Maude Smith was born in Muskingham County, Ohio on 7 August 1888, to parents Austin and Edith Teel. She was the 6th of 7 children.

Maude lost her mother at the young age of six. Maude's father Austin sent her to help other families, including one family in Garfield County, Nebraska, near Burwell. Eventually, the family that Maude was helping and residing with, moved west to California. She wanted to go but was made to stay in Nebraska.

As a teenager, Maude was sent to care for an ailing neighbor Maggie Smith. Eventually, Maggie died, leaving Jessie Smith a widower. The next year, Jesse married Maude, who was 19 years old, on December 26, 1906.

Together, Jesse and Maude had eight children: Elmer Jesse (1908-1977), Eleanor Fay(1909-1989), Arthur Edmond (1910-1967), Jessica Doris (1913-1999), Lucille Bessie (1915-1995), Roland (Roll) M, (1917-1981), Melba Ruth (1919-1984), and Freda Lorraine (1922-1980).

The Smith family lived on Deer Creek near the community of Ingham, Nebraska. It was a hard life, of subsistence farming in the harsh prairie canyons, with no cars, nor electricity, and suffering droughts and pests.

In 19[24], at age [60], Jesse passed away of natural causes, and left Maude a widow with several dependent children. She was forced to sell the farm at sheriff sale and move on.

Maude relocated her family North, to Brady, Nebraska, where she managed a hotel and cafe. In the late 1930's, Maude and most of her children moved west, to California, to seek their fortunes there.

Maude passed away on August 6, 1971, in San Bernadino, California, and is buried at Montecito Memorial Park.