Miriam E. Drake (maiden name: Harlan) was born on July 20, 1839, in Greenville, Illinois, to William and Nancy Harlan. Her father was a farmer who owned $1,600 of real estate by 1850. She grew up and attended school in Bond County, Illinois, and she married Henry B. Drake on December 29, 1859. Their son Edward was born in the early 1860s, but he apparently died soon afterward. They lived in Bond County, and her husband worked as a farmer. By 1860, they owned $3,100 of real estate and $400 of personal property. Her husband served as a private in the 130th Illinois Infantry, and he died on May 22, 1863. She applied for a federal pension soon afterward, and she received an $8 monthly pension in March 1864.
She married Thomas A. Smith on September 13, 1865, and they had at least three children: Edwin, born around 1867; Charles, born around 1868; and Nancy, born around 1870. They lived in Hopedale, Illinois, and her husband worked as a merchant and grocer. By 1870, they owned $1,200 of real estate and $1,000 of personal property. She died in Madison, Illinois, on November 1, 1919.