Jack followed his eldest brother Maurice from their home in Elkton, Kentucky to Wyoming and worked for Maurice's employer, cattle rancher Peter W. Ricketts of Gillette, Wyoming. On January 5, 1917, Jack registered for the World War I draft in Gillette, later serving in the United States Army during the war. Eventually he advanced to the rank of corporal.
Jack's physical description included a medium build, slender, gray eyes and light hair.
After the war, he rejoined brother Maurice in Wyoming and took up a homestead. He married Dorothy Dowd, daughter of Ben and Lula Dowd, about 1927, probably in Wyoming. Dorothy was born about 1907 in Wyoming. They had no children.
Nephew Bill Smith's wife said of Jack and Dorothy:
"When I stayed with Smiths in Montana, ...Mom Smith and I took several trips to Gillette and visited Grandma Fox, Harry and Clara Fox; and Jack and Dorothy Smith. Mom S. and I visited them in Gillette where they had a nice little house. They didn't ever have any kids. She was Dorothy Dowd. Neb Dowd and his son Russell helped Bill and [Ruby and Lucien's son] fight for part of Jack's estate in the courts. Otherwise, his neighbor wanted to claim cattle, land and everything. Raymond got all the cattle and I think mostly what we received was shares in oil leases. The Dowds got the gravy because he was her brother and they lived there forever. Dorothy loved a nephew or someone. Bill and I ...visited Uncle Jack in the, I think, soldier's home in Newcastle when just before he died. Yes, he is buried in Crow Agency at the Custer Battle Field Cemetery. I have some pictures of his grave."
Nephews Raymond Smith, [living], Bill Smith visiting Jack's grave
Jack died 26 March 1976, in Custer, Custer, South Dakota, and was buried in the Custer Battlefield National Cemetery in Crow Agency, Big Horn, Montana.
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