USA > West Virginia > A history of the Church of the Brethren in the first district of West Virginia > Part 14
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Leatherman, Isaac W.
Bro. Isaac W. was elected to the ministry in the Beaver Run church about 1880. He later moved to Kansas and did quite a bit of preaching there with John Wise. He then moved to Flor- ida and was drowned in the hurricane of 1928.
Leatherman, J. B.
Bro. J. Bennie Leatherman was born in 1877. After being married for a short while to Allie King of Eglon, he was killed by a horse and thus a promising life came to an early end. He had served in the ministry but a short while.
Leatherman, John M.
Bro. John M. was born in February 1848 near Purgitsville, West Virginia. He married Amanda J. Pier on October 7, 1871, and to them were born Martha, Charles, Lena, Laurie, and Ma- mie. He was an elder of the church and a farmer. His death occurred on April 12, 1936, at his home.
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Leatherman, John R.
Bro. John R. is of the Leatherman families of West Vir- ginia, but he moved to Kansas and was there called to the min- istry. He did a lot of pioneer preaching there, but now resides in Florida.
Leatherman, Mary Martin
Sister Mary Martin lived in West Virginia and did a good deal of preaching through the district in evangelistic work. Lat- er she married Bro. Ernest Leatherman; she now resides at Union Bridge, Maryland, he having died.
Leatherman, Nicholas, Sr. and Jr.
Dr. Nicholas Leatherman, medical doctor and minister, was the first to preach at Thrasher Springs, near the Bethel church. He must have moved there somewhat before 1898. There he and John M. Leatherman worked faithfully for nearly twenty years. He traveled much in his ministry of healing and used the oppor- tunities to bring some of the Spirit of God to his people.
There were other people of the same name. The All Leath- erman-Kin History (1940) tells of a Nicholas Leatherman, born in Hampshire County, on November 4, 1826, who died April 11, 1890. He married Catherine Arnold of Beaver Run, daughter of Jacob Arnold. He was an elder in the Church of the Breth- ren and a physician. He and his wife traveled in a buggy or on horseback all over the country, caring for the sick.
There were others, one of them still an older one who died in Hampshire County in 1870, but I do not know whether he was a minister or not.
There is a Nicholas Leatherman, born near Purgitsville, West Virginia, now living in Westernport, Maryland, who served in the ministry for a time.
Leatherman, Raphael
Bro. Raphael was elected to the ministry in the Knobley congregation on June 6, 1903, and has lived and served in that congregation ever since. He loves and serves the church there.
Lyon, Michael
Bro. Lyon was born in 1826, and according to Kline's diary, page 261, was established (ordained) in 1849, and he, with
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Thomas Clark, Sr., had charge of the Greenland congregation for a time. Before that he and Elder William Michaels served together for a while.
Lyon, Thomas D.
Bro. Thomas Lyon was called to the ministry in the Green- land congregation and there served much of his ministry. He was one of the early ministers.
Lyon, William M.
Bro. William Lyon was called to the ministry by the Green- land congregation and served in that congregation.
Ludwick, Berzy B.
Berzy, second son of Daniel and Catherine George Ludwick, was born near Hartmansville, West Virginia, on June 7, 1877. His father, Daniel, Jr., was born near Junction, West Virginia, and was the son of Daniel Ludwick, Sr., who had moved from Pennsylvania and whose father had come from Germany. Ber- zy's mother was the daughter of Elder William George, of Eng- lish descent. Daniel, Jr., and Catherine George were married in 1874 and to this union seven sons were born. They, after several moves, settled on a farm near Junction and lived there until death. Here Berzy worked on the farm, often leaving home at three o'clock in the morning to go to market, a round trip of from thirty-five to fifty miles, getting home at about ten at night.
Berzy's education was secured by attending school a few months of the year, by borrowing books and studying them, making the most of his opportunity, often studying till mid- night. In 1919 he and his family went to Chicago so he could complete his course in chiropractic in the National College of Chiropractic. He graduated in 1920.
In 1893 he united with the church and was baptized by George S. Arnold; he was elected to the deaconship in the Beaver Run congregation in 1894. During the period, 1898-1900, he was working in Keyser and there he located several members of the church, among whom was Winfield Miller, a minister. They or- ganized a Sunday school, secured Carskadon's Hall and began the first services of the Church of the Brethren in Keyser.
In 1900 he visited Elder R. T. Hull of Somerset County, Penn- sylvania, and there met Lulu C. Baughman, whom he married on
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September 30, 1903. There he was called to the ministry on November 30, 1905, and there he began preaching. He has served pastorates as follows: Jacobs Creek, 1910-11; Greenland, 1920-1922; Wilmington Mission, Delaware, 1925-27; Quaker- town, Pennsylvania, 1929-36; Markleysburg, Pennsylvania, 1936 -. Wherever he has served, his churches have thrived and pros- pered and he has worked hard. His good wife has been an en- couragement and help. They have children as follows: Henry D. of Keyser, Harry A. of Keyser, Ray E. of York, Pennsylvania, Blondell of Perkasie, Christine at home.
Liston, Lloyd
Bro. Liston, son of Abraham and Eliza C. Wolfe Liston, was born near Bruceton Mills on November 27, 1888, and died De- cember 25, 1939. He had always lived near the place of his birth. He was baptized into the church at the age of sixteen, and loved and faithfully served the church until death. He was elected to the ministry in 1918 and in that capacity served his home church and congregation, along with about twenty years of teaching school. His funeral was conducted by Pastor R. K. Showalter, and interment was in the Mt. Grove cemetery.
Martin, Charles W.
Charles, the son of Taylor Martin, was born July 28, 1872, at Martin, West Virginia; he died January 21, 1943. He was . married first to Anna Morgan of Huntingdon, Pennsylvania; one son, Taylor, was born to them. His second marriage was to Allie B. Rotruck; they have one son, Solomon. He was baptized into the Church of the Brethren at the age of twenty-one in the Knobley congregation, called to the ministry June 4, 1898, and later ordained to the eldership. He attended a Bible school in Philadelphia, spent two and one-half years in Los Angeles, Cal- ifornia, working, preaching, and attending a Bible school. He spent some time in Pennsylvania preaching, two years at Walnut Grove, near Moorefield, West Virginia, and four years in the Bethel congregation at Old Fields, West Virginia. He attended Annual Conferences whenever possible. He taught public school several years, preached, and did Sunday-school work at the same time. No place was too isolated, but in schoolhouse or home, where no one else went, where people were too poor to pay but longed for the gospel, there he preached. Though blind for sev- ยท eral years, he was always cheerful.
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He baptized many and performed many marriages. His last days were spent in the Knobley congregation where he had spent his boyhood days, and where he was baptized, elected to the ministry and ordained. He was always a faithful worker and a cheerful giver. He never missed services unless sick. Though his pew is vacant here he fills another one in heaven.
Martin, Ralph
Ralph was born at Streby, West Virginia, on September 27, 1921, and lived there until a few years later when the family moved to near Eglon, in the Eglon congregation. On September 1, 1943, he was installed into the ministry; since then he has been in Bethany Biblical Seminary, serving during the summers in the Willow Creek church, near Wetonka, South Dakota.
Martin, Raymond E.
Raymond was born at Streby, West Virginia, May 8, 1911, and spent the early years of his life on a farm there. Later his par- ents moved to Eglon, West Virginia; there he completed his grade school work and then took his high school work at Aurora. At the Maple Spring church on June 1, 1931, he was called and licensed to preach and he began filling appointments about there immediately. On June 1, 1932, he was installed into the ministry and served the Onego church as its pastor, 1932-33. At this place he met Mary Huffman, and they were married on June 7, 1933; to this union a son and a daughter have been born. On November 10, 1939, he was ordained to the eldership and in that year served his district on Standing Committee at the La Verne Conference, being the youngest man on the Committee. He has served the Morgantown church as pastor, and is now an- swering a call to the Peters Creek church in Virginia.
Michaels, William
Bro. Michaels was elected speaker at a council held by Elder John Kline in the Greenland congregation, May 21, 1849. He and Elder William George served jointly as overseers of that congregation from about 1882 until about 1886 when an accident ended his life.
Miller, Abraham
Bro. Abraham Miller was one of the first ministers in the Tear Coat congregation, coming a little later than Bro. Dietrick. He preached a good bit in the Shickle schoolhouse.
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Miller, Harold Clayton
Harold C. was born at Eglon, West Virginia, on April 5, 1892, to Aaron and Lydia Miller. He became a member of the church at the age of thirteen, attended Blue Ridge College, 1914-17, married Blanche Bonsack, daughter of the well-known and be- loved Charles D. Bonsack, in 1917. Both Harold and Blanche graduated in medicine at the University of Cincinnati in 1921, and since 1922 the two of them have practiced medicine at Eglon, where they have a large and thriving practice. Their name as doctors is respected and worthy the name, Christian doctor.
In addition to the practice of medicine, both have faithfully served the church at Eglon. Dr. Harold takes his turn in the pulpit at Maple Spring and for years has taught the men's Bible class, as well as assisted in the Sunday evening work. Dr. Blanche has served in many ways. They have combined well the practice of medicine and Christian service.
Miller, Jeremiah
Bro. Miller was baptized in 1852. He was elected to the min- istry in 1866, though, excepting one or two sermons, he never tried to preach. He was married to Anna Fike, daughter of Peter and Magdalene Fike. His death occurred in 1909.
Miller, John Curtis
Bro. Miller was born at McDaniel, Maryland, on May 21, 1906. He lived in that state until he was eleven years of age, when the family moved to West Virginia. His education was received in the following advanced schools: Blue Ridge Academy, Keyser High School, Potomac State, Daleville Academy, Bridgewater College (graduated in 1931), Shepherd College, and West Vir- ginia University. He began teaching in 1932 and completed ten years as principal of the Burlington school. He was licensed to preach in 1926 and ordained to the ministry in 1928. On August 22, 1934, he married Dorothy Louise Ikenberry. They have one daughter, Doris Eleanor. He has served in the follow- ing capacities: chairman board of Christian education, First West Virginia, 1944; chairman, education committee, Camp Gal- ilee, 1944 -; adult director of youth, First West Virginia, 1944 -.
Miller, Roy K.
The ninth of twelve children, Roy was born near Lineboro, Maryland, on October 20, 1901. He attended school at Eliza-
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bethtown Academy, Elizabethtown College, Blue Ridge College, and Shepherd State Teachers' College (A.B. 1944). He was licensed to the ministry May 13, 1925, installed 1926, and or- dained to the eldership in the Keyser, West Virginia, church in 1933. He has served the church as part-time pastor at the Beaver Creek church, Maryland, 1925-26; as full-time pastor at Enders, Nebraska, 1928-30; Keyser, West Virginia, 1930-34; Juniata Park, Pennsylvania, 1934-36; Pitsburg, Ohio, 1936-39; Brownsville, Maryland, 1939 -. He was joined in holy matri- mony to Mary B. Summers, on August 16, 1927, and to this union three children have been born: Betty E., John C., and Mark. Bro. Miller has also served the church in the follow- ing capacities: chairman of district B.Y.P.D .; adult adviser in First District of West Virginia; on mission board in Maryland; Standing Committee from West Virginia at the Ames, Iowa, Conference, from Middle Maryland at Asheville, North Caro- lina, and at McPherson, Kansas. At present he serves on the district mission board and ministerial board in Maryland.
Muntzing, Ernest E.
Ernest was born to Brother and Sister W. H. Muntzing on September 10, 1907, at Scherr, West Virginia, but when he was eight years old the family moved to Maysville, where they have resided ever since. He united with the church at the age of eleven in a revival conducted by John H. Cassady, at which meeting there were eighty professions of faith. At the age of sixteen he was licensed to preach at the Brick church and was installed into the ministry one year later. In 1941 the Cook's Creek congregation in Virginia ordained him to the elder- ship.
His high school training was secured at the St. John's Acad- emy and Daleville Academy, which he finished in 1926. He graduated from Bridgewater College in 1931 and later attended the universities of New Mexico and Arizona.
He married Margaret Rhodes Early on April 26, 1930, and to this union two daughters have been born: Joye Elaine, eight years old, and Eleanor Jean, four. They have lived at Harrison- burg, Virginia, since 1941.
The early part of Ernest's life was devoted to sales and sales managing, at which success attended his efforts. However, in 1939 the Lord called him into evangelistic work and since then
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he has devoted most of his time to that work, at a financial sac- rifice. Since then he has worked in sixty-five meetings and as a result over six hundred souls have been led to the Lord.
Nine, Garfield
Bro. Nine was elected to the ministry in the Allegheny con- gregation in the year 1903. He later moved to California and was ordained there.
Parish, J. A.
Bro. Parish was elected to the ministry in the Sunnyside con- gregation on May 28, 1892.
Parker, Perry S.
Bro. Parker, of the Maysville vicinity, served for a few years as a minister of the church, mostly in the evangelistic field, being known as the "concert evangelist." He no longer serves as a minister.
Pifer, Sam
Brethren Sam Pifer and Aaron Fike were called to the min- istry in the Eglon congregation at the same time, in 1861, the election being held in the springhouse loft of a member living near the old Accident school. Bro. Pifer died in 1908.
Poling, Newton D.
Newton was born March 25, 1914, at Philippi, West Virginia, to Columbus H. and Willye Idleman Poling. He was a member of the United Brethren Church from 1927-34, but in 1934 was baptized into the Church of the Brethren in the Greenland con- gregation, by Alva Harsh. The Brick church licensed him to preach in 1935, and there he was ordained in 1936. His services to the church have been as follows: summer pastor, Staunton, Virginia, 1936; summer pastor, Ten Mile church, Western Penn- sylvania, 1937; student pastor, Hopewell, Virginia, 1937-39; stu- dent assistant, Elgin, Illinois, 1939-40; pastor, Mt. Carmel con- gregation, Virginia, 1941-1944; pastor, Summit congregation, Virginia, 1944 -. He was schooled at Alderson-Broaddus Col- lege; Bridgewater College, 1936-37; Union Theological Seminary, 1937-39; Bethany Biblical Seminary, 1939-41. On May 26, 1941, he was married to Virginia Dare Smith, daughter of Rev. and Mrs. Leander Smith; to them a son, James Newton, was born on December 14, 1942.
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Riggleman, M. L.
Marion Riggleman was born April 23, 1887, on the farm one mile north of Rockoak, West Virginia, where he was also reared. His parents were Joseph W. and Abigail Heare Riggleman. Aft- er completing the grade school and a normal school course at Glendale he taught in the public schools of West Virginia. On April 28, 1909, he married Malissa F. Bucklew and to them were born six children, four of whom survive. His wife passed away on February 6, 1919. On July 21, 1920, he married Tempa S. Garrett, and to them was born one son. Marion was baptized in November 1902, licensed to preach on April 7, 1928, installed into the full ministry on April 13, 1929, and ordained to the eldership on November 3, 1929. From the time of his licensing he became active in the ministry, serving his home congregation part time as pastor and part time as elder, in which capacity he still serves. He has the welfare of the church at heart and serves faithfully. Riggleman, W. L.
Near Rockoak, West Virginia, on June 29, 1878, Bro. Riggle- man was born. He was elected to the ministry June 20, 1899; installed May 17, 1902; ordained November 4, 1911. Immedi- ately upon having been called to the ministry, he became active in the service of the church. He spent the summer of 1901 near Gortner, Maryland, serving the Eglon congregation at Gortner, Glade View, and Terra Alta. The summer of 1902 he served the Salem congregation in Virginia, and the Tear Coat congregation in 1903. Then he went back to Rockoak and served the Bean Settlement congregation from 1904 to 1924. That winter he served at Wiley Ford, and since 1925 has been serving the Salem congregation in Virginia.
He was united in marriage to Emily May Bucklew on Septem- ber 16, 1902, Elder B. W. Smith officiating. His wife has been an invalid for many years but he has been a faithful, patient, cheer- ful Christian husband and their home life has been happy and blessed.
Roberts, I. F.
Bro. Roberts, son of Thomas and Sarah Leatherman Roberts, was born December 15, 1854, and elected to the ministry May 28, 1892. He was married on March 1, 1881, to Loretta Davis; a later marriage was to Jennie Kitzmiller. He served in the New Creek congregation (Sunnyside).
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Rollins, Bernard McClain
Bro. Rollins was born March 27, 1908, in Garrett, Somerset County, Pennsylvania, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Francis A. Rol- lins. He received his high school education at Mt. Pleasant, Pennsylvania, and his college education at Potomac State in Keyser, West Virginia, and Juniata College, Huntingdon, Penn- sylvania. He holds the honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from the American Bible College.
On November 30, 1929, he was married to Sister Eva Vir- ginia Martin, daughter of Brother and Sister H. F. Martin of Keyser, West Virginia. She is a graduate of the high school in Keyser and of Potomac State College in Keyser. He was called to the ministry by his home church in Mt. Pleasant, Pennsyl- vania, and was duly licensed to preach by Elder M. J. Brougher in 1927, and installed into the ministry the following year by Elder Galen B. Royer.
He served as supply pastor of the church in Frostburg, Mary- land, one year, 1928-29, and as full-time pastor of the church in Keyser two years, 1928-30. In November 1930, he and Sister Rollins entered upon full-time evangelistic work and have been engaged continuously in that work ever since; during this time they have conducted more than two hundred fifty revivals which have taken them more than three hundred thousand miles through thirty-six states.
They maintain their headquarters at Keyser, West Virginia. To them was born one daughter, Bernardine Virginia, on No- vember 17, 1943.
Rotruck, Noah
Bro. Rotruck was elected to the ministry in the Knobley con- gregation, but the time of his election cannot be found.
Seese, Norman A.
Bro. Seese was born at Alum Bank, Bedford County, Penn- sylvania, February 1, 1886. He married Anna A. Bowman of Johnson City, Tennessee, on June 6, 1917. He graduated from Bridgewater College, A. B., 1915; M. A., 1917.
For a number of years the family served in China in various types of mission work, then as pastor at Easton, Maryland, and for about three years at Petersburg and Greenland in West Vir- ginia. At present they are in the Second District at Junior,
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West Virginia. While in the First District they were active in various phases of district work and in the work at Camp Galilee.
Self, Charles Victor
Bro. Self was born February 15, 1910, at Forman, West Vir- ginia, to John and Rachel Keplinger Self. By the time he had finished the grade school at Forman his parents moved to Fort Ashby, where he entered and completed junior high school. At Fort Ashby he accepted Christ in a Methodist revival on Octo- ber 16, 1926, but did not affiliate with that church. On March 20, 1932, he was baptized and united with the Church of the Breth- ren in the Old Furnace congregation, where he immediately be- came a worker.
He felt the call of the Lord to larger service and was licensed to the ministry on May 9, 1942, and ordained on May 7, 1943. Since that time he has taken his part in the ministry of the home congregation as well as served elsewhere when called. He earns his living as a trackman on the B. & O. Railroad.
On October 8, 1932, he was married to Elizabeth Abe; one son has blessed their home.
Shanholtz, Bruce
Bruce, son of Luther and Delcie Shanholtz, has been serving in the ministry for only a few months, having been licensed by the Wiley Ford congregation. A little later he and his family moved to the Capon Chapel congregation, where they now serve the church. They have two children.
Shanholtz, Luther
Bro. Shanholtz was placed in the ministry by the Capon Chapel congregation early in the century. He served his own congregation for some time, and worked in the field of evange- lism some. He is at present not in the ministry.
Shanholtz, Vernon
Bro. Vernon, son of Luther and Delcie Shanholtz, has given much faithful work to the upbuilding of the church at Wiley Ford. With his coming to that church, it began to take on new life, and grew from a mere mission point of the Old Furnace con- gregation to a new congregation with its own house and pastoral program. At present he serves that church and the Danville mission in Maryland as pastor.
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He and his wife live in their own home near Wiley Ford. They have one daughter, Muriel.
Showalter, Arnold Ray
Bro. Showalter was born March 30, 1902, in Rockingham County, Virginia. He finished his high school work at Daleville Academy in 1925, his college work at Bridgewater in 1930, and his seminary work at Bethany in 1933.
The Daleville church licensed him to preach in December 1924, the Selma church in Virginia called for his installation in August 1925, and at the request of the Pike Creek church in Indiana he was ordained to the eldership in October 1930.
He served as pastor at Selma, Virginia, 1925-29; Summit church, Virginia, summer of 1929; Pike Creek church, Monticello, Indiana, 1929-33; Buena Vista church, Virginia, 1933-35; Copper Hill church, Virginia, 1935-40; Keyser church, West Virginia, 1940 -. He also served twice as Standing Committee delegate- once from Virginia and once from the First District of West Vir- ginia. In West Virginia he has served on the ministerial board for three years and as moderator of district conference once.
On September 3, 1929, he was married to Edna Louise Garst of Salem, Virginia. To them two children have been born: James Hubert, September 16, 1930; and Margaret Jean, February 10, 1933; both were born at Monticello, Indiana.
Showalter, Cecil O.
Cecil was born in Rockingham County, Virginia, in 1901. He graduated from Daleville Academy in 1925, from Bridgewater College in 1930, and from Bethany Biblical Seminary in 1934 with the B. D. degree. He served the Keyser church in West Virginia as pastor from 1934 to 1940. During those years he was one of the leaders who saw the need for more training for our young people and who led in acquiring Camp Galilee. He served as its manager for several years. He served on the district min- isterial board all six years while in West Virginia.
Showalter, Russell K.
On January 17, 1898, in Rockingham County, Virginia, Rus- sell was born to David and Margaret Showalter, being their sixth son. (Two younger brothers, Cecil and Ray, are active in the ministry now.) He united with the church in the North
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Mill Creek congregation, Virginia, receiving baptism at the hands of Elder Samuel Pence. This, his home congregation, called him to the ministry in 1920. The Lebanon church brought about his ordination to the eldership in 1934.
His education was secured as follows: elementary schools of Rockingham County, Virginia; high school at Weyers Cave, Vir- ginia; B. A., Bridgewater College; B. D., Bethany Biblical Sem- inary. He has served in pastoral relations as follows: Rosepine, Louisiana, two years; Roanoke, Virginia, three years; Muncie, Ind., four years; and is now serving the Sandy Creek congrega- tion in First West Virginia.
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