Glendale, California Biographies

DeLos H. Smith

DeLos H. Smith, who is the manager of the Brand Boulevard branch of the Pacific-Southwest Trust and Savings Bank, is a native of Kansas. He was born at Garnett, January 5, 1874, a son of Herbert and Eveline (Coulter) Smith. His paternal grandfather, John Smith, was a native of Georgia, who later moved to Pennsylvania and from there to Peru, Illinois, where Herbert Smith was born. Herbert Smith was a veteran of the Civil War, and served with the Forty-second Illinois Regiment of Volunteers. After the war he went tot Kansas and farmed. He is now living retired at Stuart, Iowa, where he has made his home since 1875.

Mr. Smith is the second of a family of six children: his two brothers are, Irwin, of Independence, Iowa, and Harvey of Fresno, California; and his sisters are Retta, now Mrs. Leroy Belden of Stuart, Iowa; Mable, now Mrs. Frank Wetrich of Stuart, Iowa; and Lola, now Mrs. Fred Stark, of Ottawa, Canada. Mr. Smith graduated from the grammar and high schools of Stuart, after which he attended the Iowa Business College, of Des Moines, Iowa. He became a bookkeeper in the office of the Wisconsin Lumber Company, owners and operators of line yard, and later became auditor, and in that capacity visited all their lumberyards in the state. In 1898, at Archer, Iowa, he organized a bank of which he was made cashier. Three years later he went to Primghar, Iowa, and was cashier of a bank there for ten years, after which he was cashier of the First National Bank of Marcus, Marcus, Iowa, until he came to Los Angeles in 1911.

He lived a life of ease and comfort, spending much time in automobile travel through the state, until he came to Glendale in 1914, and soon thereafter bought an interest in the Bank of Glendale and was made its vice-president. He was active in the management of the bank until it was purchased by the Los Angeles (now Pacific-Southwest) Trust & Savings Bank, when he was transferred to the Brand Boulevard branch, and a few months later, on December 15, 1915, was made manager of the branch, which position he has since held. Since his taking the management of the bank the institution has grown from resources of $400,000.00 to $1,600,000.00. This growth is attributable in no small measure tot he enterprise and efforts of its popular and efficient manager. Mr. Smith is a Knight Templar Mason and Shriner, and Elk, and a member of the Chamber of Commerce. He is a Republican, but has taken no active interest in politics since coming to California.

At Marcus, Iowa, Mr. Smith married Lulu Roe, an Iowa girl born and reared at Manchester. Their son Wayne, is assistant credit man for the Paul G. Hoffman Company of Los Angeles. He is a graduate of the University of California where he took a four year course. In July, 1918, he enlisted in the Navy at San Pedro, and was discharged from the service in December of the same year when he returned to his classes at the University and graduated with the class of 1919. Mrs. Smith is a member of the Friday Morning Club. The family home, at 302 North Maryland, was built by Mr. Smith in 1913.

From “History of Glendale and Vicinity” by John Calvin Sherer. The Glendale Publishing Company, c. 1922 F. M. Broadbooks and J. C. Sherer. p. 364-367.