Grant County, West Virginia Biography of Manassah S. JUDY This file was submitted by Elizabeth Burns, 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 II, pg. 216 Manassah S. Judy When the citizens of Grant County elected Manassah S. Judy to the dual office of circuit and county clerk in 1920 they placed in this responsible position a representative of one of the oldest families native to this region of West Virginia. He descends on both sides from native parents of Grant County, and their fathers were likewise born in Grant County, so that he can justly lay claim to being a genuine West Virginian. In the discharge of his official duties he has displayed the possession of marked efficiency and a conscientious desire to improve the public service and give a good account of his stewardship. Mr. Judy was born on a farm in Grant County, adjoining the town site of Petersburg, September 23, 1891 and is a son of George F. and Mattie E.V. (Sites) Judy. Manassah Judy, the grandfather of Manassah S. Judy was born in Grant County where he passed his life as an agriculturist and was greatly esteemed and respected. He married Sarah Dyer and they became the parents of the following children: Jennie, who married Andrew Trumbo and resides in Bedford County, Virginia; William A., a resident of Petersburg; Fena who died as Mrs. W.H. Cola at Monterey, Virginia; H. Seymour of Petersburg, a retired farmer; George Franklin, the father of Manassah S; Edward D., a retired farmer of Petersburg; Rebecca who is the wife of Jared A. Hiner of Doe Hill Virginia; and Manassah Parren who is a farmer at North Manchester Indiana. The maternal grandfather of Clerk Judy was Rev. Sampson G. Sites, a Dunkard preacher who gave his life after middle age to active church work and the farm. Reverend Sites was born and passed his life in Grant County where he was widely known and universally esteemed for his sterling excellencies of mind and heart. He was the father of thirteen children, of whom eleven grew to maturity: Mattie E.V. who became the wife of George F. Judy and died Decmeber7, 1907; James, who died at Idaville Indiana; B. Harvey, one of the prosperous and extensive farmers and stockmen of the vicinity of Hoopeston Illinois; George E., a well known citizen and prosperous agriculturist of Monticello Indiana; Charles, a railroad man of Salem Illinois; Mrs. M.P. Judy of North Manchester, Indiana; Mrs. M.A. Judy also of that city; Sampson G. Jr. of Monticello Indiana; I. William, a farmer operating the old Sites homestead near Petersburg; D. Eston, a traveling salesman of Kansas City Missouri; and Edgar C., a student of medicine at the University of Indiana. George Franklin Judy was reared on his father's farm in Grant County and received the usual country school education of his day. When he attained years of maturity he chose farming for his life work, and for some years carried on agricultural operations near Petersburg, a community in which he had an excellent reputation for integrity in business affairs and as a public spirited citizen. He died in 1896 at Petersburg West Virginia. He and Mrs. Judy were the parents of the following children: Edna R., who married W.H. Judy of Peru, West Virginia; Manassah Sampson, of this review, named for both of his grandfathers; and Sarah Elizabeth who married Clyde Ours and resides at Fisher, Hardy County, West Virginia. The first fifteen years of the life of Manassah Sampson Judy were passed in his home neighborhood near Petersburg, where he attended the public school, following which he entered Bridgewater College, at Bridgewater, Virginia. After spending one year at that institution in the fall of 1908 he went to Indiana and attended North Manchester College until 1912, where for three terms he taught penmanship and assisted in the commercial department. He also supervised penmanship in the public schools during these years. During the summers of 1910, 1911 and 1912 he was a student at the Zanerian Art College, Columbus, Ohio. In the fall of 1912 he became principal of the commercial department of the high school at Cambridge, Ohio and in the spring of 1913 returned to West Virginia, locating at Petersburg, where he was engaged in the stock business on the old home farm. While thus engaged Mr. Judy became interested in politics, and eventually was persuaded by his friends to make the race for the office of county and circuit clerk of Grant County. In the primaries of 1920 he became a candidate for this office against one of the ablest clerks of West Virginia and one of the ancients among the state officials, and won the nomination as a republican. He defeated his opponent in the primary election by 355 votes and in the general election defeated his opponent by 2,200 or 200 votes ahead of the ticket. When he took office, succeeding the veteran D.P. Hendrickson, whom everybody delights to honor, he became the third clerk Grant County has ever had. In his official position Mr. Judy has "made good" and has lived up to his pre-election promises. He has entrenched himself firmly in the confidence of the people of the community who have recognized and appreciated his efforts in their behalf. Mr. Judy was one of the organizers of the Potomac Valley Bank of Petersburg, in which he is a member of the Board of Directors and its secretary. He belongs to the Blue Lodge and Chapter of Masonry, and is a past master of Petersburg Lodge No. 145 in addition to which he holds membership in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His religious affiliation is with the Presbyterian Church in the work of which he is active, being a teacher in the Sunday School. On June 9, 1912 at Bowers, Montgomery County Indiana, Mr. Judy was united in marriage with Miss Lillian E. Dunbar, who was born in Montgomery County Indiana, as were her father and paternal grandfather both of whom were agriculturists. She is a daughter of E.P. and Emma (Parker) Dunbar, the latter being a native of the State of Delaware. To Mr. and Mrs. Dunbar there were born eight children: May, who is the wife of L.V. Halliday of Bellfontaine Ohio; Lillian E., now Mrs. Judy who was born February 23, 1891; Joseph E. of Colfax Indiana; Austin, a farmer near that place; Harvey M. of Bowers Indiana; Willard P., who is attending high school at Kokomo Indiana and Roscoe and Theodore who are students at Blue Ridge College, New Windsor Maryland. Mr. and Mrs. Judy have no children. ==== WV-FOOTSTEPS Mailing List ==== ********************************************************************** WV-FOOTSTEPS/USGENWEB NOTICE: These messages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. **********************************************************************