SEARS, Roy O.

Kanawha County, West Virginia          Biography of Roy O. SEARS

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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. 216-217

ROY O. SEARS is a successful Charleston business man,
president of the Sears Monument Company, and has been
in this business all his active career. He has earned a high
reputation for skill and achievement on the artistic as well
as the commercial side of the industry.

Mr. Sears was born at Hillsboro, Highland County, Ohio,
June 3, 1883. He attended public school, but even as a
schoolboy was selling newspapers, and that developed his
early abilities as a salesman. Quite early he began selling
monuments, and his increasing experience in this line
brought him a first class traveling position with a promi-
nent monument manufacturing concern of Boston, for which
he represented an extensive territory from Portland, Maine,
to Indianapolis, Indiana.

When his affairs had progressed to a point where he felt
justified in going into business for himself Mr. Sears se-
lected Charleston as the most eligible city, and made his
start here in 1911.

The Sears Monument Company, of which Mr. Sears is
president, are designers and manufacturers of monuments
of all descriptions, statuary, bronze work and mausoleums,
giving particular attention to the manufacture and instal-
lation of mausoleums. They have on their staff only the
most successful and talented designers and engravers.
Their plant at Charleston has produced many examples of
genuine art. It is probably the largest plant of its kind
in West Virginia, and one of the most important in qual-
ity of output in the country. Since the great war Mr.
Sears has designed and manufactured a number of memo-
rials to the dead soldiers. Chief among these should be
mentioned the Putnam County Memorial in commemoration
of the men who made the supreme sacrifice in the World
war, erected in 1921 by the taxpayers of Putnam County,
and this memorial is a work of art. Still more recently, in
December, 1921, Mr. Sears met with the Vicksburg Monu-
ment Commission at Point Pleasant. The purpose of the
meeting was to select designs of monuments and markers
for the Vicksbnrg National Military Park. The commission
had been empowered by the last Legislature to provide a
suitable memorial to the memory of the men who served in
the battle and siege of Vicksburg. The designs selected
by the commission consist of a colossal size bronze bust of
Maj. Gen. Arza M. Goodspeed and four other monuments
erected to West Virginia men, known on battlefields, as
markers, all to be placed at the different positions held
by the men during the siege. Mr. Sears was awarded the
contract for the erection of one large monument, four
small ones, one colossal size bust and five bronze tablets
to be placed on monuments and to bear inscriptions of the
positions held by West Virginia men. This work was com-
pleted in the spring of 1922.

Just recently they have been awarded the contract to
erect a large soldier monument to be erected in the Court
House grounds at Wayne, Wayne County, West Virginia.
This will be the largest and most expensive soldiers' monu-
ment that has been erected in West Virginia. This work
will be completed in the fall of 1922.

Mr. Sears is a member of the Charleston Rotary Club and
is a Knight Templar and Scottish Rite Mason and Shriner.