Marion County, West Virginia Biography of Calvin D. CONAWAY This file was submitted by Suzie Crump, 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, pgs. 253-254 CALVIN D. CONAWAY, president of the Home Savings Bank of Fairmont, Marin County, former sheriff of the county and present member of the County Court, was born on the old family homestead in Fairmont District, this county, August 3, 1863, and is a son of Maj. James E. and Miranda (Ice) Conaway. On the same old homestead farm Major Conaway was born in the year 1831, and his death occurred in 1910. He was a gallant officer in the Confederate service in the Civil war, as major in the regiment commanded by Colonel Thompson. He was long a representative farmer and merchant in his native county, besides having been identified with the coal industry in this section of the state. He served three terms as justice of the peace, and was one of the honored and influential citizens of Marion County. On the same ancestral homestead was born his father, William Conaway, and the latter's father, John Conaway, was the pioneer representative of the family in the county, the land which he here obtained and which he reclaimed to productiveness having continued in the possession of the family for four generations. John Conaway came to Marion County from Pulaski County, Virginia. He was a patriot soldier in the War of the Revolution, and his widow, Mrs. Rachel (Wilson) Conaway, drew a pension on account of his service in that war. Mrs. Miranda (Ice) Conaway was born at Barrackville, Marion County, in 1834, and her death occurred in 1901. She was a daughter of Hon. William B. and Dollie (Straight) Ice, her father, a native of Barrackville, this county, having served as a member of the State Senate. William B. Ice was a son of Adam Ice, who was the first white child born west of the Allegheny Mountains in what is now Northern West Virginia, that family having become very early settlers in the Cheat River neighborhood. Calvin D. Conaway was reared on the ancestral homestead, which he now owns and on which he has resided almost continuously. For twenty years he was engaged in stone contracting work, including the construction of foundations and the supplying of stone in railroad construction and maintenance. He has recently retired from this business, including the operation of a large stone quarry. He has been president of the Home Saving Bank of Fairmont since 1917, and since 1916 has been president of the Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Company of West Virginia, of which he was one of the organizers, the company now having a membership of 9,000, with insurance in force to the amount of $12,000,000. Mr. Conaway is president also of the West Virginia Association of Mutual Fire Insurance Companies, with a membership of 18,000 and with $30,000,000 of insurance. He is vice president of the Monongahela Candy Company and a stockholder in many other business concerns of Fairmont. In 1912 Mr. Conaway was elected sheriff of his native county, in which he served one term. In 1918 he was elected a member of the County Court, in which capacity he is giving characteristically loyal and effective service. He is a member of the Elks, Knights of Pythias, Woodmen of the World and the Loyal Order of Moose. His wife, whose maiden name was Clara Hunter, was born at Barrackville, Marion County, a daughter of Josephus Hunter, and a representative of one of the old and influential families of the county. Mr. and Mrs. Conaway are the parents of two children, Olive Blanche, deceased, and Nannie M., who is the wife of Archie F. Sandy, a well known business man of Fairmont.