Ritchie County, West Virginia          Biography of Henry J. STRALEY

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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. 57

HENRY J. STRALEY, cashier of the Auburn Exchange Bank
in the village of Auburn, Ritchie County, was born in Lewis
County, this state, on the 19th of May, 1872, and is a son
of L. H. and Martha M. (Langford) Straley, both likewise
natives of that county, the father having been born at
Janelew, January 24, 1846, and the mother at Weston, the
county seat, February 28, 1853. The parents were reared
on farms in their native county, received the advantages of
the common schools, and their marriage was solemnized
January 1, 1871. Thereafter they resided on a farm on Free-
mans Creek, Lewis County, until 1890, when they sold the
farm and removed to a farm on Cove Creek, that county.
In 1911 they sold this place and removed to Harrison County,
Ohio, where the father passed the remainder of his life, his
death having occurred October 22, 1921, and where the
widowed mother still maintains her home. L. H. Straley
was a man of sterling character, achieved success in connec-
tion with farm industry, was a staunch-democrat and was
affiliated with the Masonic fraternity. His religious faith
was that of the Baptist church, of which his widow likewise
is an earnest member. They became the parents of nine
children, all of whom survive the honored father, and of the
number the subject of this sketch is the eldest. The second
son is F. Sylvester; Tilden L. resides at Adena, Ohio, and is
a carpenter by trade and vocation; James C.,  who is super-
intendent of the public schools of Madelia, Minnesota, is
a graduate of the University of Wisconsin and also of the
Kansas State Normal School at Emporia; Walter K. is in
the oil fields of California; John M., now a resident of Colum-
bus, Ohio, served as a second lieutenant in the United States
Army at the time of the World war; Jessie is the wife of Rev.
J. A. Young, pastor of the Baptist Church at St. Marys,
West Virginia; Guy, who graduated from the high school at
Scio, Ohio, is now a prosperous farmer; and Willa is the wife
of J. E. Eminger, of Clendenin, Kanawha County, West
Virginia.

Henry J. Straley was reared to the sturdy discipline of
the farm and remained at the parental home until he attained
to his legal majority. In the meanwhile he had profited
fully by the advantages of the public schools, and at intervals
he continued his effective service as a teacher for fourteen
years. In the meanwhile he was actively identified with
farm enterprise, to which he continued to give his attention
until April, 1918, when he assumed his present position,
that of cashier of the Auburn Exchange Bank, the other two
executive officers being J. T. Hall, president, and J. L.
Rymer, vice president. Besides these officers the directorate
of the bank includes also J. E. Legett, Chester Williams,
F. H. Gray, A. N. Watson, John R. Powell, James Reed,
M. S. Gaston. The capital stock of the institution is $25,000.

Mr. Straley gives his political allegiance to the democratic
party, he and his wife are members of the Baptist Church,
he is a past chancellor of Auburn Lodge No. 47, Knights
of Pythias, and is affiliated also with Harmony Lodge No.
59, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons.

September 29, 1897, recorded the marriage of Mr. Straley
and Miss Ida J. Goff, who was born in Ritchie County,
May 30, 1872. Mr. and Mrs. Straley have six children:
Vera, Velma, Willa, Hazel, Harry and Heber. The eldest
daughter is a graduate of the Mountain State Business College
in the City of Parkersburg.