He was a Dallas County Deputy Sherrif. Each morning he would saddle up his horse and ride 22 miles from Carrollton to downtown Dallas. He lost his wife, Alto Busy Skelton Smith, soon after his first child, Jennie Eugene Smith, was born. Jennie Eugene was cared for in her childhood by her grandparents, Cornelius A. (Neal) Smith and Laura Isom Smith.

In the year 1913, he became gravely ill. His children have conflicting stories. His daughter, Bertha (8 years old in 1913) tells of her dad passing away with typhoid fever and pneumonia complications, while her brother, Kenneth (4 years old at the time), tells the story that he feels his dad was shot and took gravely ill from his wounds as he has a memory of his mother dressing a bloody wound.

Upon his death in 1913, Cornelius and Laura Smith furnished food and care to his widow, Mamie, and their four children.

In 1915, Mamie Perry Smith took ill with tuberculosis and had to be placed in a sanitarium. Lafayette P. Smith was contacted in which he took the four children in front of a judge in Dallas, Texas. After the hearing, Lafayette P. Smith took Bertha Smith (age 10) home to live with him and Aunt Maria. Lindsey, Kenneth and Alma were placed in Buckner's Orphanage Home in Dallas.

On March 9, 1922, Mamie Smith passed away at the age of 37 in Woodlawn Sanitarium. As years passed, Kenneth, Lindsey and Bertha searched many times for their mother's grave as Bertha could not remember the exact cemetery she was buried in. After Lindsey, Kenneth and Alma passed away, her unmarked grave was located at Keenan Cemetery in Farmers Branch, Texas by Loffie Smith (Dell Smith's son). Bertha Smith and her neice, Phyllis (Kenneth Smith's daughter) had a tombstone designed for Mamie listing her name, husband's name, and the name of her four children.972