Descendants of the Fearless Fifty-Nine, Stephen H. Everitt

“Descendants of the Fearless Fifty-Nine”

STEPHEN H. EVERITT by Ron Smith

I am a fifth-generation Texan and one descendant out of the 200-member descendant tree of Stephen H. Everitt. My mother divorced when I was 4 years old and remarried. My step-father, Robert Sheldon Smith, adopted me and legally changed my name from Ronald Dale Everitt to Ronald Dale Smith in 1964. I, along with my daughter, followed the footsteps of Stephen H. Everitt and went into politics. Stephen Everitt served as Senator in the Texas Congress from 1836 to 1840. In 1838, he served as President pro-tempore in the Republic of Texas Senate. In 2010, I was elected to the City Council of Lago Vista, Travis, Texas. Then in November 2015, my daughter Stephanie Smith Smith (maiden name Smith who married another Smith) was elected to the City Council of Lago Vista, Travis, Texas. In 2015-2016, we both served as the first-ever “father-daughter” combination on the same city council ever in Lago Vista. Most recently in the 2015-2016 term, I was appointed as mayor pro-tempore for one year to the City Council of Lago Vista, similar but on a smaller scale and 177 years after my ancestor, Stephen H. Everitt.

Photo above is of Ron with his daughter Stephanie Smith and grand-daughter Olivia Smith.

Olivia Smith points out Stephen H Everitt on the Declaration.

Lago Vista City Council Photo. Front, l-r; Ron Smith, Mayor Pro-Tempore; Dale Mitchell, Mayor, Stephanie Smith. Back, l-r; Ed Tidwell, Jason Shoumaker, Rodney Cox, Rich Raley.