Harrison County, West Virginia Biography of Ulysses Woodward SHOWALTER, M. D. ************************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: Material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. These pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor. Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Susie Llyod March 2000 ************************************************************************** The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume II, Pages 314-315 ULYSSES WOODWARD SHOWALTER, M. D. Nearly thirty years of devotion to his profession is the record of Dr. Ulysses Woodward Showalter, a veteran medical and surgical practitioner of Clarksburg; thirty years of his like given to the calling which he chose as his life work in young manhood; nearly a third of a century spent in the alleviation of the ills of mankind. Such is indeed a faithful service, a record of which no man could be ashamed. Always giving his best to his work, never sparing himself that the task to which he had dedicated himself might be completed, his life has surely been a useful one and he may now look back over the years that have passed with a sense of duty well done and take a pardonable pride in the accomplishment of a great work. Doctor Showalter was born on a farm in Barbour County, West Virginia, April 27, 1858, a son of William U. and Sarah Elizabeth (Woodward) Showalter. His father was born near Uniontown, Pennsylvania, November 12, 1822, and died in Independence, Preston County, West Virginia, September 22, 1900. He was the son of Henry and Mary (Bilheimer) Showalter, natives of Pennsylvania, of Dutch descent, who were pioneer settlers at Fairmont, West Virginia, removing later to the State of Illinois, where they died. On October 3, 1850, William U. Showalter married Sarah Elizabeth Woodward, who was born December 11, 1822, in Harrison County, West Virginia. She was a daughter of John Mills and Susan E. (Gillis) Woodward, natives of Maryland and Harrison County, respectively. They resided in this county for many years, the father following agricultural pursuits, although he was, by trade, a maker of sickles for reaping grain. Both he and his wife were of English lineage, mainly. To William U. and Sarah Elizabeth (Woodward) Showalter there were born the following children who grew to maturity: Susan E.; Charles L. and Mary Caroline, both now deceased; Ulysses W., of this review; Jerre D., also deceased; Nancy Ellen; and Margaret M. The mother died August 4, 1903. She and her husband were Methodists in church faith, and in politics he was a republican. He had a good education for his day, and for many years, practically all his manhood, was a teacher in public schools. Ulysses W. Showalter grew to manhood on the home farm and attended the rural schools, subsequently pursuing a course at the Fairmont Normal School. This was supplemented by a course at Kingwood Academy, following which he adopted temporarily the profession of educator and taught for fourteen consecutive terms. In the meantime he read medicine under a receptor. His last position as a teacher was that of principal of the Newberg schools of Preston County. Previous to that he had been principal of the public schools of Philippi, West Virginia. Quitting the schoolroom as a teacher, he entered the Baltimore Medical College and graduated in medicine in 1892, at that time receiving his degree. For the next six years Doctor Showalter practiced his calling at Independence, Preston County, where he was well known, going then to Kingwood, in the same County. In 1901, he came to Clarksburg, and in association with Dr. A.K. Kessler established the Kessler Hospital, with which he was connected up to 1905. For two years thereafter he was superintendent of the Clarksburg City Hospital and the for four years had a private hospital of his own. He is now engaged in the private practice of his profession, with offices at 158 West Main Street. Doctor Showalter has always been progressive in his profession. If any branch of his calling has received especial attention from him, it is obstetrica. During his professional career, he has delivered to the date of this writing 4,050 living babies. In politics Dr. Showalter is a republican, and he and his wife are members of the Methodist Church. in his fraternal relations he is a thirty-second degree Scottish Rite and Knight Templar Mason and a Noble of the Mystic Shrine, in addition to which he holds membership in the various leading organizations of his profession. On August 8, 1886, Doctor Showalter was united in marriage with Miss Bertie May Cobun. who was born March 4, 1864, in Preston County, West Virginia, a daughter of Rev. I.B. and Isabel (Flahraty) Cobun. The following Children were born to this union: Dr. Percy Cobun; Mary Pearl, the wife of Harman Post; Ulysses W.,Jr., who enlisted in the United States Marines during the World War, and saw overseas service in Hayti for eighteen months; and William Boyd, who was in the artillery branch of the service, but did not go overseas. Percy Cobun Showalter, M.D., son of Ulysses W. Showalter, M.D., and one of the prominent younger physicians of Harrison County, has been engaged in general practice at Clarksburg for more than ten years, during which time he has made steady progress in his profession. He was born at Kasson, Barbour County, West Virginia, May 3, 1887, and received his early education in the public schools. In 1906, he graduated from the Clarksburg High School, following which he attended the Baltimore Medical College, and graduated with his degree of Doctor of Medicine in 1910. After spending one year as an intern in the Maryland General Hospital, he located at Clarksburg, where he has since been engaged in the general practice of medicine. He is a member of the Harrison County and the West Virginia Medical societies and the American Medical Association. He is a republican in politics and a Methodist in religious faith also holding membership in the Masonic fraternity. The year 1911 recorded the marriage of Dr. Percy Cobun Showalter and Miss Bertie McConnell.