History of West Virginia old and new, Volume 3, Part 173

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In Preston County, December 26, 1905, Mr. Cuppett mar- ried Miss Vida Barnes, daughter of J. P. and Amanda (Harshbarger) Barnes, both of whom lived in Preston County, though her father was a native of Pennsylvania. Mrs. Cuppett was reared at Brandonville in Preston County, and is a graduate of Southwestern State Normal School of Pennsylvania, and for five years taught in Charleroi, Penn- sylvania. She and Mr. Cuppett have three children, named Reardon S., David Earl, Jr., and Mary Elizabeth. Mrs. Cuppett is one of the well known womeu in the republican party, being a member of the Republican State Committee. She came of a democratic family, but she cast her first vote as a republican. She is a Methodist, helped organize and has served as president of the Women's Club of Thomas, and was one of the active workers in the Red Cross Chapter during the war.

JAMES B. CLOSE, of Parsons, is the efficient sheriff of Tucker County, and is a representative of one of the old and well known families of this section of the state. He was born in the St. George District of Tucker County, September 11, 1883, and is a son of Alexander Close, who was born near the Village of St. George, this county, in 1857, and who here followed the trade of blacksmith for many years, and who more recently became a successful merchant at St. George, where he and his wife still reside. He served twelve years as constable and two terms as county commissioner, his political affiliation being with the repub- lican party. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Protestant Church. As a young man Alexander Close mar- ried Miss Catherine Dumire, a daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth (Pifer) Dumire, of Tucker County. Jacob Du- mire, of German ancestry, became one of the substantial farmers of this county, served as county sheriff, was a republican, and his eldest son, A. Loman, was a gallant young soldier of the Union in the Civil war. The names of the other children are here recorded: John Wesley Oliver, George, Jane (Mrs. Frank Beavers, her husband having been a Union soldier in the Civil war), Catherine (Mrs. Alexander Close), and Florence, who became the wife of P. W. Lipscomb and died in Tucker County. Of the chil- dren of Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Close the present sheriff of Tucker County is the eldest; Edward resides at St. George; Jacob is a resident of Parsons; William lives at Elk Garden; "Tootie" died at the age of fourteen years; and Duncan, Chester and Charles are still members of the parental home circle.

David Close, grandfather of the sheriff of Tucker County, was born in Scotland, came to the United States in the '50s and obtained public land near Lead Mine, Tucker County, where he reclaimed and developed a productive farm and passed the remainder of his life, secure in the high regard of all who knew him. He and his wife were zealous mem- bers of the Methodist Protestant Church. In his native land he married Miss Agnes Ferguson, whose death occurred in 1914, he having passed away about 1890. Of their chil- dren the eldest is John, of Berkeley Springs, this state; William died at Thomas, Tucker County; James resides at Berkeley Springs; Alexander, father of Sheriff Close, was the next in order of birth; Duncan died at the age of fifteen years; Mrs. David Root resides at Thomas; Sarah, wife of Lewis Shaffer, died at that place; and Isabel is the wife of Grant James, of Thomas.

Sheriff Close gained his early education in the public

schools of St. George and there learned the blacksm trade under the effective direction of his father. At age of sixteen years he found employment as blacksm for the Burger Lumber Company, later was similarly € ployed two years by the Clover Run Lumber Company, a for twelve years thereafter he was blacksmith for Chaffey Lumber Company at William, this county. He tl established at Parsons a custom blacksmith shop, which successfully conducted until he retired from the work his trade and became chief of police in this city in 19 The service which he gave in this position fortified b greatly for the broader duties which became his upon election to the office of sheriff of the county in 1920, by majority of 234 votes. Concerning his candidacy for t office the following statements have been made: "Desp the fact that some of the Tucker County electors fear that Mr. Close would not enforce the prohibition law, a others feared that he would enforce it, his candidacy in primaries took on somewhat of the aspect of a forlorn ho However, the 'wet' element in the county has found tl Sheriff Close has rigidly enforced the prohibition law, well as all other laws, and his stand for law and order 1 convinced all opposers that he is a real sheriff who is maki a record that has not been excelled in the history of county. He knows no favorites in his official work, a has a high sense of his executive stewardship."

Mr. Close is a republican and is affiliated with Knights of Pythias and the Junior Order of United Am ican Mechanics.

At St. George, this county, July 4, 1903, Mr. Close m ried Dora Hedrick, daughter of Solomon K. and Bet Judy Hedrick, the father being a farmer by vocation a having been a resident of Pendleton County at the time the birth of his daughter Dora. Sheriff and Mrs. Cl have two children: Ruth and Earl.

JOSHUA S. ZIMMERMAN has been a prominent member the bar at Romney for over a quarter of a century. I practice has involved a great deal of business organizati work, and he has been interested personally and as an torney in the commercial orchard development in this s) tion of the state.

Mr. Zimmerman was born near LaPlata, at his mothe old home in Charles County, Maryland, January 16, 18 The Zimmerman family lived near Baltimore, and th estate in that vicinity was the scene of activity of f generations of the family. Rev. George H. Zimmerms the father of the subject of this sketch, was born Baltimore County, on the ancestral estate, about the miles from the City of Baltimore, in 1838. He was graduate of Dickinson College at Carlisle, Pennsylvan and entered the Baltimore Conference of the Method Episcopal Church, South. During the Civil war he w chaplain iu oue of the Virginia regiments in General R. ser's command in the Army of Northern Virginia. Af the war he resumed his church work as pastor, and w also presiding elder of Moorefield, Roanoke and Baltimo districts. While in charge of the Baltimore Distr he died in 1898. Rev. Mr. Zimmerman married Henriet A. Rowe, of Glymont, Charles County, Maryland, daugh; of William H. and Ann (Cox) Rowe. She died in 18: at the age of forty-six. There were three sons: Josh S., of Romney; Edgar R., of Ruxton, Maryland, meml of the firm T. T. Tongue and Company, Baltimore ager of the Baltimore Casualty Company; and George H., m ing engineer of Whitesburg, Kentucky.

As a minister's son Joshua S. Zimmerman lived in number of towns in Virginia, Maryland and West Virgin However, most of his youth was spent in Woodstock a Salem, Virginia, aud he was a student in Roanoke Colle at Salem in 1885-86, and in 1888 entered Randolph-Mac College, where he graduated A. B. in 1892. For a ti he was a tutor on a Mississippi plantation at Shelby, a in 1893 became a clerk in the Census Department of t. Government at Washington, during the second Clevela administration. He was a clerk there three years, and the meantime studied law, attending the night law school Columbia, now the George Washington University, gradua ing LL. B. in 1896.

J. D. Gimmerman.

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Qualified by education and experience for his profession, Ir. Zimmerman located at Romney, opening his office in uly, 1896. His first case before the Circuit Court was West Virginia vs Smith, charged with "breaking and en- ering with intent to commit larceny," which case he lost. Since then he has had a general practice in Hampshire nd adjoining counties and in both the Federal and State Courts. Seven years after he began practice he was ap- pointed prosecuting attorney to fill the unexpired term of V. B. Cornwell, resigned, and was twice thereafter regu- arly elected to the office, serving altogther nine years and hree months.

Mr. Zimmerman is a member of the dominant political arty of Hampshire County, has been a leader in the party, erved as chairman of the county committee, member of the Second District Congressional Committee, and has attended udicial, senatorial and state conventions. He was elected to he House of Delegates in November, 1920, and was made loor leader of his party. Governor Cornwell appointed him a nember of the road commission to draft a new West Vir- rinia State Road Law in connection with the fifty million lollar bond issue authorized at the 1920 election, as an mendment to the State Constitution. Mr. Zimmerman also upported the strict prohibition enforcement legislation ntroduced and passed while he was in the House.

Concerning his connection with the commercial orchard ndustry in this locality, he promoted several companies, is n officer in them and legal adviser, and is individual owner f 150 acres of apple orchard. He is attorney for he Capon Valley Bank at Wardensville, and handled he legal matters in connection with the incorpora- ion of this bank. During the World war Mr. Zimmerman vas a member of the Legal Advisory Board of the county nd was attorney for the County Food Administration. He personally registered under the last draft.

On October 10, 1900, near Romney, Mr. Zimmerman narried Miss Kitty Campbell Vance, daughter of John T. und Mary Elizabeth (Inskeep) Vance. The Inskeep and Tance families were pioneers in the South Branch Valley ind have been associated by marriage with the Heiskells, tilkesons and other well-known families of this region. Mrs. Zimmerman was born on the old Vance estate near Romney, second among four children. Her brother William 1., lives at Clarksburg, her second brother, Henry Machir, s a farmer near Romney, and Frank Vance died in early nanhood. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Zimmerman are Mary Elizabeth, a student in the Mary Baldwin Seminary it Staunton, Virginia; George Henry, Vance and Kitty Campbell at home.

Mr. Zimmerman is a member of the West Virginia Bar Association, is affiliated with the college fraternities, Phi Delta Theta and Phi Delta Phi, and is an active layman in he Methodist Episcopal Church, South, being steward of he Romney congregation and for a score of years has been superintendent of its Sunday school. He represented the church in district and annual conferences. Mrs. Zimmerman und several of the children are Presbyterians.

JAMES O. T. TIDLER. A legal practice extending over a period of more than twenty years has given James O. T. Tidler a first rank at the bar of Clarksburg, West Virginia. The law has been regarded by him as a high and honorable profession, not merely a vocation and source of livelihood. To its service he took a scholarship of unusual breadth o develop the excellent qualities of a brilliant mind and le is only now in the prime of manhood and rich experience, with the promise of more mature fulfillment still before him.

His ancestry on both sides is of the hest old Virginia stock. His paternal grandparents were John W. and Eliza- beth (Windle) Tidler. His maternal grandparents were Capt. Henry Harford and Frances (Snyder) Quaintance. The Quaintance family was prominent in the military affairs of Virginia. Capt. H. H. Quaintance was an officer and lost his two oldest sons, John and William, in the Con- federate army during the Civil war. He was the son of Col. John Quaintance.

The father of the Clarksburg lawyer was George Wash- ington Tidler, a teacher, stockman and farmer. He was

born in Shenandoah County, right in the heart of the beau- tiful Valley of Virginia, June 11, 1842, and died at Slate Mills, Rappahannock County, Virginia, August 28, 1910. He was strongly inclined to intellectual pursuits and attain- ments, and became well educated for a man of his day, when there were no public free schools. He was kind and accommodating to his friends and neighbors, and people from all over his section would come to him for advice and counsel, which he gave freely and without remuneration. He was regarded as the best informed man in all his community. Though not a lawyer, his knowledge of the law was mar- velous.

When the Civil war began he enlisted as a Confederate soldier in Shenandoah County, Virginia, and served as a lieutenant under that famous military genius, Gen. Thomas J. (Stonewall) Jackson. Before the war terminated he was captured by the Federal army and was imprisoned on Rock Island in the Mississippi River, off the west coast of Illinois. The pangs of hunger and the severe case of typhoid fever which he contracted while in prison somewhat impaired his health. For a number of years he bought livestock and shipped it in carload lots to Baltimore and other Eastern markets. For many years he was justice of the peace, taught school, and was appointed by President Benjamin Harrison to a position in the United States internal revenue service. In politics he was a republican, a member of the Baptist Church and was worshipful master of his Masonic Lodge.

He is survived by his wife, Frances Quaintance Tidler, who was born in Rappahannock County, Virginia, April 20, 1849. After their marriage they lived on their farm at Slate Mills, Rappahannock County, Virginia. She was a beautiful and lovable woman, with strong Christian char- acter, and her teachings, her life, her loyalty and love, her devotion and willing sacrifices indelibly impressed her chil- dren and molded their characters and ambitions for the accomplishment of worthy achievements. To her five sons and two daughters living the name "Mother," will always express the highest and most typical embodiment of all that is lovable, good, noble and sublime. Their seven children are Wilbur Q., John W., James O. T., Mrs. Teresa Pearle Norris, Mrs. Ruth Thornhill, Harford S. and George W., Jr. The oldest of these, Wilbur Q. Tidler, is a graduate of the University of Kentucky. He was for about twenty years a Government official in the United States internal revenue service, and prior to that service was a teacher and farmer. Their youngest son, George W. Tidler, Jr., is a farmer and soldier. He served in the World war against Germany, and was in France pursuing the German armies when the armis- tice was signed. After that he served in the United States Army of Occupation, and was stationed near Coblenz for several months.

James O. T. Tidler, of Clarksburg, was born December 31, 1876, and was reared to manhood on the Tidler home farm at Slate Mills, Rappahannock County, Virginia. His only early educational advantages were those of a country public school, but he was always a leader in his classes. At the age of eighteen years, the youngest age allowed by law, he taught school near his home in Rappahannock County, after having successfully passed the teachers examination, where he was granted a first grade certificate. Teaching three years supplied a considerable part of the fund he needed for his law course, as he sought no financial assistance from any relative or friend, but relied solely upon his own efforts and resources. His legal education is a record of brilliant achievements. In February, 1900, he entered Richmond College Law School, now Richmond University of Virginia, and made Junior Law in less than a half session. In the fall of 1900, following, he was offered and accepted a re- sponsible position of financial trust and management in connection with the president's office, and entered the Senior Law Class, but in less than four months he went before the Supreme Court of Appeals of Virginia at its Richmond term on January 11, 1901, and successfully passed the most rigid bar examination, except one, ever held by that high court, and was by the Supreme Court granted license to practice law. Thirty applicants tried this examination for admission to the bar, of which number nineteen able men,

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most of them graduates in law, failed, and only eleven of the thirty applicants passed and obtained license to prac- tice. This examination and its results were given con- siderable space in the Richmond and other Virginia news- papers at the time, the same being, also, a matter of record in Volume 6 of the Virginia Law Register.

Though being admitted to the bar by the Supreme Court under circumstances that were a splendid augury for his future, Mr. Tidler did not at that time quit school to prac- tice, as might have been expected, but preferred to continue bis studies to completion and become a full-fledged graduate before beginning the practice of his chosen profession. In the early spring, however, he was stricken down with inflammatory rheumatism, to such an extent that he could move neither hand nor foot without assistauce and great pain, and was for several weeks treated in a Richmond hospital. Notwithstanding this great affliction he was un- daunted in his purpose and the achievement of his ambi- tions. Leaving the hospital, though still sick and afflicted and unable to write, he stood oral examinations on all branches of law and books his class had completed during his illness, and then went to his parents home at Slate Mills, Virginia, to recover his health and strength. It was just three weeks prior to the June commencement before he was able to return from home and rejoin his class; but not- withstanding his serious illness, loss of time, and missing most important lectures of his class, he resumed his studies with such a zeal to win over all obstacles that in this three weeks period he mastered all legal subjects so com- pletely as to pass the final written examinations with such a high percentage of proficiency that he was not only graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Laws, June 13, 1901, but was by the faculty and trustees of the college awarded the first prize as the most distinguished and hon- ored graduate of his class.

In October, 1901, Mr. Tidler, then but a briefless bar- rister, with only meagre financial resources, opened a law office in Clarksburg, and since then has been eminently successful, gaining honors both as a trial lawyer and as a counselor. The same fertile brain that had distinguished him soon lifted him out of poverty and obscurity and made him a prominent man of affairs of Clarksburg, where he acquired valuable real estate holdings, being now the owner of a number of houses and lots in the City of Clarksburg and lands in the State of Virginia. He is a republican voter, but neither as a matter of necessity nor from inclina- tion has he sought any public office or diversion in politics. He was, however, associate member of the Legal Advisory Board during the World war in 1917-18, and rendered valu- able patriotic service without remuneration.

Mr. Tidler is, also prominent in fraternal circles, being at present dictator (presiding officer) of Clarksburg Lodge No. 52, Loyal Order of Moose, which has a membership of about a thousand men. For several years he was state treasurer of West Virginia, of the Patriotic Order Sons of America. He is a member of the Baptist Church.

On October 12, 1910, Mr. Tidler married Miss Anna Martha Wickes, of New Market, Shenandoah County, Vir- ginia, where she was born September 10, 1885, daughter of Giles William and Mary Lizzie (Crim) Wickes. Her father was born February 12, 1854, and still survives. Her mother was born April 3, 1858, and died April 24, 1893. Her paternal grandfather Wickes was born in 1827 and died in 1867. He married Wilmuth Ann Kipps, who was born in 1827 and died in 1905. Mrs. Tidler's paternal great- grandparents were William (1795-1852), and Mary Wickes (1797-1871), while her maternal grandparents were David Crim (1822-1860), and Martha Jane (Windle) Crim (1828- 1874). The latter's parents were Washington (1802-1882), and Charlotte Glenn, Windle (1806-1891). Mrs. Tidler is a member of the Methodist Church.

Mr. and Mrs. Tidler have two very promising children, the older, Hazel, born June 23, 1913, and the younger, James, born July 29, 1920.

H. FREEMAN COLEBANK brings to bear a high degree of efficiency and loyal stewardship in his service as clerk of the

County Court of Tucker County, and he is one of the popu- lar citizens of Parson, the county seat.

Mr. Colebank was born in Barbour County, this state, March 5, 1875, and is a son of Samuel Colebank, Jr., who was born in that county on the 12th of July, 1851, and whose wife, Malinda B., was born in Preston County, De- cember 20, 1854, a daughter of Harman Freeman, who was there a substantial farmer. Samuel Colebank, Jr., devoted the major part of his active career to farm industry and was a resident of Fairmont at the time of his death, in January, 1916, his widow being still a resident of that place. Of their children the subject of this sketch is the elder, and Icy, who resides at Fairmont, is the widow of D. N. Dumire.

Rollo Colebank, grandfather of him whose name intro- duces this review, was born in Barbour County, a representa- tive of a sterling pioneer family of that county, and there he continued his activities as a farmer until his death at Shiloh, his remains resting in the old Dunkard Cemetery in that county beside those of his wife, whose maiden name was Margaret Simpson. They became the parents of five sons and three daugliters, one of the daughters having died in childhood. The sons were Sylvanus and Quinter (twins), Samuel, John and Jefferson, and the daughters who attained to maturity were Elizabeth, wife of L. C. Coffman, of Kas- son, Barbour County, and Mary, who became the wife of Isaac Lohr and was a resident of Barbour County at the time of her death.

HI. Freeman Colebank was reared in his native county, received the advantages of the public schools, summer normal schools and the West Liberty State Normal School, and, beginning at the age of sixteen years, he taught in the rural schools during the winter terms for a period of five years, his pedagogie work having included also service as principal of the school at Hendricks and effective work as an instructor in summer normal schools. Thereafter he was for a time bookkeeper for the Hendricks Company, and for a few months was a traveling salesman for the Piedmont Grocery Company. For six years he was associated with the substantial real-estate business conducted by Levi B. Harr at Fairmont, and he then re-entered the employ of the Hen- dricks Company, then the J. E. Poling Company, as credit man and general supervisor of the bookkeeping department. His service in this connection continued somewhat more thau five years, and while thus engaged he received the republican primary election for the office of clerk of the County Court of Tucker County, without opposition. He was elected to this office in the fall of 1914, assumed office January 1, 1915, and after serving his term of six years he was re- elected by the largest majority ever given to a candidate for this office in Tucker County, he having received a mia- jority of 1,700 votes, this being far in advance of the party ticket in the county, which gave to the head of the ticket somewhat more than 500 votes. He is a stalwart sup- porter of the principles of the republican party, his initial presidential vote having been cast for President Mckinley in 1896. In 1912 he was a delegate to the West Virginia state convention of his party at Huntington as a Roosevelt supporter, but when Colonel Roosevelt left the ranks of his party to become presidential candidate on the progressive ticket Mr. Colebank refused to be deflected from his al- legiance to the regularly constituted party. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and he has served the Parsons Church of this denomination as trustee and steward. He is a director of the Tucker County Bank, is a past chancellor of the Knights of Pythias, and is affiliated also with the Masonic fraternity, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Junior Order United American Mechanics, the Modern Woodmen of America and the Royal Neighbors. Mr. Colebank was prominently identified with local patriotic service in the period of the World war, was an associate member of the Legal Advisory Board of Tucker County, and was a director of the War Savings Stamp drive in the southern part of this county.

On August 14, 1898, at Hendricks, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Colebank and Miss Myrtle Shaw, a daugh- ter of George and Mary (Musgrave) Shaw, the latter of

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whom is now a revered member of the family circle of Mr. and Mrs. Colebank. George Shaw was born in Preston County, was associated with farm enterprise and lumbering operations, and at the time of his death was identified with the Hendricks Company. He was survived by three chil- dren: Wade W., who married and was a resident of Hendricks at the time of his death; John E., of Newark, Ohio, who is a locomotive engineer for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad; and Myrtle, who is the wife of Mr. Cole- bank of this sketch, she having been born in Preston County, July 15, 1880. Harry, eldest of the children of Mr. and Mrs. Colebank, is, in 1922, a student in the en- gineering department of the University of West Virginia; Edwin C. is deputy to his father in the office of clerk of the County Court; Clifford S., who is chief clerk in the office of the county clerk of Randolph County, married Ruth, a daughter of Lee Poe, of Elkins; Elliott Freeman and Mary Lynn remain at the parental home.

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History of West Virginia old and new, Volume 3, Part 173

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