Berkeley County, West Virginia Biography of Samuel Showalter FELKER 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. 330 SAMUEL SHOWALTER FELKER is a citizen of varied and important interests in Berkeley County, a successful business man, a democratic leader, and at all times cultivating the best interests of the community. Mr. Felker was born on a farm two and a half miles west of Greencastle, Pennsylvania. His father, Jacob Felker, was born on a farm near the line of Franklin County, Pennsylvania, and Washington County, Maryland, and at an early age was left an orphan. He then lived, until he was grown, with his uncle, Abraham Felker, in Franklin County. At the beginning of the Civil war he enlisted as a Union soldier and served in a Pennsylvania regiment. In 1869 he moved to Berkeley County, West Virginia, buying a farm in the Hedgesville District. He remained there work- ing and prospering until his death at the age of seventy- two. He married Mary Showalter, a native of Washington County, Maryland, who died at the age of eighty-two. They reared a family of nine children: Kate, who married James Robinson; Annie, who married Moses Kilmer; Louise, who became the wife of Calvin Zentmeyer; Charles H.; David, who died at the age of thirty-three; John D.; Calvin G.; Rebecca, who married George A. Mason; and Samuel S. Samuel S. Felker attended school in the Hedgesville Dis- trict, and at the age of seventeen began learning the trade of miller in Brown's Mill in Pennsylvania. After three years there he returned to Berkeley County, and for two years operated Kilmers Mill, for one year the Back Valley Mill and for two years the Darkesville Mill. Ill health compelling him to make a change of vocation, he then became agent for the Cumberland Valley Railroad Com- pany at Darkesville, and at the same time conducted a general mercantile business there for three and a half years. On leaving the railroad service Mr. Felker moved to Martins- burg, and since then has been one of the progressive business men of this city. For three and a half years he was in business on West King Street, near the Square, following which he bought property on West King, near the postoffice, and continued his store in that location about three years. Selling out, he entered the real estate business, and in 1904 was elected a justice of the peace, an office he filled eight years. For three years Mr. Felker had a rather widely extended business in the sale of coal rights and coal lands. He and D. W. Shaffer were then partners in the real estate business for two years, and since then Mr. Felker has con- tinued alone, dealing in city and farm lands, and he makes sales over the three states of West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia. At the age of twenty-two Mr. Felker married Alice Virginia Shipper, a native of Berkeley County and daughter of James B. and Hester (Stuckey) Shipper. Mr. and Mrs. Felker had one son. Guy G., who was educated in the city schools, prepared for college in Washington and Lee Uni- versity and subsequently entered the University of West Virginia. He graduated in the law department and had already achieved a substantial place in his profession when his early death occurred at the age of twenty-nine. For some time prior to his death he had been in the service of the income tax department of the Federal Government. Guy G. Felker married Gertrude Manown. He is survived by a son, Samuel Showalter Felker, who lives with his paternal grandparents. Mr. and Mrs. Felker are active members of the Presby- terian Church, and he is president of the board of deacons. Mr. Felker is prominent in the Masonic Order, being a past master of Equality Lodge No. 44, A. F. and A. M., past high priest of Lebanon Chapter No. 2, R. A. M., past eminent commander of Palestine Commandery No. 2, K. T., was president of the class that took the Scottish Rite degrees at Wheeling in 1920, and is a member of the Martinsburg Masonic Club. He is also affiliated with Washington Lodge No. 1, Knights of Pythias, and for six years was repre- sentative to the State Lodge and is a past grand master of the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He is also a mem- ber of the Loyal Order of Moose. Mr. Felker has had a deep interest in public affairs throughout his active career, and has served as delegate to numerous county, district and state conventions of the democratic party and for ten years was chairman of the county committee.