smith died on January 26, 1947, at 61. His cause of death was bilateral pulmonary tuberculosis, and he’d been hospitalized since October 3, 1946. He was divorced at the time and working in trucking.

Irvin Benjamin Smith – 1947 Death Certificate

The informant on his death certificate was Irene McCarty, and his burial was at Crown Hill Cemetery, the same as his daughter’s.

His parents were listed again: John F. Smith (from Ohio) and Nancy Ann Newhouse (from Indiana). We’ve seen some middle name variants—John M., John Arthur, and John F.—but the surrounding details hold steady.

Obituaries & A Mystery Wife

Irvin’s Find A Grave entry includes two obituaries that mention a fourth potential wife, Alsa Mae, and a son named Monty. Neither name appears in census or city directory records so far. Still, the obituaries connect Irvin to his granddaughter, Mabel Irene Marango, reiterating the link to his daughter Mabel Irene Smith.

Final Thoughts

Irvin’s life was a winding road—marked by marriages, migrations, and working-class perseverance. While his story is still partially shrouded in uncertainty, a few things shine through: he loved, he labored, and he left behind children and grandchildren who bore his name forward.

🔍 Have a memory or mystery to share?
If you knew Irvin—or have a theory about one of his many marriages, missing years, or mystery relatives—we’d love to hear from you. Visit Irvin Benjamin Smith’s Intro Page to share stories, photos, questions, or family legends. Every clue helps keep his story alive.

Warmly,

~Kris

🕯️ Revisited by Bones

Oh, Irvin.

A man of many names, many wives, and just enough mystery to drive a genealogist to drink. From Lawrence to Indianapolis, New York to God-knows-where, Irvin Benjamin Smith left a breadcrumb trail scattered with conflicting records, vanishing spouses, and just enough verified facts to keep us dangling on the hook.

He married young, fathered a daughter with a 16-year-old bride, and by his mid-twenties was already boarding with strangers—either by choice, circumstance, or heartbreak. He reappears in the records with other wives (maybe?), a war draft card or two, and a mechanic’s hands greased by the gears of industry. Some years, he’s single; some, he’s married; some, he’s a widower. Maybe all three were true at once.

Helen Marie Blake was his anchor in the storm, and after her, he seems to drift—working, boarding, fading into the census margins. A granddaughter, Mabel Irene Marango, anchors him to legacy again. But Alsa Mae and Monty? They arrive late in the tale like shadows at dusk, hard to see clearly but impossible to ignore.

Irvin’s life reads like a man always just passing through—through homes, relationships, records. But he wasn’t a ghost. He was flesh, and labor, and love, and loss. He built things. He left behind a daughter. He made a mark, however blurred by time.

So here’s to Irvin B. Smith—wanderer, welder, whisper on a draft card. We see you. We’re still watching for you in the shadows of the archives. And we haven’t stopped asking questions.

🖋️ —Bones