Barbour County, West Virginia Biography of Odie C. WILLIAMS This biography was submitted by Valerie Crook, E-mail address: The submitter does not have a connection to the subject of this sketch. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. All other rights reserved. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the WVGenWeb Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://www.usgwarchives.net/wv/wvfiles.htm The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 303 ODIE C. WILLIAMS has made a good accounting of the forty years of his life. He began work early, did farm- ing and public work, but for a number of years his chief business interest has been a thriving general mercantile business at Junior in Barbour County, in the same locality where he grew to manhood. He was born in Valley District of Barbour County, July 4, 1882. His father, Andrew J. Williams, was born in old Virginia, but spent his active life on a farm in Barbour County, where he died in 1901, at the age of seventy. He married in Barbour County, Miss Julia Row, a native of West Virginia and daughter of Benjamin Row. She died before her husband, the mother of ten children: Mollie, wife of Samuel Elbon, of Junior; Grant, who died in Bar- bour County, leaving a family; James, who was a farmer and died near Junior; Miss Laura V., deceased; Bird, who married Warren Corley and died near Junior; Dow, de- ceased; Dora, wife of Samuel Ball and living at Kings- ville, West Virginia; W. J., a farmer above Junior; Hen- rietta, who died in Barbour County, wife of Peter P. Ware; and Odie Charles. Odie Charles Williams grew up on a farm, gained his education in the country schools, and learned farming as a practical career while at home. He earned his first dol- lar following the plow, and after his marriage he estab- lished himself on a farm and was a grain and stock raiser, and in the intervals was employed on public works. He finally exchanged his farm for the mercantile business of E. E. Swick in Junior, and has since supplied the retail trade of this community from his stock of general mer- chandise. Mr. Williams is a member of the County Court, elected in 1918 as the successor of E. A. Wall. He was chairman of the court in 1920. His associates on the board are Ish- mael Haddix and Delbert Boyles. Since he became a mem- ber the court has in addition to its routine business accom- plished a great deal of permanent road work. It has handled the construction of about nine miles of class A road and six miles of class B, and has constructed a num- ber of concrete bridges in the several districts of the county. Mr. Williams is a republican, having east his first vote for Colonel Roosevelt. He is a member of the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows. In Barbour County, December 25, 1899, he married Miss Rosa J. Hymes. They grew up together as children in the Junior community. Her parents, John C. and Phoebe (Edmond) Hymes, had the following children: Mayor Matthew E., of Buckhannon; Mrs. Williams, who was born February 28, 1880; Monroe, who was accidentally killed when a young man while cutting timber; Henry C. and Sherman G., miners at Junior; Lloyd, who died, leaving a son; and James B., of Junior. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Williams are Hazel, Bus- sell C., Buna E., Max Odie and Maxine. The daughter Hazel is the wife of Fred Simmons, of Junior, and they have three children, Mabel, Arlene and Russell.