History of West Virginia old and new, Volume 3, Part 127

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Doetor Wilkinson spent the first fifteen years of his life on a farm in the vicinity of Wayne, and he knows the meaning of toil in the fields. After that he worked for the most part in his stepfather's store until he was about twenty-four. In the meantime he had finished his literary education in the Oak View Academy, and in 1900 attended the University of Louisville Medical School, where he graduated M. D. in 1904. After graduating he returned to West Virginia, took the examination of the State Board of Examiners, and began practice at Brandonville, and in 1908 removed to Bruceton Mills, but all his work as a physician has been iu Grant Distriet. He has done post- graduate work in Chicago and is a member in good stand- ing of the County, State and American Medical Associations. During his work as a physician Doctor Wilkinson has been called upon for special effort in combating two epidemics in this community, one of smallpox in 1915 and the other the influenza scourge in 1918-19. About a hundred cases ot smallpox eame under the observation and treatment of Doetor Wilkinson, with only two fatalities. During the influenza epidemie practically all of his clientage were afflicted more or less both years, but the fatalities were few as compared with those of urban localities. Of the 500 eases under Doctor Wilkinson's eare less than half a dozen deaths occurred.

Outside his profession Doetor Wilkinson for some years has owned a large farm in the community and has been more or less of a stoek dealer. He has also handled trans- actions in real estate and eoal lands, and owns some un- developed coal properties. He has been active in advancing the educational standards of his loeality, has served as a village councilman at Bruceton Mills and was a member of the distriet committee of the democratie party for a - time. Ile is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, Moose and Eagles and is a Methodist.

At Chillicothe, Ohio, in February, 1906, Doctor Wilkin- son married Miss Lula MeGinnis, who was born at Hunt- ington, West Virginia, but was reared and educated in Ohio as well as in Huntington. Doetor and Mrs. Wilkin-f son have a son, Reniek Eugene, born May 12, 1907. Doctor Wilkinson and wife are fond of travel, both as a source of recreation and knowledge, and they usually spend a few weeks of the year at near or distant resorts and in new seenes.

CALVIN F. SPIKER, merchant, man of affairs at Bruceton Mills, has played a varied and useful part in the activities ! of this community since early youth.

He was born in Pleasant Distriet, four miles southeast of Brueeton, January 30, 1872. His father is John J. Spiker, now living retired at Brueeton Mills. He was born in Preston County in 1846. In spite of his youth he saw two years and nine months of service in the West Virginia Cavalry at the time of the Civil war. He was onee eap- tured by the Confederates, who started him towards prison at Richmond, but he escaped by jumping off a bridge, landing some twenty feet below on logs and breaking a

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few ribs. He finally reached his friends after going three days without food. Before the war closed he was trans- ferred to the western armies in Missouri, and he left the army there. After the war he joined the Grand Army Post, has participated with his comrades in the reunious, and is one of the few charter members of the Brueeton Post left. John J. Spiker has given diligent attention to farming as an active business pursuit, but in 1902 he en- gaged in the hotel business at Bruceton and is now retired. The circumstances of his early youth prevented him from attending school for any length of time, but he is well informed, is a republican voter, and a member of the Methodist Church. John J. Spiker married Lucinda Spind- ter, a first cousin of Charles Spindler and a daughter of Jonathan Spindler. Mrs. Spiker died November 4, 1904. Her children were: Brenard, a farmer and coal miner near Bruceton; Calvin F .; William H., a merchant at Bruceton Mills; Dorsey J., in the garage business at Bruee- ton; and Mary J., wife of Charley Teets, a merchant at C'ranesville.

Calvin F. Spiker spent his boyhood, youth and early manhood on the home farm. His education was derived from country schools, but he made such good use of his opportunities that for several years he was able to teach in winter terms. He was also at Morgantowu a year or 30, being employed there by the Union Improvement Com- pany during the construction of the gas and water lines. After these varied activities and after his last term as a teacher Mr. Spiker removed to Bruceton Mills and set up is a merchant as the successor of B. F. Huggins. He began selling goods in June, 1901, and six years later bought the store of O. P. Scott, in the building where he is located today. Mr. Spiker is not only one of the leading merchants but a stockholder in the Bruceton Bank, and is the owner of twenty acres in the Miller property at the bridge across the Big Sandy.

He was reared under religious influences at home and has served as a steward of the Bruceton Methodist Church and is one of its trustees. He began voting the republican ticket in 1896, supporting Major Mckinley. For a dozen years he was a councilman at a time when street improve- ments were the chief matters before the body for considera- tion and action.

In Preston County, January 17, 1903, Mr. Spiker mar- ried Miss Pearl Frankhouser, daughter of Allen and Rhoda (Wolfe) Frankhouser. The Frankhousers are an old family of Preston County, and her mother was a daughter of Jacob Wolfe. Allen Frankhouser is still farming in the Locust Grove community, and is a staneh democrat, as are all the people of his name. Besides Mrs. Spiker, who was born in October, 1883, his children are: Bliss, wife of Charles Wolfe, of Pleasant District; Miss Goldie, who lives with Mr. and Mrs. Spiker at Bruceton Mills; Miss Fay and Miss Glenna, both at home. Mr. and Mrs. Spiker have a daugh- ter, Avis Lorene, born March 29, 1912.

FRED COPEMAN. By his industry and integrity Fred Copeman has long since earned a place of special respect and esteem in Preston County. His career is interesting for its varied experiences, particularly those that led him to this section of West Virginia and to America as well.

He was born in the town of Ratten, Hanover, Germany, April 19, 1849. Hle was six weeks old when his father, Augustus Koopmann, as the name was spelled in German, lied. Augustus Koopmanu was a butcher by trade. He married Sophia Koopmann. Fred Copeman was the only son of his father. He had four half-brothers by his mother's second marriage, William, Carl, Dietrich and August Parson, all of whom remained in Germany. Sophia Koopmann lived to old age and kept in communication with her absent son as long as she was able to write.

Being the chief reliance for his widowed mother, Fred Copeman was exempted from the regular school duties of German boy, but he attended night school and mastered the common branches. For a time he worked at the black- smith's trade, but disliked that, and his chief experience was on a farm. While in Germany he had two employers.

He was approaching the age when he must respond to the enforced military duty of the German Empire, and he be- came restless and determined to avoid the military training if possible. He was scheduled to report in Berlin on the 17th of April, 1869, to join the colors. On the 3rd of that month he began the trip which led him to the United States. He had been advised by companions who had come to America before how to get out of the country. Follow- ing these instructions he reported to a certain tailor of Bremerhaven, who placed him in a hotel, where he tended bar and there poured his first liquor for human profit. He was told that the government was less watchful on Sun- . day than during the work days of the week. He provided himself with bedding and tin utensils for use on his pas- sage over the ocean. When the moment came for his departure the tailor sent a boy to carry his baggage, while Fred sauntered along behind smoking his eigar. He walked right through a bunch of officers who had made prisoners of seventeen men who were attempting to leave the coun- try that morning. At the docks he got into a small boat, and it took him out to a big ship in the harbor where a rope ladder was thrown out and he reached the deck, somewhat relieved. It was the ship Baltimore, and when it sailed out of the harbor and the land of Europe faded from sight the captain lined up his passengers and called for their passports. Fred Copeman was in the line, and he was in great trepidation as to what might be done to him without a passport. Suddenly he remembered that the tailor had slipped a paper into his pocket when they separated, and this he took out and handed the officer, with the result that the official merely put his hand on his shoulder and shoved hin ou, thus relieving the refugee of any further anxiety. No important incident occurred on the voyage to Baltimore, Maryland.

Mr. Copeman did not remain in Baltimore, but at once took passage over the Baltimore & Ohio for Kingwood. However, he was taken on to Wheeling, passing through Tunnelton in the night, and was brought back and put off the train the next day. The only English he knew was Kingwood, and with this word he was directed by some children to the road to that town. He walked the distance from Tunnelton to Kingwood, and on the 24th of April knocked at the door of his uncle, Henry Copeman, who had become a citizen of Preston County some time before. This Henry Copeman was a brother of Sophia Koopmann, mother of Fred Copeman.

With his knowledge of farming Fred went to work as a farmi hand for his uncle. He spent almost two years at that, and in the meantime made diligent practice of the Euglish tongue and with this acquisition he courted a young lady who became his wife. His first home was established iu Pleasant Distriet, on a farm belonging to Amos Cale, his father-in-law. He began farming without a team, and after about three years he bought or con- tracted to buy on payments a piece of land in that dis- triet. From his wage earnings and from his crops he paid out on the land. He remained in that district with in- ereasing prosperity for a dozen years, and then moved to the vicinity of Masontown, where he bought another tract of land. He lived there only a year, when his wife died, and he sold out and returned to the old locality. For three years he worked for Levi Cale ou a farm, and then acquired by court sale another tract, the farm where he lives today. About that time he married his second wife, and iu 1888 took possession of his farm, to which he has contributed nearly all the improvements. He paid $530 for 115 acres. This land had been greatly neglected by its former bache- lor oceupant, and Mr. Copeman was busy for a time cleaning up and getting ready for real farming. He has sinee added seventy-eight acres more, and for many years has been a prosperous grain and stoek farmer, and now in the evening of life is abundantly blessed with the sub- stantial things of the world.

Fred Copeman was ready for American citizenship as soon as he landed, having determined to shut out Europe, and especially Germany, from his life for all time. He took out his first papers for citizenship, completed naturali-

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zation and cast his first presidential ballot for Samuel J. Tilden in 1876. Since then he has steadily voted the demo- cratic ticket and has been satisfied to perform his duties of citizenship as a voter. He is a director of the Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Company, and has been identified with that since its organization. He was reared in the Lutheran Church. Mr. Copeman is a charter member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His father and his step-father were both members of that order in Germany. When he left home his mother told him that she would feel easy as to his future if he became affiliated with this great fraternity.

Elizabeth Cale, the first wife of Mr. Copeman, left three children at her death: Isa, wife of R. B. Spiker, of Pres- ton County; Henry F., a farmer near his father; and Rheua, wife of Gay E. Wilson, of Kingwood. His second wife was Sabina Cale, a cousin of his first wife and daugh- ter of John Cale. She was the mother of two children: Martha, wife of Harry Orcutt, of Akron, Ohio; and Lloyd, who died in infancy. For his present wife Mr. Copeman married Mrs. Virginia J. Miller, daughter of William Wolfe. She is a native of Preston County and member of the old and prominent Wolfe family here. By her first husband, John Miller, she has two children: Bessie, wife of Bruce Ringer, and Oliver S. Miller. Mr. and Mrs. Copeman have a sou, Frederick Paul, born February 2, 1896. He grew up on the farm near Bruceton, was educated in the Oak Grove School, and on February 14, 1918, enlisted at King- wood for the Aviation Sectional Signal Corps. Instead he was placed in the Spruce Division, getting out airplane ma- terial, being sent to Vancouver Barracks, Washington, but in his real work was in a camp sixty miles from Seattle and the same distance from Mount Rainier. He and his companions cut the logs and hauled them thirty miles on trucks to the railroad, whence they were transported to the mill at Enumclaw and there cut up and made ready for further working in the plant at Vancouver, which had a capacity of 1,500,000 feet a day. After the signing of the armistice Paul Copeman left the Pacific Coast, January 31, 1919, and received his honorable discharge at Camp Sherman, Ohio, February 13th, after one year in the service. He has since lived at home and is in active charge of his father's farm.

ABISHA GORDON DE FOE, M. D. A capable physician and surgeon, Doctor De Foe has done most of his work at Bruceton Mills, and since graduating in medicine has been a member of the medical fraternity of Preston County.

He is a native of West Virginia, born in Wayne County January 10, 1873. His father, William A. De Foe, was born in the same county in 1843, son of a farmer there. At the beginning of the Civil war he entered the Union Army in Captain Damron's Independent Rifles. Most of his duty as a soldier was done in the southern part of his own state, and he participated in a number of skirmishes. He was in service as a private, and received his discharge at Catlettsburg, Kentucky. Soon after the war he was elected and served four years as assessor of Wayne County. Following this his time and energies were devoted to his farm in the Shoals region of the county, and he died in 1902. He was a stanch republican, and a Methodist. His wife, Sarah Maynard, was born in Wayne County, several years her husband's junior, daughter of Lewis and Cath- erine (Fluty) Maynard. Lewis Maynard was born in Wayne County, was a Civil war veteran, and a farmer. His five sons and five daughters were named Charles, Mrs. De Foe, Frank, Henderson, Larkin, James, Mrs. Millie Workman, Mrs. Bettie Workman, Delphia Hagar and Mrs. Polly Perry. William A. De Foe by his marriage to Sarah Maynard had the following children: Lewis, of Texas; William A., Jr., who died leaving a family; Lucretia, wife of John Nixon, of Wayne County; Belle, wife of Charles Irby, of Wayne County; Dr. A. G .; Samuel F., a farmer in Wayne County, who married Sallie Irby; Frank, of Portsmouth, Ohio; and John P., who married Agnes Irby and left two children at his death in Wayne County. The second wife of William A. De Foe was Sallie Sullivan, and

a daughter hy that marriage is Effie, Mrs. Doliver Bailey of Wayne County. The third wife of William A. De Foe was Mrs. Jane Maynard. William A. De Foe was one of a family of three children, his two sisters being Mrs. Mary Adkins and Mrs. Sallie Maynard.

Abisha Gordon De Foe had a farm enviroment during his boyhood and early manhood, and after finishing a course in Marshall College, the State Normal School at Hunting- ton, he determined to study medicine. While securing his education he taught school, and that proved an important aid financially and otherwise in preparing himself for his professional career. He taught twelve terms altogether. His last teaching was done at Matewan, Mingo County, recently famous as the seat of war in the mining districts. Doctor De Foe graduated from the Louisville Hospital Medical College July 1, 1908. The first year he practiced at Shoals, and then moved east to Brandonville, where he spent another year, and has since had his home and offices at Bruceton Mills. In addition to the heavy burdens of a large private practice he has served as health officer of the town, is one of the councilmen and has been secretary of the Board of Education. He was one of the promoters and is a director of the Bruceton Lighting Company.

Dr. De Foe is district committeeman of the republican party, and began supporting the republican ticket in national affairs when he voted for Major Mckinley in 1896. He became a progressive supporter of Colonel Roosevelt in 1912, but voted for Mr. Harding in 1920. Doctor De Foe is affiliated with the Masonic Lodge, has taken the Sub- ordinate and Encampment degrees of Odd Fellowship, is a. past chancellor of the Knights of Pythias, and has repre- sented the latter two orders in the Grand Lodge. He was reared a Methodist.

At Brandonville June 1, 1911, Doctor De Foe married Miss Callie Forquer, daughter of Dayton M. and Sadiel (Smith) Forquer, natives of Preston County, where they have long been known as substantial farming people. The children in the Forquer family were: Max Welton; Mrs. De Foe, who was born in 1883; Ray, of Addison, Penn- sylvania; Fred, of Morgantown, West Virginia; and Miss Lucille, a teacher, now principal of the grade school at Bruceton.

Doctor De Foe was commissioned a first lieutenant in the Medical Reserve Corps just two days before the sign- ing of the armistice. Prior to that he had helped the re- cruited men prepare their questionnaires and was active in the Red Cross, Mrs. De Foe being secretary of the local branch.

Doctor De Foe was a prominent participant in the famous local tragedy that attracted wide attention in the press of the country. July 20, 1921, Bruceton Mills was the scene of an attempted bank robbery. The attempt was frus- trated, and while the trial has not been held at the date of this writing, the evidence points strongly to the fact that bank robbery was planned, since one of the party had a supply of nitroglycerin, fuse and caps. There were four men, and they entered a home just before coming to Bruceton, helping themselves to food and stealing a pistol. They then separated, two of them remaining behind while the other two sauntered into the village. The telephone had given warning of their approach and citizens had collected to meet them. Doctor De Foe awaited them at the post office. When two of the men approached within : twenty feet he stepped out with his Winchester repeating shot gun and quietly told them he would have to detain them for a few minutes until they could be searched. One of the men, John Moore, shoved his hand under the bih of his overalls and drew out a Colts pistol and, dodging behind his companion, Madden, began firing. Doctor De Foe had hesitated, with natural desire not to he the aggres- sor, but the opening fire caused him in self-defense to use his gun, and the first shot hit the bandit fairly in the left eye and dropped him to the ground. He fired again at the same man, but Madden received the load of No. 4 shot across the small of the back, the charge cutting a gash through the muscles on both sides of the spine. The first man kept trying to raise himself to a sittting posi-

Norman F. Kendall.

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ion for the purpose of resuming hostilities, but finally olled over and died two hours later. Madden and the ther bandits were taken to jail at Kingwood, whence they Il escaped soon afterward, but Madden and Shaffer were ccaptured and are now awaiting trial.

NORMAN FESTUS KENDALL, one of the organizers and ashier of the Taylor County Bank of Grafton, has been resident of Taylor County since 1891, and had put some istinetive work to his credit as an educator before he ecame a banker.

Mr. Kendall was born on a farm near Mannington in Marion County, January 27, 1870. The family has been 1 Marion County since pioneer times. His grandfather, lias Kendall, lived on a farm there to the venerable age f ninety-eight. His vigor remained with him to the end, nd to the last day of his life he assisted in stacking hay. le acquired a large body of land in the county, and was man of peace and industry and of considerable influence, nongh never active in politics beyond voting as a demo- rat. He married Isabelle Snodgrass, and their children ere Alva, John, Ramer, William B. C., Vine and Mrs. . II. Davis, wife of Rev. D. H. Davis of Pullman, West irginia.

William B. C. Kendall, father of the Grafton banker, still living on his farm at Mannington, though he has ached that age where he is practically retired from its sponsibilities. He was born near his present home, and, is services being needed by his parents, he employed two abstitutes during the Civil war. He graduated from uff's Business College at Pittsburg, and since then his me and energies have been devoted to the farm. He has erved as a justice of the peace. In Marion County he arried Miss Rachel Cunningham, who was born there venty years ago, daughter of Nimrod Cunningham, a armer in that section. The children of this union were ght in number, six sons and two daughters, Norman F .; orter, a schoolman, who died in 1888; Ross, Mrs. Fannie urray, Ward, Howard and Miss Bertha, all of Marion ounty, and Everett, of Robinson, Illinois.

Norman F. Kendall spent the first eighteen years of his fe at the home farm, and in the meantime was educated the common schools and the Fairmont State Normal. e did his first work as a teacher in the country schools : Wetzel and Marion counties, later was assistant super- tendent and principal of the State Reform School for oys at Pruntytown, near Grafton, over six years, and ten became principal of the Fetterman School in Taylor ounty. He served as mayor of Fetterman two years. ollowing that he was chosen and selected as editor and anager of the Harrison County Herald and the Salem xpress, and did newspaper work on them for three years. · was a period of some strenuous political battles in the umty, involving some of the leading old-guard politicians the republican party. The struggle to dislodge these om control almost resulted in the county changing its litieal complexion. Mr. Kendall in purchasing the Salem xpress turned all its power toward cleaning up the town, id in that he had to combat all the active liquor inter- ts, and the Express office was fired by its enemies, who most destroyed the town, and the owner of the office irrowly escaped physical catastrophe at the hands of the mor men. Nevertheless the Express went on with its iblication and helped rout the "speakcasies" and made e town the cleanest in the state. When these sues were settled Mr. Kendall resigned from the papers id resumed his educational work as principal of the West rafton schools. Later he was selected as a member of e Grafton School Board. He was on this board six ars, and during that time the high school and the South de ward schools were erected and the West Side school mpleted. During the same period the Grafton High 'hool was given rank among the first grade high schools the state.

In June, 1905, Mr. Kendall and associates completed e organization of the Taylor County Bank, his chief as- ciates being J. C. Lewellen, Martin L. Shields, John L. agill, V. T. Hanley, W. W. Tapp and George W. Low-

ther. The bank opened for business the 5th of June with a capital stock of $50,000. The officers are J. C. Lewellen of Grafton, Martin L. Shields of Rosemont, and Iliram Linn, vice presidents, and Mr. Kendall, cashier. The present board of directors are, F. M. Poe, W. S. Phillips, George Neel, W. C. Frum and Dr. F. S. Snddarth. This bank now has total resources of $700,000. In the meantime Mr. Kendall has also assisted in the organiza- tion and is a director of the Bank of Flemington, and has some other interests in the coal mining industry at Astor.

Mr. Kendall was reared a democrat, but has not been a strict partisan. His first presidential vote went to Mr. Cleveland. He voted for Major MeKinley in both cam- paigns, having a personal acquaintance and a high admira- tion for the Ohio republican. He also supported Colonel Roosevelt in all his aspirations for office. He helped eleet Mr. Wilson both times. Mr. Kendall is a Mason and Odd Fellow, is a past noble grand of the latter order and has sat in the Grand Lodge. His father was a Baptist and his mother a Southern Methodist, and he has long been identi- fied with the Methodist Episcopal Church, serving on the official board and in 1904 was a lay delegate from West Virginia to the General Conference at Los Angeles. At the age of seventeen he began active work in Sunday school, and has been a Sunday sehool superintendent thirty-two years. For eleven years he had charge of the state work of the Epworth League, and during that time the largest Young People's State conventions were held. In Taylor County, June 17, 1896, Mr. Kendall married Miss Vesta R. Jones, daughter of Nathan H. Jones, a son of the famous pioneer "Jones Family" of Taylor County, ånd Jemimah R. (Rohinson) Jones. She was the third among their four daughters, the others being Mrs. Mary Kelley, of Grafton, Mrs. A. J. Reynolds, of Fairmont, and Mrs. Claud E. Vincent, of Fairmont.

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History of West Virginia old and new, Volume 3, Part 127

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