USA > Ohio > Church of the Brethren in southern Ohio > Part 26
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31
Brother Teach was installed as a deacon in the New Carlisle church in 1914, and on May 25, 1918, this same con- gregation elected him to the ministry, ordaining him into the eldership in October of 1924.
His first pastorate was in the Loon Creek church, Middle Indiana, beginning in September of 1924. In September of 1927 he became director of public relations for McPherson College, Kansas, and continued in this capacity for three years. Then he returned to pastoral work at the Loon Creek church in 1930 and remained here until 1937, when he moved to his home district and became pastor of the Brookville church. After ten years here he went to the Cerro Gordo church in the Southern Illinois District. Four years later he again returned to Southern Ohio, this time to minister to the West Charleston church, where he labors most effectively as this is written.
Alma Barnhart, daughter of Elder and Sister Josephus E. Barnhart, of New Carlisle, Ohio, became his wife on August 20, 1910. They had five daughters: Lois, Ruth, Faye, Donna, and Carolyn. The husband of Faye is Professor Donald R. Frederick, a minister and a professor of music at McPherson College, Kansas. Sister Teach passed away February 3, 1950, while they were at Cerro Gordo. He married Mrs. Ella Stude- baker of New Carlisle, Ohio, on June 23, 1951, while attending the San Jose Annual Conference.
Brother Teach was a member of the Missions-Ministerial Board of Middle Indiana and also while in that district was elder of five different churches. In his home district he has served for six years on the Ministerial Board and as elder of six different churches, and is the secretary of the Southern Ohio district conference. While in Southern Illinois he was a member of the Ministerial Board and represented the district on the Central Regional Board. He has represented on Stand- ing Committee; three times he has acted as moderator of district conferences, and once as reader. As secretary of the district he is ex-officio a member of the District Board.
426
CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN IN SOUTHERN OHIO
He has now devoted over thirty-five years to the ministry, over twenty-five years of this time having been spent in pastoral work.
The Teaches reside in New Carlisle, serving the West Charleston church from this residence.
JOEL THOMPSON
Joel Thompson, the son of George K. and Lois Pfeifer Thompson, was born August 10, 1933, at West Milton, Ohio.
He was licensed to the ministry in March of 1951 by the West Milton church.
On August 22, 1952, he married Phyllis D. Yount at West Milton.
They are in Manchester College, where he is a senior, a candidate for the B.S. degree. He is student pastor of the Church of the Brethren, Roann, Indiana.
MURRAY L. WAGNER
Murray L. Wagner, son of Elmer T. and Lillie Sweitzer Wagner, was born at Glen Rock, Pennsylvania, on September 3, 1905. Following his elementary education in the public schools, he went to Baltimore, Maryland, for employment. Here he became interested in the ministry and was licensed to preach.
He subsequently graduated from Blue Ridge Academy, from Blue Ridge Junior College, and, later, from Elizabeth- town College with the A.B. degree. He served in several student and summer pastorates while securing his education.
While in his senior year at Elizabethtown he was invited to become pastor of the First church, Baltimore. Here he worked until 1934.
In 1932 he married Grace Bosserman, of York Springs, Pennsylvania, who was also a graduate of Elizabethtown College.
427
PART THREE: PERSONALITIES
Brother Wagner entered Crozer Theological Seminary at Chester, Pennsylvania, in 1934 while he was the student pastor of the Wilmington, Delaware, church. He graduated in 1938 with the B.D. degree, also completing an additional year toward the M.Th. degree.
Murray Wagner and Wife
In 1939 the Wagners took up the pastorate of the Pleasant Valley church, Weyers Cave, Virginia, where they remained until 1950. Here he became greatly interested in the rural church program, receiving considerable recognition for his own personal contribution to the rural church move- ment. Scholarships were awarded to both Brother and Sister Wagner for graduate study in Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia. He was named Rural Minister of the Year for Virginia in 1949.
The Wagners came to Southern Ohio in 1950 as pastors of the Troy church, where an extensive building program had just been started. He directed the project to its completion, and the beautiful structure stands as a monument to the achievement and co-operation of pastor and people.
428
CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN IN SOUTHERN OHIO
Brother Wagner is active in the local ministerial as- sociation, serving as its president several times. Sister Wagner has acted as president of the United Church Women and also as secretary of the Troy Council of Churches.
In extralocal church activities Brother Wagner has given assistance and leadership. Twice he has been on Standing Committee. He has been on the Board of Christian Education of both the Second Virginia and the Southern Ohio District. Now he is on the new District Board of this district. He has taken an active part in camp work in three states.
They have three sons, Murray II, Lowell, and Philip.
The Troy church has made great strides under the able leadership of Murray Wagner, and the city recognizes him as one of its stalwart Christian leaders.
WILLIAM U. WAGNER
William U. Wagner was born in Darke County, Ohio, on October 21, 1872, to Daniel J. and Catherine Baker Wagner.
He came into the church when sixteen, was elected to the ministry in 1910, and was ordained an elder in 1917. He took some work at Bethany Seminary.
His marriage to Mollie Friedline took place at Hillgrove, Ohio, on February 24, 1895. Three children are living: Ralph, Rullel, and Donald.
Brother Wagner served in the ministry at Alvin, Texas; Alvo, Nebraska; Lennox, Iowa; Lena, Illinois; Mound City, Missouri; and Poplar Grove in this district.
His health failing, he retired following his ministry in the latter church.
L. JOHN WEAVER
Leon John Weaver, the son of Elder M. J. and Fanny Ritchey Weaver, was born October 8, 1914, at Everett, Penn- sylvania. He finished high school in the Johnstown schools in 1932 and entered Elizabethtown College, in Pennsylvania.
429
PART THREE: PERSONALITIES
After two years he became a teacher in the public schools of Somerset County. He then returned to Elizabethtown College and in 1940 received the B.S. in Education degree. In June 1943 he graduated from Bethany Biblical Seminary, B.D. degree.
L. John Weaver and Wife
On June 6, 1945, he was married to Flora Harsh, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jesse E. Harsh, of the Maple Springs church, Eglon, West Virginia. They have three children, Margaret Fern, John Edward, and Sara Frances.
His election to the ministry occurred on June 20, 1937, in the Berkey church, Western Pennsylvania, which church also installed him on August 9, 1939. He was ordained an elder by the Eaton church, this district, on May 25, 1947.
Following summer pastorates at South Fork, Northern Virginia, Waynesboro, Southern Pennsylvania, and Bear Creek, this district, he became the full-time pastor of the Eaton church, Southern Ohio, in September 1943. In Sep- tember 1950 he was called to the Potsdam church, where they now live.
430
CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN IN SOUTHERN OHIO
Brother Weaver's first service to the district was as Brethren Service director, followed by membership on the new District Board, as chairman of the Brethren Service Com- mission. He has also served the district as reader and alternate moderator of district conference and has represented it on Standing Committee.
ALLEN WEIMER
Allen Weimer was born near West Milton, Ohio, October 22, 1886, to Abram and Catherine Weimer.
His public-school training, secured at Greenville, was followed by night school and part-time study at Bethany Biblical Seminary, Chicago.
He was married at Union City, Ohio, in October of 1907 to Rebecca Kunkle. They had one son, Eugene. After her decease he was married to Mildred Hottle of Troy on December 20, 1929. They have two daughters, Betty and Barbara.
In 1910 he was elected to the ministry by the Greenville church. He has assisted in the ministry at Greenville, Sidney, and Piqua.
In the local church he has worked on the board of religious education, the Sunday-school board, and the music committee, and has been the choir director for many years.
He is employed in Dayton as an office-equipment salesman.
DANIEL WEIMER
Daniel Weimer was born in Montgomery County, Ohio, June 21, 1897, to J. C. and Alice Weimer.
After attending the public schools he spent one year in Bethany Biblical Seminary.
His marriage to Erta Boomershine took place on April 20, 1918, at Brookville. They have one daughter.
The Brookville church elected him to the ministry in
431
PART THREE: PERSONALITIES
September of 1920. On July 11, 1934, he was ordained an elder by the Fort Mckinley church.
His services in the free ministry have been confined
Daniel Weimer and Wife
largely to Brookville and Fort McKinley. He has been elder of the latter church since 1945.
He is an employee of the post office at Dayton.
ALLEN WELDY
Allen Weldy is a native of Elkhart County, Indiana; he was born September 30, 1899, to Levi and Alice Weldy.
His training was received in the Wakarusa high school, Manchester College, where he graduated with the class of 1930, and Indiana University, where he secured his Master's degree in 1939.
He married Nina Roose, daughter of Elder and Mrs. Eli Roose, of Indiana, on August 27, 1922. They have three sons, Winfred, Gilbert, and Edgar.
432
CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN IN SOUTHERN OHIO
As an educator he served thirty-three years as a public- school teacher, twenty-five of these as a principal in the Elkhart City schools.
In 1951 he was elected to the ministry by the Elkhart church, and later the same year was ordained an elder. He had previously been a deacon and a Sunday-school super- intendent and teacher.
In the District of Northern Indiana he was president of Men's Work, was active in its camp program, and was a member of the National Men's Work Council. He represented the district at the Christian education convention at Toronto.
Brother Weldy came into this district in August 1951 to take charge of the work at Flat Creek, Kentucky, where he is now beginning his fourth year of most efficient service.
R. C. WENGER
Russell C. Wenger, a native of Miami County, the son of John V. and Sarah Cloppert Wenger, was born March 23, 1887. His wife was Ada A. Klepinger. He is a graduate of Manchester College, A.B. degree; Bethany Biblical Seminary, B.D. degree; and the University of Chicago, A.M. degree. He taught in Manchester College, became a minister in 1910 and an elder in 1922, and has served churches in Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan. He is at present at Franklin Grove, Northern Illinois and Wisconsin.
MILLARD G. WILSON
Millard G. Wilson, whose parents were John W. and Laura McBride Wilson, of Frederick County, Maryland, was born on September 28, 1902.
Completing his high school training in Frederick County, he enrolled in Blue Ridge College, New Windsor, Maryland, and graduated with the class of 1923, B.A. degree. He then spent a year in Bethany Biblical Seminary, after which he
433
PART THREE: PERSONALITIES
began as pastor of the Brownsville church, Middle Maryland. After three years here he returned to Bethany Seminary, completing his work there in 1929. That fall he went to the Mt. Pleasant church, Western Pennsylvania, but was soon
M. G. Wilson and Wife
called to the Frederick church, Eastern Maryland, where he remained for five years. Then he became pastor of the Cloverdale church, First District of Virginia, where he served for the next eleven years. In 1945 he became pastor of the Martinsburg church, Middle Pennsylvania, and continued here for six years. Then in 1951 he came to Southern Ohio as pastor of the Covington church. He is at this time the very able leader of this congregation.
In 1925 he was married to Rebecca Schwartz, also a graduate of Blue Ridge College. She is the children's work director for Southern Ohio, and had the same responsibility in First Virginia. In Eastern Maryland she was a member of the Women's Work Cabinet.
They are the parents of three children, Mrs. Edgar Flora, Norman, and Kenneth.
434
CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN IN SOUTHERN OHIO
Brother Wilson served on the Mission Board in the District of Middle Maryland and also on the same board in First Virginia. He was district secretary for three years in the latter district. He has been a camp leader in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.
DAVID D. WINE
David D. Wine, born on April 8, 1839, was a native of Virginia. He came to Southern Ohio in 1862. His wife was Susan Miller of near Dayton, Ohio. They had three sons and five daughters. Moving to Miami County in 1873, he was elected a minister by the Newton (Pleasant Hill) church in 1876 and ordained an elder in 1893.
In 1900 they moved to Covington; here he lived until his decease in 1924, his wife having preceded him in 1913.
As an elder he had oversight of several churches, and was one of those of the free ministry serving the Covington church for a number of years.
GROVER L. WINE
Grover L. Wine, the son of John H. and Mary E. Miller Wine, was born on January 12, 1886.
Uniting with the Huntington Country Church of the Brethren, Middle Indiana, in 1899, he became a minister in 1906 and an elder in 1919.
His high school work was taken in the Clear Creek Town- ship schools, Huntington County, Indiana. He graduated from Manchester College in 1915 with the B.S.L. degree, and from Juniata College, Pennsylvania, in 1922 with the degree of B.D.
He was married to Mary Stoner on June 1, 1911. They have one daughter, Salome Ruth, wife of Galen B. Ogden, pastor of the La Verne, California, Church of the Brethren. Sister Wine has become a writer of some distinction.
Their pastorates in Southern Ohio have included the
435
PART THREE: PERSONALITIES
Covington church, 1934-40, and the Greenville church, 1940-46. Other pastorates were: Huntington City, Middle Indiana, 1911- 13; the Manchester church, same district, 1915-17; Polo, Northern Illinois and Wisconsin, 1918-20; Fairview, Middle Pennsylvania, 1920-22; Mount Morris, Northern Illinois and Wisconsin, 1924-29; Bridgewater, Virginia, 1929-34; Rossville and Pyrmont, joint charge, Southern Indiana, 1946-52. They also served an interim pastorate at Phoenix, Arizona, in 1953.
Brother Wine taught some in Mount Morris College and has served on the district boards of several districts, including the Ministerial Board of this district.
The Wines recently retired at Covington, Ohio.
G. L. Wine and Wife
N. B. Wine and Wife
NORMAN B. WINE
Norman B. Wine was born at Waynesboro, Virginia, on February 2, 1893, the son of Noah and Susan Wine.
He attended Manchester Academy and College, gradu-
436
CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN IN SOUTHERN OHIO
ating, A.B. degree, in 1923, and later took his M.A. degree from Wittenberg College, Springfield, Ohio. Manchester College granted him the honorary LL.D. degree.
Elected to the ministry by the West Dayton church on October 3, 1918, he was ordained an elder by the Bear Creek church, this district, in 1933.
As a part-time pastor he has worked with the Eaton, Bear Creek, and Fort McKinley churches in Southern Ohio. For many years he was elder of the Bear Creek church and is now elder of Mack Memorial.
Brother Wine represented Southern Ohio as a member of the Regional Educational Board, was once the district Sunday- school secretary and the director of religious education, and was also on the Comity Committee of the district.
For many years he was a trustee of Manchester College, representing Southern Ohio; later he became a trustee-at- large and is at present serving in that capacity.
PAUL E. WINGERD
Paul E. Wingerd was born September 21, 1894, near Clar- ence, Iowa, the son of Joseph M. and Ozella Zuck Wingerd.
He became a member of the Cedar church, Middle Iowa, in 1910, and a minister in 1918. In December 1927 he was ordained an elder by the Mount Morris, Illinois, church.
He received the B.A. degree from Mount Morris College in 1928.
On June 3, 1919, he married Martha E. Hamer, of Waterloo, Iowa. They served as pastors of the Greenville church from 1930 to 1932.
FRED E. WOODIE
Fred E. Woodie is the son of Henry J. and Maudie Sheets Woodie, born to them in Ashe County, North Carolina, on September 23, 1891.
On May 30, 1917, he was married to Ollie Pearl Showalter at Boones Mill, Virginia. They have four children.
437
PART THREE: PERSONALITIES
He was licensed to preach on June 24, 1932, and installed into the ministry in 1933 by the Eversole church. In February of 1952 he was ordained an elder by the Southern District of Virginia.
His ministerial service in this district began in the free ministry in the Eversole church, 1932-41. In the latter year he began a four-year pastorate of the Bethany church, Adams County, assisting also at Strait Creek and Marble Furnace during one year of this period. Leaving this district he moved to Crab Orchard, West Virginia, where he remained until 1947; he then gave up the work for reasons of health. After some recuperation, in 1950 he went to Maple Grove, North Carolina, where he served until March 1953. He is now living near New Carlisle.
Fred Woodie and Wife
George Wright and Wife
GEORGE W. WRIGHT
George W. Wright was born November 29, 1897, at Fostoria, Ohio, to Sardis N. and Emma Rothacker Wright.
438
CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN IN SOUTHERN OHIO
He became a member of the church in 1910. The Union- town church, Western Pennsylvania, elected him to the ministry in 1930. He was ordained an elder in the Windber church in 1943, during a district conference there.
His church activities were principally as a Sunday-school superintendent at Uniontown for twenty-one years. After his election to the ministry he took charge of the Fairchance congregation. Then he became pastor of the Rummel church in 1942, continuing there until 1950. It was in September of 1950 that he came to Southern Ohio as pastor of the Pitsburg church.
He married Eva I. Byerly, of Fostoria, Ohio, on September 4, 1921. She had attended Manchester College. While in Western Pennsylvania she had served as district president of Women's Work and as secretary-treasurer of the Women's Work organization of the Eastern Region. She was also a camp leader at Camp Harmony. They have five living chil- dren: Duane, Myrtle, Marilyn, Myra, and Marjorie.
Brother Wright has twice been a Standing Committeeman and in this district has been a member of the Men's Work Cabinet.
VAN B. WRIGHT
Van B. Wright was born January 20, 1892, at Berrysville, Highland County, Ohio, to Lewis A. and Nancy Colvin Wright.
His marriage to Nora Mildred Shively took place near Plymouth, Indiana, on June 20, 1919. They have three children, Paul J., Mary Elizabeth, and Donald L.
He was elected to the ministry by the Lexington church on October 11, 1908, and ordained an elder by the Marble Furnace church on January 20, 1919.
His active ministry began in the southern field of this district, in the community in which he grew up; he worked here from 1911 to 1925, under the direction of the Mission Board. In 1925 he became pastor at East Dayton, remaining until 1931. Then they moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, and he was the pastor there until 1936. They served the Twin Falls, Idaho, church, 1936-39, the Fort Wayne, Indiana, church,
439
PART THREE: PERSONALITIES
1939-48, and the Glendale, California, church, 1948-53; since 1953 they have been directing the work at Colorado Springs, Colorado.
While in this district he served as writing clerk of the district meeting and as a member of the Welfare Board. In other districts he has been a member of Standing Committee, moderator of district conference, and secretary of ministerial affairs. He has held many evangelistic services throughout the Brotherhood.
OREN S. YOUNT
Oren S. Yount was born in Newberry Township, Miami County, to Solomon M. and Elizabeth Yount, on June 3, 1874.
He attended the Covington high school and Mount Morris College.
His marriage to Daisy A. Diltz took place on November 10, 1896. There were three sons and one daughter born to them.
The Casstown church elected him to the ministry on December 6, 1906. Later the Covington church advanced him to the eldership. He has served in the free ministry in these and other churches in the district. His membership has been in the Covington church since 1922. In his active life he was engaged in newspaper work but is now retired and living in Troy.
2. LAITY
GALEN BARNHART
Galen Barnhart, born August 16, 1914, to Herbert and Clara Funderburg Barnhart, is a deacon in the New Carlisle church.
He is a graduate of the Bethel Township schools, Clark County, of Manchester College, and of Columbia University, M.A. degree. He taught in the public schools for a few years and then turned to farming.
His marriage on June 29, 1941, was to Vila Butterbaugh Royer at Lanark, Illinois. They have four children: Rosemary, Andrew, Eva, and Greta.
Work in the local church has included that of Sunday- school superintendent, teacher, choir director, and chorister, and membership on various boards and committees. For the district he was a member of the Men's Work Council from 1943 to 1948 and its secretary-treasurer for the last four years.
The Barnhart family resides east of New Carlisle.
HUGH BLOCHER
Hugh Blocher, the son of Samuel and Catherine Glunt Blocher, was born in Darke County, Ohio, on February 12, 1875.
His marriage to Ollie Wagner took place on October 5, 1895. They have four sons, and are now retired from farming.
He is a deacon in the Poplar Grove church, where he has been clerk and trustee for twenty-five years and Sunday- school teacher or superintendent for fifty years, and has served on the ministerial board for a number of years.
His service to this district was as a member of the Brethren Home Board for ten years.
441
PART THREE: PERSONALITIES
DON BOWMAN
Don Bowman's parents are Emmert and Helen Bowman. He was born November 20, 1925. He attended the Fairview high school, Dayton, the University of Dayton, the University of Maine, Ohio Northern University, and Ohio State University, receiving the M.S. degree in the last of these.
He was a District CBYF Cabinet member for two years, a Central Region youth fieldworker, and a Brethren Volunteer Service worker here and in Puerto Rico. He was also youth fieldworker for the United Christian Youth Movement, and was a delegate to the Third World Conference of Christian Youth, in 1953, at Travancore, India.
A civil engineer and surveyor, he lives in Dayton.
GLENN H. BREWER
Glenn H. Brewer, a farmer, is a layman in the Oakland congregation, where he holds the office of deacon and is a member of the ministerial board. He has been both a teacher in the church school and the superintendent. In 1949 he be- came a member of the Men's Work Cabinet and was elected its secretary-treasurer, which office he now holds.
Brother Brewer married Norma Waggoner of the Oakland congregation; they have two children. They live on a farm near Gettysburg.
EMERSON W. BRUMBAUGH
Emerson W. Brumbaugh, the son of Elder Enos E. and Daisy Warner Brumbaugh, was born near Union, Montgomery County, Ohio, on February 8, 1899.
He received his high school education at Englewood, his college training at Manchester College, A.B. degree, 1924, and his university work at Wittenberg, A.M. degree, 1931.
His marriage to Miriam K. Gnagey took place at West Milton on June 17, 1924. They have three children, Betty Jane, Lowell Emerson, and Martin G.
442
CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN IN SOUTHERN OHIO
After twenty-one years as superintendent of the Staun- ton Township schools, Miami County, he resigned and went into the restaurant business in Troy.
In the local church, where he is a deacon, he has served on the church board, on the ministerial committee, as treasurer, and as Sunday-school teacher and superintendent.
For the district he was for ten years a member of the Board of Christian Education and its treasurer for six of these years.
ARTIE CAIN
Artie Cain, a farmer, is a layman in the Eaton church and the superintendent of the church school. Formerly active in the East Dayton church, he is now president of the Eaton men's work.
VIRGIL CASSEL
Virgil Cassel, of the Greenville church, was born in Darke County on May 6, 1903, son of Philip and Rebecca Cassel.
His education was received in the Bradford schools and Manchester College.
On December 24, 1927, he married Elizabeth Stover. They have two children, Jerry and Terry.
He is the chairman of the building committee of the local church and a deacon. For many years he has been an officer in the Darke County Council of Churches. He is in the general insurance business.
Districtwise he has served as president of Men's Work and has been for some years secretary-treasurer of the Brethren Home Board.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.