Nadine Davis Smith is a native of Knox County, Kentucky, having been born and raised in the Boone Heights area. Her parents were Obie Davis and Elizabeth Baker. Her husband was the late Joe Boone Smith, longtime employee of the old A & P stores in Barbourville.
Following her graduation from Knox Central High School in 1957, Nadine Smith earned her associate degree in accounting at Union College. She then worked in a Kentucky vocational education program and later at Union College. In 1971, she established a tax and accounting service, the Boone Tax Service, which is still operating at press time (December 2016).
Asked how she got interested in genealogy, Mrs. Smith said she basically got her start while serving as a member of the Daughters of America (D.A.R.).
Her research took a more serious turn, she said, because of her dad, Obie Davis. He wanted to know what happened to his grandfather, David Wesley Davis, who "basically abandoned the family." In 1861, David Davis, who came from Knox County, Tennessee, joined the Union recruiting station at Flat Lick. His offspring included Francis Marion Davis, father of Obie Davis. David Davis and Francis Davis are featured in articles written by Mrs. Smith for her genealogy column.
Her columns were published in the Barbourville Mountain Advocate from 2001-2003, At that time, a change in the newspaper staff ended her column. However, she said she still managed to publish a few genealogy columns after that date.
Nadine Smith has five grown children, eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Her children are Dennis Joe Smith, Rondall Kent Smith, Timothy Clifton Smith, Tracy Hoskins and Tricia Boles.