Preston County, West Virginia Biography of Gay E. WILSON This file was submitted by Elizabeth Burns, 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, pg. 220 Gay E. Wilson is active head of the Kingwood Hardware Company. He has been a merchant in Preston County for a number of years and is a member of one of the old and prominent families of that section of the state. His father was Nathan A. Wilson and a more extended record of the family is published on other pages. Gay Elbert Wilson was born in the Whetsell settlement of Preston County, five miles east of Kingwood, April 22, 1883. The common schools gave him his early advantages. At the age of eighteen he left home and went west to Springfield Illinois where he was employed as a merchant's clerk. For five years he remained in the city which is the shrine of Abraham Lincoln and interested himself in a better knowledge of the modest president, sitting in the old chair of the great lawyer and familiarizing himself with many local incidents of Lincoln's career. >From Springfield Mr. Wilson returned to Preston County and established a general store at the lumber camp at Caddell. He was in business there eight years, until the camp was "cut out," when he closed his store and since then has been identified with the commercial life of Kingwood. Here he became successor to the hardware firm of Martin and Company, the business being known as the Kingwood Hardware Company in which his brother, Lawrence S. Wilson is his only partner. This is the sole hardware concern in Kingwood and has an extensive retail business over the county. Mr. Wilson comes of a democratic family and has been similarly aligned in his political action. He is secretary of the Business Men's Association of Kingwood and at all times is ready to work for the welfare and progress of the community. In the way of permanent improvements nothing makes a stronger appeal to him than good highways. Practically all the permanent roads out of Kingwood have been built since he moved to the town and he has done his part in furthering that commendable work. During the World war he invested his funds liberally in Government securities, helped in the sale of Liberty Loans among the laboring classes and was an active member of the Red Cross. Mr. Wilson is a trustee of the Kingwood Presbyterian Church, for three years was superintendent of the Sunday school and is secretary of the Monroe Bible Class. He has been affiliated with the Masonic Order at Kingwood since 1911, being a member of Preston Lodge, No. 90, A.F. and A.M., which he served as master in 1916 and is also a member of Royal Arch Chapter, No. 33 at Terra Alta West Virginia Consistory No. 1 of the Scottish Rite at Wheeling and is a member of the Scottish Rite Guard of Perfection at Morgantown. He belongs to the Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias Lodges at Kingwood. In Preston County February 20, 1908 Mr. Wilson married Miss Rheua Copeman of Bruceton Mills. She was born in the northern part of Preston County. Her father, Fred Copeman was a native of Germany, came to the United States in 1871 to escape enforced military duty and has devoted his active life to farming. His first wife was a Miss Cale, who was the mother of Mrs. Wilson, born January 8, 1884; Isa, wife of Ross Spiker of Preston County; and Henry a farmer near Brandonville. Fred Copeman married for his second wife another Miss Cale and she was the mother of a daughter Matha, now Mrs. Harry Orcutt of Akron Ohio. The Third wife of Fred Copeman was Jennie Wolfe and they have a son, Paul. Mrs. Wilson grew up on a farm near Bruceton and was educated in the schools or that locality. She and Mr. Wilson were married by Rev. Mr. Ramsey at Kingwood. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson had an infant daughter Willard, who died before she was two years of age. ==== WV-FOOTSTEPS Mailing List ==== ********************************************************************** WV-FOOTSTEPS/USGENWEB NOTICE: These messages 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. **********************************************************************