USA > West Virginia > Preston County > A History of Preston County, West Virginia, V. 2 > Part 19
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There is a singular sweetness of character and kindliness of nature permeating this home not found around every hearthstone. The mother herself, a charming woman, is an educated lady, and superintendent of the Presbyterian Sabbath School at Reedsville. In Christian work she is best known to the general public. Both the parents are very sympa- thetic and very charitable, give and spend freely, and in return seem to receive as freely as they give, which proves the old Bible adage a true one.
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CHARLES EDWARD TREMBLY.
The Trembly family were French Huguenots, living near Ro- chelle, France, and during the persecutions emigrated to Scotland. That was about 1725. About 1730 the ancestor of this family emigrated to America and settled at Trembly's Point, near Elizabeth, New Jersey. His house is still standing.
About 1774, Benjamin Trembly and his family, with the McGrews, moved toward the west, locating first at Cumberland, Maryland, where the ancestors of the McGrew family died. Samuel Darby, another Scotchman, came from the same place in New Jersey, but did not reach Preston until the year of 1774. In 1786, Patrick, son of the original McGrew before mentioned, moved with his wife and four children from Cumberland and located on the Samuel McGrew place a mile south of Brandonville. Samuel Darby settled at the Miller place west of Clifton, and Benjamin Trembly settled near Bruceton. This trio of hardy Scotch settlers did much towards establishing a stable condition of affairs in the new county, very soon after the Revolutionary War.
Benjamin Trembly was born April 13, 1763, and drowned at Ice's Ferry in 1818, while on his way home from a fair at Morgantown. He married Eunice Pennington, who belonged to one of the oldest and most prominent families of New Jersey. Their children were: Josiah, John, Mary, Sarah, James and Ephraim. John Trembly was born March 20, 1786, and died 1863. He married Sarah Darby in Bruceton, and bought the farm near Albright in 1813. Their children were: Eunice, wife of John Bishop; Samuel and Benjamin, who were born October 16, 1816. Benjamin married Mary Hartman. Their children were : George H., Joseph, Sarah (wife of Guy A. Bishop), Michael, John, Samuel and Adam.
The father of Charles Edward was George H. Trembly, who was born near Albright, West Virginia, April 7, 1837, died 1899. His wife was Eva Charity Smith, who was born near the same place February 3, 1849. They were married January 9, 1868. Their children were: Frank H., born August 3, 1869, in real estate business in Jacksonville, Florida ; Jay S., born July 30, 1871, plumber in Terra Alta; Charles E., April 14, 1873; Ella M., October 26, 1877, now Mrs. A. W. Hawley.
Charles Edward Trembly, the subject of this sketch, received a col- legiate education and has become a prominent citizen in the social and business fraternity of this part of the state of West Virginia. In 1894
CHAS. E. TREMBLY
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
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Af Bonufield
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he graduated from the Fairmont Normal School; in 1897 he graduated again from the Peabody Normal College, Nashville, Tennessee; and in 1899 he took the degree of A.B. from the West Virginia University at Morgantown, West Virginia. Thus thoroughly prepared for profes- sional work, he began teaching while going to college, and taught at intervals. In 1898-99 he was assistant principal of the Davis Public and High School, then acting principal of these same schools. In 1902 lie resigned to become assistant cashier of the Terra Alta Bank, a position. he held for eight years. On November 14, 1910, he was elected cashier.
Mr. Trembly has been a member of the Town Council of Terra Alta one term, and Recorder of the same two terms. During his official career many improvements of a public nature were made, and it was as much due to his advice and guiding influence as to that of any other one of the City Fathers that the people are indebted for their water works, gas lights, street pavements and other improvements which have given Terra Alta its good name to-day. As a self-made man, Mr. Trembly has been a progressive one necessarily and politically, one fit to be trusted as a representative of the people.
Socially, Mr. Trembly is a member of several orders. He is a mem- ber of, and past chancellor of the Knights of Pythias; is a member of, and past master of the Masons; is a 32° Mason and Knight Templar, and is also an Odd Fellow. He is a member of, and elder of the Presby- terian Church, and, although a young man yet, is a very substantial citizen of Preston County.
GUY M. BONAFIELD.
The Bonafields of West Virginia came originally from Maryland. Samuel, the ancestor, was born where the city of Washington now stands. His son Samuel came to St. George, Tucker county, in 1837, and his son T. J. located near the Tunnelton Camp Ground. His grandson, Arnold Jacob Bonafield, born June 12, 1849, became a very successful merchant, doing a business at one time in this place of $100,000 annually. He was also a coal dealer and for many years president of the bank. He was a very successful business man, leaving a valuable estate of which Guy M. Bonafield, his son, is trustee.
Arnold J. Bonafield married Elizabeth Virginia Robinson, born De-
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cember 6, 1851, in Fairmont, Marion county, W. Va. Her grandmother was a Pierpont. She married Reuben Baker. The Bakers moved to Monongalia county from Philadelphia. Their children were: (1) Guy Martin Bonafield, who was born March 18, 1874; (2) Hugh William, born January 19, 1876; (3) Carl Thornton, February 28, 1878; (4) Henry Arnold, April 22, 1880; (5) Ethelynd Virginia, December 1, 1882; (6) Stewart Robinson, August 17, 1890.
Guy Martin Bonafield, the subject of this sketch, was educated in the Fairmont Normal School and Wesleyan College at Buckhannon, after which he became bookkeeper until his father's death, then trustee of his father's estate since that time. He is also one of the trustees of the M. E. Church at Tunnelton.
On June 26, 1898, Mr. Bonafield was married to Miss Alberta Charity Bolyard, a Prestonian born near Tunnelton. Her father, Henry Bol- yard, was raised a farmer near Fellowsville and is a veteran of the Civil War. He is a descendant of Henry, a brother of Stephen Bolyard, who came from Pennsylvania about 1799, and lived first on the Ford place at the mouth of Wolfe Creek, and a few years later on the top of Laurel Hill, south of the turnpike line and near the "Drovers Rest." Henry Bolyard married Nancy Eve Sigley, of Harrison county, W. Va. They had eight children: Emma C., Delbert M., Cora A., Minnie A., Alberta C., Lloyd W., John C., and Lessie M.
The children of Mr. and Mrs. Guy M. Bonafield are: Daisy Louise, born April 4, 1899; Elizabeth Adelaide, January 8, 1902; Arnold Jacob, February 10, 1904; and James Henry Bonafield, who was born Sep- tember 1, 19II.
The family are members of the M. E. Church.
THE GARNER FAMILY.
The Garner family are of English descent. They are known in Preston county as thrifty farmers and as an enterprising class of people. Lewis Garner, the first of the family, came from Loudoun to Ryans Glade in Garrett some time prior to 1800. The widow took up her residence in the Craborchard and married Amos Roberts, whose daughter Frances married William, the only one of her sons to remain in the county. He settled three miles northeast of Kingwood. Their
S. H. GARNER.
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
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children were: (1) Simon, who lived near Bruceton Mills. He married Rebecca Smith and had two children, a boy and a girl. (2) William, who married Nancy Ridenour and lived and died near Terra Alta. (3) Alfred, who married Mary Smith, lived in Morgantown. (4) Samuel, who lived on the place now occupied by his son, Thomas F. (5) Amos, never married. (6) Hulda, married Amos Payne and moved to Iowa. (7) Margery remained single. (8) Julia, married Daniel Feather, both now dead.
Samuel Garner was born July 4, 1820. He was raised a farmer, and died August 16, 1900. He was a large man, very stout, and was never sick until taken with his fatal illness. He married Anna Rebecca Ridenour, in 1841, and moved on a farm east of Kingwood, where he remained two years, then moved to the place now occupied by his son. Thomas. Here he built a cabin, where he lived until his death. In those days hardships were many. When this young couple went to house- keeping they had but one vessel for cooking, and that was a skillet, which was used for the making of coffee. His wife was born February 11, 1822, and died April 19, 1896. Their oldest child was William M., born August 17, 1842, died August 2, 1907. He was a cooper by trade and manufactured staves for sugar and molasses bar- rels to be shipped to Cuba. He was also a successful agriculturist, on the homestead farm adjoining that of Elmer Garner, of whom mention will be made. His wife was Margaret Jane Rodeheaver, born May 31, 1843. Their children were: (1) ; (2) Walter Bunker, born April 29, 1866; (3) Waitman T. W., of whom mention will again be made; (4) Elmer Clay, born May 3, 1871 ; (5) Dora Belle, born June 3, 1873; (6-7) Mollie Grace and Minnie May, twins, born July 2, 1878; (8) Samuel Haymon, to be mentioned later. Samuel's daughter, Margery, married Josiah Calvert. She born in 1845, and died in October, 1911. They had seven children, and lived in the Wesley Chappel neigh- borhood. (3) Susan, married Lewis H. Dodge. They had four children, now all dead but John, who lives near Terra Alta. (4) Savilla, deceased, born October 19, 1852, married George Nestor and lives at Amblersburg. They have seven children. He is a farmer. (5) John H., is a baker. He married Anna Gibson, and lives at Kingwood, 110 children. (6) David, a cripple, was born May 9, 1856. (7) Joanna, born July 26, 1858, married Wesley Messenger. He is a farmer, and to this union were born five children. (8) Julia Ellen, never married, was born November 25, 1860. (9) Thomas F., the youngest of the family, was
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born November 26, 1864, and resides on the home place. He owns a good grazing farm as well as a good corn and wheat producing land, comprising 195 acres in all. He is a stock grower also, and speculates considerably in sheep, which are bought and shipped to the Baltimore market. In his younger days he attended school at Pleasant Dale.
Mr. Garner's first wife was a Miss M. K. Field. She was the daughter of Hiram and Margaret Field, who lived at Reedsville. They were mar- ried April 22, 1888, and on January 31, 1890, she died, twenty years, three months and five days old. One daughter, Jessie K., born October 15, 1889, married Sherman Brand (son of Frank Brand), October, 1907, and lives near Herring, West Virginia. Mr. Garner's second wife, Dora L. Kelly, is daughter of Elias and Elizabeth Kelly, of Terra Alta. They were married August 28, 1895. Their children are: Darrel, born De- cember 13, 1896; Edith, born on the 23rd of March, 1901, and Velma, born March 28, 1908. The new residence was built in 1905.
The family worships in the M. E. Church at Pleasant Dale. Mr. Garner is a member of the Knights of Pythias.
WAITMAN T. WILLEY GARNER.
It was not an unusual thing, in those days of pioneer times, for William M. Garner to walk to Terra Alta when in pursuit of some object of work, worthy of that effort. Likewise, his sons are all noted for their perseverance as well as their honesty. Waitman T. Willey Garner, bent on securing an education, obtained it when opportunity presented itself. He then obtained a government position, which he has now filled creditably to himself, as well as profitably, for several years. He was born on the Dille farm, near Pleasant Dale, February 20, 1869. He attended school at Pleasant Dale first, then took a course of training in the Kingwood Summer School, under the well known and efficient instructor, Professor Rufus Holden. His work of two terms here was supplemented by a three-term course at the Fairmont Normal School, under Professor J. Walter Barnes. After which he taught school, in all eight winters-six of them in Preston county and two of them in Marion county.
On February 10, 1901, having passed the examinations requisite for the work, Mr. Garner became employed by the government as mail
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weigher between Wheeling and Baltimore on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. After filling this position forty-nine days, he was promoted to mailing clerk on the road from Fairmont to Richwood, a position which he has held now without intermission for ten years. The distance between the two points is 155 miles, and he is graded No. 3, the highest given his class in the mailing service. As districting agent, Mr. Garner attends to all mails for West Virginia, and for twelve counties in Pennsylvania besides.
December 4, 1898, Mr. Garner was married to Miss Isabel Ridenour, daughter of Martin and Maria Reed Ridenour, old pioneers of Preston county. Three children have come of this union, namely : Fay Blondell, born January 27, 1903 ; Ila Belle, born July II, 1907, died -, .... ; Ruth Hester, born May 3, 1908.
In 1901, Mr. Garner bought a lot a No. 827 Coleman Avenue, where he erected his present residence, a two-story house with a slate roof, now a very valuable property.
Mr. Garner was a strong Prohibitionist and a member of the M. E. Church, but belonged to no other organizations. He died May 29, 1913.
Elmer C. Garner was born May 2, 1871. He was reared on the farm and educated in the Pleasant Dale school. After arriving at the age of maturity, he worked at the blacksmithing trade for the Ferguson Con- struction Company long enough to master the business, and now does all of his own repairing of machinery and making of new tools needed on the farm. He also mastered the cooper trade while assisting his father in the manufacture of staves for sugar and molasses barrels, a business that proved profitable for several years.
On the last day of the month of the last month of the last year of the last century, he was married to Miss Elizabeth Margaret Lydia Malissa, daughter of Julius Marion and Margaret Jane (Jenkins) Light, who lived on the old Jenkins farm where John Jenkins first settled and where her father now resides on Cheat River. She was born September 29, 1880. Their children are: (1) Gilbert Wayne, born 4th day of May, 1902, and died at Fairmont, June 23, 1903. (2) Thelma Elva Belle, born March 20, 1905. (3) Virginia Lucille, born February 21, 1909. Mr. Garner has three sisters: (I) Ella, wife of William Kidwell. They live on the home place. (2) Georgia, who is single. (3) Martha, who mar- ried Charles Galloway and lives on Laurel Run. Mr. Garner bought his farm in 1900. It adjoins the homestead and consists of 81 acres of virgin soil, and most excellent for growing crops and for grazing purposes.
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He has two orchards on the place, ships good timber from it for the manufacturing of paper, and this has been a profitable business also. Mr. Garner has cultivated the bee industry somewhat extensively. He has also a barnyard full of leghorn chickens, which, in addition to the good crops the farm produces annually, completes a homestead meeting every need of a country life. (4) Dora Belle, next to Elmer C., was born June 3, 1873. She married Charles Victor Martin and lives at Fairmont. He is a machinist. Their children are: Cecil, Grace, Elva, May and Herman Martin. (5) Minnie May, who married F. W. Foster, of Peters- boro, Ontario, Canada, June 29, 1911 ; she and Mollie Grace, who mar- ried S. H. Rodeheaver, August 22, 1898, are twins, born July 2, 1878. Mr. Foster is an engineer, skilled in iron construction work, and Mr. Rodeheaver is the field agent for the "West Virginia Argus." Mrs. Foster has no children, but Mrs. Rodeheaver is the mother of two, Juanita Grace and Margaret Genevieve. (7) Samuel Haymond Gar- ner, the well-known photographer, with a studio at Kingwood, was born February 22, 1881. He was reared on the farm and educated at the Pleasant Dale schools, and then worked for different persons, in different kinds of business, until he began for himself. The science of photography appealed to him, nor has he missed his calling in this profession. With a natural taste for scenic beauty, Mr. Garner first worked for D. O. Martin, doing field work principally. Mr. Martin was a graduate of the Illinois College of Photography at Effingham, and an apt pupil, and Mr. Garner soon mastered all his preceptor could teach him. He located in Kingwood, Nov. 22, 1904, having purchased the gallery outfit complete of his predecessor, and then added to the original purchase as needed. He now has as well an equipped studio as can be found outside of the largest cities. His outdoor work is remarkable for its freshness and vigor, while his portrait reproductions are unex- celled. He has photographed for the History of Preston County, and his work is equal to any found in any other work of its kind anywhere. Some of the reproductions from Mr. Garner's photographs are views of the Morgantown & Kingwood Railroad published in this history.
May 4, 1907, Mr. Garner was married to Miss Mollie Pearl Harvey, daughter of George W. and Rosalie Ridenour Harvey, of Fellowsville. Their children are George William, born November 16, 1908, and Earl Harvey, born November 19, 1912.
The family worship with the M. E. Church at Kingwood. Mr. Gar- ner is a member of the Knights of Pythias, also of the Modern Woodmen of America.
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SANFORD C. MCKINNEY.
Luke Mckinney and his wife, Aylse (Spencer), settled on the Mckinney homestead, near Bretz, before the War of 1812. He was born March 4, 1782, and died July 27, 1862. She was born July 27, 1792, and died April II, 1877. Their children were: John S., born May 25, 18II, died January 1, 1890; Harrison, born January 2, 1813, died Novem- ber 1, 1892; Michael, born April 10, 1816, died December 18, 1888; Sarah (Menear), born May 6, 1818, died May 26, 1899; Arthur Wesley, born April 13, 1820, died May 24, 1899; Julia Ann (Watson), born May, 13, 1822, died April 17, 1849; Rebecca (Flick), born May 14, 1824, died May 16, 1891 ; William H., born March 22, 1826, and still living ; Alex- ander M., born May 17, 1829, died February 4, 1892; Joseph Jackson, born January 13, 1832, and still living; Gabriel, who was born and died February 6, 1834. Joseph Jackson Mckinney married Caroline P. Zinn. She was born October 18, 1836, and died January 1, 1910. She was a native Prestonian and a daughter of Henderson B. Zinn, of the Zinn settlement. They first built a log house that stood on the same ground as the present house, built by S. C. Mckinney in 1911. Later, in 1868, they built a better log house near by, which is still standing. J. J. Mckinney was a member of Company B, 14th West Virginia Volunteers, and served through the war. He participated in the battles of Cloyd Mountain, Lynchburg, Carter's Farm, Kernstown, Berryville, Winchester, Fisher's Hill, and Cedar Creek, and quite a number of minor battles and skirmishes. These battles were fought by the 6th, 8th and 19th Corps, under Major-General Philip H. Sheridan. At the battle of Fisher's Hill the 6th and 19th were formed in front, the 8th by a brisk flank movement was formed in the rear of Company B of the 14th W. Va., which was deployed on the skirmish line, and was one of the first to cross their earthworks, and just in time to see the grey coat- tails standing behind like checker boards. At the battle of Cedar Creek, the 8th and 19th boys formed in front of the 6th, somewhat farther to the rear, the two in front were completely shut out, it was a complete stampede, but the glorious old Sixth came up like a billow on the ocean and checked them, and held them in check, until the 8th and 19th got reformed, and little Phil on his coal black charger came dashing up, the tide turned-the tide set in the other way. Only three officers of Co. B reported for duty, all three corporals. He, being senior, took coomand of Company B (13 men) and formed them in their proper places in the
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regiment; the regiment was sent to support a battery, and stayed to the finish. He had the honor of commanding Company B (13 men) in the last charge the regiment ever made, and the last stand made in the valley by the Confederates. After the war he returned to the farm. He also did carpenter work, building two or three schoolhouses. His boys were also handy with tools. S. C. Mckinney built the house his father now lives in at Morgantown.
The children of J. J. Mckinney and his wife were: Malissa Elvira, now the wife of N. W. McMillen, a farmer near Masontown. She was born September 26, 1854; Albert Raymond, born July 8, 1856, died October 22, 1912, in Indiana; Frances Ellen (Spurgeon McGee), born June 26, 1858; S. C. Mckinney, born March 8, 1861; Annie May, born December 9, 1865; Julia Agnes, born August 30, 1867, died September 19, 1890; Claudius L., born September 15, 1869, is a successful contractor in Morgantown; Harriet Welton (Born), born October 17, 1871 ; Arizona Ray (Addison), born July 6, 1874; Joseph Webster, born and died May 7, 1876.
S. C. married Annie B. Rogers, February 24, 1895. She was born November 4, 1878, and is the daughter of William and Margaret Rogers, of Pisgah, and a granddaughter of the late Perry J. Rogers, one of the oldest settlers of that place. The children born to this union were: Otto F., born December 29, 1895; Hugh G., born January 16, 1897; Blanche Edna, born September 27, 1900; Joseph H., born October 2, 1902; Parley J., born January 29, 1904; Albert L., born February 21, 1906; William H., born June 17, 1909; Oma Evedelle, born October 13, 1912.
The Mckinneys have all been successful farmers. The orchard planted by the late grandfather still bears something like 1,000 bushels annually. This has resulted from spraying and paying scientific atten- tion to the needs of the trees. This orchard has a tree which grows apples without seeds, and was never known to bloom; also has trees which grow apples which are both sweet and sour, sweet on one side and sour on the other, neither is it fruit by graft. S. C. Mckinney pays particular attention also to stock raising. He deals in Hereford cattle, the Berkshire and Pollen China hogs, and loves the Merino sheep and good horses.
S. C. Mckinney took an active interest in developing the home farm from his boyhood, working most of his time for his parents until he was near thirty years of age. He then bought a farm on the east side of Cheat,
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went to Oklahoma, participated in a land drawing and failed to draw a claim; came back to Illinois and bought eighty acres, rented it, came home, sold out and moved to Morgantown and did carpenter work for two years, then moved to Illinois, improved a farm there, got the chills, sold out and came back, bought the old homestead, and expects to spend the remainder of his life improving it.
LUTHER SHEETS.
Among the 2,300 volunteers from Preston county who went to war with the South, the Sheets family deserve special notice. Probably no county in any other state gave up as many of her sons of the preserva- tion of the Union, in proportion to her population, than Preston county did. No other family suffered much more by way of loss of limb and life, than did the Sheets family. No charge at least can be brought against them for not responding to the call of their country in time of danger.
Jacob and Nancy Sheets lived in Monongalia county, and raised a family of sons and daughters before the Civil War commenced. He was born at Rock Forge, and died in 1866, about sixty years old. His wife died about 1867, fifty years of age. He was a stonecutter, and raised his family at the old Henry Clay Furnace, where the boys were engaged mostly in mining business. John was the oldest, and married twice. He is now dead. George married in Kentucky, and was killed on the railroad. Calvin lived at Morgantown. He was a member of the Ist W. Va. Cavalry and was killed in the war. He enlisted in 1861, and lost his life in 1862. Samuel enlisted in 1861. He was also in the Ist W. Va. Cavalry, and served three years. Both he and his wife are now dead. Jacob also enlisted in the same regiment and served three years in the war. Alfred was killed at Fairmont, when fifteen years of age. Ellen married Thomas Irving, and lives in Pennsylvania. Anna, a widow, lives in that state also. Elizabeth married James Gans, and resides in Marion county. Tilie is dead. She married a Mr. Thorne.
Luther Sheets was born at the old Henry Clay Furnace on January I, 1840. He was raised a farmer, and did mining until in 1859, when he went to Tunnelton, where he hauled tan-bark and shipped timber until the fight at McDowell, Virginia, stirred up his patriotism,
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