Tucker County, West Virginia          Biography of CLARENCE B. PIFER 

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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. 534
Tucker

CLARENCE B. PIFER is mayor of Parsons and one of the
most active of the business men and citizens of that River
City. He is a man of good education, was a teacher until
he entered merchandising, and possesses the qualifications
that give the individual an opportunity for influence and
service in a community.

He was born in Clover District of Tucker County, Octo-
ber 12, 1879. His grandfather, Andrew Pifer, was a farmer
in the same district, and owned a large body of land there.
His interests were rather closely confined to his farm and
his immediate community. He was a republican and a
Methodist. By his first marriage his children were: Frank;
D. S.; Caroline, who married Thomas Miller; Nettie, who
married James Bolyard; and Mrs. John Carrico. His sec-
ond wife was Elizabeth James and she was the mother of
Lewis King Pifer; John Wesley Pifer; Keturah, who died
at Parsons, the wife of Robert Murphy; and Spencer.

Lewis King Pifer, father of the Parsons mayor, was
born in Tucker County, and devoted his active lifetime
to the farm. He had a country school education, and he
voted as a republican and was a member of the Methodist
Episcopal Church. He died in May, 1895, when about
fifty years of age. He married in Preston County Miss
Belle Bishop, who lives at Parsons and is now Mrs. Belle
McCoy. She was a daughter of Mack Bishop, a merchant
of Fellowsville, Preston County, and member of a well
known family in that section. Lewis K. Pifer and wife
reared only two children: Clarence Bishop and Pearl, the
latter of whom died as the wife of Porter Bennett at Tan-
ner, West Virginia.

Clarence B. Pifer received a common schools education
in Barbour County. At the age of seventeen he taught his
first term of school, and he was active in the profession
for a period of ten years, his last work being done as
principal of the Parsons school at the age of twenty-seven.
While teaching he carried on the highest studies of the
West Virginia University at Morgantown for two years.
After resigning as principal of the schools he engaged in
the clothing business at Parsons, and conducts one of the
leading stores in the county seat.

He has always been a republican in politics. He was
elected mayor in April, 1920, and re-elected in April, 1922.
He entered the office as successor to M. B. West. During
his administration he cleared up the indebtedness left by
the former administration, and his service has been one of
general satisfaction to all good citizens. During the World
war period he was a Four Minute Speaker in behalf of
the Liberty Bond and Stamp sales and other auxiliary work.
Mr. Pifer is president of the Business Men's Club of
Parsons, known as the River City Club.  He has twice
served as chancellor of the Parsons Lodge of Knights of
Pythias and has sat in the Grand Lodge.

At Basic City, Virginia, September 10, 1914, Mr. Pifer
married Miss Mildred Weaver, who was born at Madison
Court House, Virginia, in 1891, daughter of E. D. and
Bessie (Jones) Weaver.  She finished her education in
Powhatan College at Charles Town, and was a teacher in
the schools at Parsons when she met her husband. Mr.
and Mrs. Pifer have three children, Lewis Weaver, Melba
and Robert Theodore.