Harrison County, West Virginia          Biography of Emery Judson WOOFTER, D. D.

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The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc.,
Chicago and New York, Volume III,
pg. 200-201

EMERY JUDSON WOOFTER, D. D. Members of the Woof-
ter family have been noted as sterling and substantial
people in West Virginia through four generations, but the
distinctive service associated with the name has been the
ministry of the Baptist Church. In the present generation
Dr. E. J. Woofter is one of the best known Baptist minis-
ters in West Virginia, and for a number of years has been
a pastor of the great church of that denomination at Salem
in Harrison County.

His great-grandfather was Johnathan Woofter, who
came from Fauquier County, Virginia, to what is now West
Virginia. At a much earlier date the Woofters settled in
Virginia from Massachusetts, and came originally from
South Hampden, England. The name was originally spelled
Wooster, the "s" in the name was written "long S,"
after the familiar chirography of the time, and was mistaken
for an "F" and eventually the spelling Woofter was
adopted.

The grandfather of E. J. Woofter was Rev. John Woof-
ter, who did much of the pioneer work of his denomination
in West Virginia. He was a leader in missionary enter-
prise and the church building over a large territory, and
he had the distinction of serving forty-six years as pastor
of one chureh. the Leading Creek Baptist Church of Gil-
mer County. His son Calvin Woofter was a deacon in the
same church for many years.  Calvin Woofter married
Susan Vannoy. and both were natives of Gilmer County.
Her father, Francis Marion Vannoy, came from old Vir-
ginia. Calvin and Susan Woofter had three children, one
son and two daughters.

Emery Judson Woofter was born on his father's farm
in Gilmer County, April 25, 1867, grew up on the farm
and assisted his father in its work until he was twenty-
two years of age. His early education was supplied by the
rural schools, and for a time he was a student in Transyl-
vania University at Lexington, Kentucky, until failing
health compelled him to leave his studies. Later he entered
the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary at Louisville,
completing a literary course and also his theological studies
in 1893. In 1894 he was ordained to preach at Leading
Creek Baptist Church, of which his grandfather had been
pastor for nearly half a century. His first pastorate was
at Glenville, and for eight years he was pastor of the
Church at Troy in Gilmer County, and subsequently pastor
at Harrisville and Bridgeport. On April 21, 1907, he en-
tered upon his duties as pastor of the Salem Baptist Church
at Salem, where he has been a part in his congenial duties
for fifteen years. This church organized in 1882, and is
one of the strongest church organizations in West Vir-
ginia.  Six years after becoming pastor Doctor Woofter
had the pleasure of seeing a handsome church edifice dedi-
cated, and this, together with a manse, cost about $57,000.
Doctor Woofter has been a leader in general church activi-
ties, and in 1911 and in 1914 he was chosen president of
the Baptist General Association of West Virginia.  He
is now president of the West Virginia Baptist Educa-
tional Society and is associate editor of the West Virginia
Baptist Banner. In 1918 Salem College conferred upon
him the degree Doctor of Divinity. Doctor Woofter is a
Knight Templar Mason and Shriner and an Odd Fellow.

He married Miss Alice Gay Bush, of Gilmer County. Their
three daughters are Mildred, Mary and Madeline.