Biography of Frederick R. Christie - Mercer Co. WV The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc. Chicago and New York, Volume ll., pg. 112-113 Frederick R. Christie has had twenty years since he completed his education in which to lay the foundation of a secure business success. More than half of this time he spent in the service of the Norfolk & Western Railway Company at Vivian and Bluefield, West Virginia, and for the past eight years he has been an official in one of the leading financial and business organizations of the city. Mr. Christie was born in Princeton, Mercer County, West Virginia, July 7, 1884, son of Richard Clark and Elizabeth Pearis (White) Christie. the Christies are of English ancestry and were early converts to the Wesleyan Reformation in the eighteenth century. On his mother's side Mr. Christie is of French Huguenot origin, his ancestors having settled near Charleston, South Carolina. The Pearis in his mother's name represents another branch of her ancestry. Colonels George and Richard Pearis were soldiers of the Revolution and Colonel George donated fifty-three acres of his plantation for the townsite and from him the town know as Pearisburg, Virginia was named. Richard Clark Christie was born in Monroe County and his wife Elizabeth Pearis Christie was born in Mercer County. Richard Clark Christie served eighteen years (three terms) as circuit and criminal clerk for Mercer County, was a graduate of the class of 1876 from the University of Kentucky, established his home at Princeton the same year and achieved prominence as a lawyer in Princeton. Frederick R. Christie attended the common and high schools of Princeton, graduated from the Princeton Academy in 1902, and on leaving school entered the service of Castner, Curram & Bullit, coal shippers. He was a clerk in their office two years at Vivian. Since then his home has been at Bluefield, where for ten years he was assistant car distributor on the Pocahontas Division of the Norfolk & Western Railway. Mr. Christie in 1914 joined the Virginia Realty Loan Company, Inc. as secretary and director and now is vice president of that prosperous business. his institution has contributed largely toward the building of the city of Bluefield, having built more homes than any other organization in the city. he is also vice president and a director in the Bluefield Trust Company, a new financial institution recently organized with a capital and surplus of $220,000. Mr. Christie married at Bluefield, August 14, 1907, Miss Willie Gay Barrow, daughter of Capt., and Mrs. William H. Barrow, of Dublin, Pulaski County, Virginia. Captain Barrow was a gallant soldier of the Southern Confederacy and died a number of years later from a wound he received during the war. The following children were born to Frederick R. and Willie Gay (Barrow) Christie: Frederick R. Jr., fourteen years old, Sarah Elizabeth, ten, and Margaret Gay, five years old. Mr. Christie is a Master Mason, Royal Arch Mason, Knight Templar Mason and Shriner, active in the Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Bluefield Country Club, and his favorite recreation is hunting and fishing. He is a member of the First Baptist Church, on its Board of Deacons, assistant superintendent of the Sunday School and a zealous worker in all its endeavors. Mrs. Christie and children are also members of the First Baptist Church. Mr. Christie volunteered for Y.M.C.A. work (being to old for Army service) with the American Army in France, but was not called into service on account of the sudden ending of the World War. He is Treasurer of Bluefield College, a member of the Board of Trustees, also a member of the Building Committee and was instrumental in founding and locating the college in Bluefield. He traces his ancestry through the following genealogy: The Christie family: James Christie, the original settler, was born in England and came from London to America with John and Charles Wesley and Theodore Whitfield, going first to Georgia and later crossed the Allegheny Mountains in the early days of the colonies and settled where Union, Monroe County, West Virginia is now located. He became a member of the "Holly Cross" and the motto of this order was "I swear to cross the mountains". He was a Methodist preacher and firm supporter of the Wesleyan Reformation. He held a position under the King of England as cup bearer in the King's Court. He resigned the position, however, as a protest against a religious tax imposed upon him by the church of England. In the year 1785 he built the first church on the western slopes of the Allegheny Mountains, and it is now know as Old Rehobeth. At the age of 110 years he could mount his horse without assistance, and he rode about the county-side marrying people as long as he was able to sit upon his horse. James Christie, the settler had two sons, James and Robert. The enlisted in the war of 1812 but were not called into service. Robert married Margaret Crosier and several children were born to them, as follows; James M., who married Cynthia Peters Clark in the year 1839; Thomas M., who married Catharine Boggess; Catharine, who married James Carpenter. To James M., who married Cynthia Peters Clark, were born the following children: Damaris Catharine Married William S. Hobbs, who was an officer of McComas Battery and distinguished himself as a gallant soldier of the Civil War; Margaret E. remained single in life; Newton J., who was a gunner in Chapman's Battery, was a gallant soldier, was taken prisoner at Camp Lookout and died there; John Wesley and Caroline died at the ages of eleven and two years, respectively; Harvey R., who remained single, distinguished himself as a musician and writer of many beautiful hymns and composed several of the leading hymn books of this counter, was a graduate of the University of Tennessee; Thomas H.R., who married a Miss Hunt, was also a very distinguished musician, possessing an unexcelled tenor voice and wonderful skill in instrumental music; Lewis F., who married Linnie A. Lemon. is a cattle grazer and owns about 1,000 acres of Blue Grass land in Monroe County; Samuel M. who married Emma C. Burdett, is also a very prosperous farmer and grazer of Greenbrier County; Milton W., who married Ozella Ruth McKinzie, served as deputy circuit and criminal clerk of Mercer County, also as deputy sheriff for a great number of years. Richard C., who married Elizabeth Pearis White, is a lawyer by profession, having graduated at the University of Kentucky in the class of '76, was elected to the Circuit and Criminal clerkship of Mercer County three successive terms, and received the nomination of the Democratic party for the fourth term, but was defeated in the Republican landslide of 1896. To Richard C. and Elizabeth Pearis Christie the following children were born: Henry E. (Hal), Frederick R. , Paul O., and James B. Henry E. married Miss Rose Pike, of Kentucky, and to them was born , Anna Elizabeth. They live in Winchester, Kentucky, and he is a traveling salesman, as is also his brother James B. Paul C. is a veteran of the World War, was in the great drive of the American Army from Calais. engaged in the great battles of Somme River, St. Mihiel , second battle of Verdun and Argonne Forrest, went over the top three times in this series of battles and was wounded and gassed in the battle of Agronne Forrest. Submitted by John "Bill" Wheeler **************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages 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. Files may be printed or copied for personal use only. ****************************************************************