West Virginia Statewide Files WV-Footsteps Mailing List WV-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest Volume 99 : Issue 44 Today's Topics: #1 BIO: Hon. Walter Lewis ASHBY, Kana [SSpradling@aol.com] #2 BIO: Hon. Grant P. HALL, Kanawha C [SSpradling@aol.com] #3 BIO: Robert D. RAY, Kanawha County [SSpradling@aol.com] #4 BIO: R. T. LAYNE, Kanawha County [SSpradling@aol.com] #5 BIO: Hon. Louis E. McWHORTER, Kana [SSpradling@aol.com] #6 BIO: William B. DONNALLY, Kanawha [SSpradling@aol.com] #7 BIO: Noane SNYDER, Kanawha County [SSpradling@aol.com] Administrivia: To unsubscribe from WV-FOOTSTEPS-D, send a message to WV-FOOTSTEPS-D-request@rootsweb.com that contains in the body of the message the command unsubscribe and no other text. No subject line is necessary, but if your software requires one, just use unsubscribe in the subject, too. To contact the WV-FOOTSTEPS-D list administrator, send mail to WV-FOOTSTEPS-admin@rootsweb.com. ______________________________X-Message: #1 Date: Sat, 25 Sep 1999 09:57:48 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <65c93e30.251e2edc@aol.com> Subject: BIO: Hon. Walter Lewis ASHBY, Kanawha County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and Representative Citizens W.S. Laidley Richmond Arnold Publishing Co., Chicago, ILL. 1911 p. 385 HON. WALTER LEWIS ASHBY, a member of the Charleston bar, is senior of the well known law firm of Ashby & Woodroe, and is associated in business with E. T. Crawford, the firm name being Crawford & Ashby. He is prominent in politics, and in 1898 was elected a member of the state senate of West Virginia. He was born November 3, 1862, in Norborn County, Mo., and accompanied his parents to Boone County, W. Va., in 1865, and four years later to Kanawha County. Walter L. Ashby attended the public schools at Charleston and subsequently Rock Hill College, Maryland. After deciding upon the study of law, he entered the office of his half-brother, the late Senator John E. Kenna, and was admitted to the bar, January 30, 1885. A short time afterward Mr. Ashby entered into part-nership with Hon. C. C. Watts, who was later attorney-general of West Virginia, with whom he was associated until 1900. Since then Mr. Ashby has practiced alone and also with partners, his present firm having been established in 1905. Public matters have interested Mr. Ashby ever since he attained manhood, when he identified himself with the Democratic party, and through that medium has been tendered public positions. While serving as state senator he was a member of committees that had much to do with important legislation, and on account of his legal ability he was extremely valuable in that position. He is one of the representative citizen of Charleston, where he has invested in property and for the past twenty-five years has identified himself with the leading interests of the city. Sandy Spradling SSpradling@AOL.com State Contact for WV GenExchange http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm ______________________________X-Message: #2 Date: Sat, 25 Sep 1999 10:02:05 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <53908f13.251e2fdd@aol.com> Subject: BIO: Hon. Grant P. HALL, Kanawha County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and Representative Citizens W.S. Laidley Richmond Arnold Publishing Co., Chicago, ILL. 1911 p. 385 HON. GRANT P. HALL, a member of the Charleston bar, and a leading factor in Republican politics in Kanawha County, has served with honor and credit in a number of public positions He was born in Roane County, W. Va., December 21, 1865, a son of William and Isabel (Guinn) Hall. Grant P. Hall was afforded exceptional educational advantages. From the common schools of Kanawba County he entered the Ohio Wesleyan University, going from there to Marshall College, Huntington, W. Va. For some years prior to 1893 he was engaged in teaching school and in that year was elected superintendent of the schools of Kanawha County and served in that office for two years. In the meanwhile he prepared for the bar, to which he gained admission in i895, and he immediately began the practice of his profession. In 1896 he was elected clerk of the Circuit Court of Kanawha County, and served with credit and efficiency in that office for a term of Six years. He then went into the real estate business which he has since followed, not having resumed his profession. Although he is active and zealous in the support of his own political party, he is a man of character and his work is done openly and honorably. Mr. Hall was married in the fall of '895, to Miss Anna Steele, and they enjoy a beautiful home which is situated at South Side, a property which was formerly owned by J. W. Dawson. Mr. Hall maintains his offices in the Alderson-Stephenson building, Charleston. Sandy Spradling SSpradling@AOL.com State Contact for WV GenExchange http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm ______________________________X-Message: #3 Date: Sat, 25 Sep 1999 10:06:19 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <2f98ec63.251e30db@aol.com> Subject: BIO: Robert D. RAY, Kanawha County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and Representative Citizens W.S. Laidley Richmond Arnold Publishing Co., Chicago, ILL. 1911 p. 385-386 ROBERT D. RAY, manager of the Elk Shoe Company, at Charleston, W. Va., and a member of the city council, has been a representative business man in this section for a number of years, mainly identified during this time with merchandising. He was born May 31, 1866, at Buffalo, Putnam County, W. Va., and is a son of Arthur T. and Mary j. (Raines) Ray. Arthur T. Ray was born in what is now West Virginia and died in his sixty-ninth year, at Gallipolis, Ohio, in May, i89o, for some years previously having been an exhorter and preacher in the Methodist Episcopal church. During the Civil War he served three years as a member of Co. L, 7th W Va. Vol. Cav., and participated in many hard fought battles and won promotion, at the time of his honorable discharge being an orderly sergeant. He was seriously wounded on one occasion, receiving a fracture of his arm. His second marriage took place in Ohio County, W. Va., to Mrs. Mary J. Raines, who still survives, being now in her seventy-sixth year. She is a member of the Presbyterian church. Robert D. Ray obtained his education inthe free schools and entered into business at the age of twenty-two years and has always been a merchant since then. For seven years he was associated with C. Pickens, in the dry goods business and before that connection was with Albert J. Humphrey. The Elk Shoe Company was established at No. 320 Charleston Street, in April, 1910, and Mr. Ray has been interested in and manager of the same ever since. In politics he is a Democrat, and is now serving in his second term as a member of the council from the Second Ward, representing South Charleston, or Elk City, and to the advancement of this section he has been particularly devoted. Mr. Ray was married at Charleston, in 1891, to Miss Maud Harrold, who was born, reared and educated in Kanawha County. They have five children, namely: Ruby H., who was born August 19, 1893; Irene, who was born in 1896: Mary Helen, who was born in 1903; Robert D. Jr., who was born in 1906; and Jessie V., who was born in 1909. Mr. and Mrs. Ray are members of the Baptist church. Sandy Spradling SSpradling@AOL.com State Contact for WV GenExchange http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm ______________________________X-Message: #4 Date: Sat, 25 Sep 1999 10:11:43 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <5a47fb2c.251e321f@aol.com> Subject: BIO: R. T. LAYNE, Kanawha County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and Representative Citizens W.S. Laidley Richmond Arnold Publishing Co., Chicago, ILL. 1911 p. 386-387 R. T. LAYNE, one of the leading men of Union District, Kanawha County, W. Va., resides on his well cultivated farm of 110 acres which lies eleven miles north of Charleston. He was born on this farm, October 20, 1841, and is a son of Robert and Mary (Milam) Layne. Robert Layne was born in Botetourt County, Va., and was brought to Kanawha County by his parents when small and was early made fatherless by an accident. He remained on the home farm until he was twenty years of age and then settled on the farm which is owned by his son, R. T. Layne, and spent the remainder of his life here, dying at the age of eighty-two years. In politics he was a Democrat and for some years he served as school trustee in Union District. He married Mary Milam, of Bedford County, Va., who died at the age of eighty-three years. Both she and husband were buried on their own farm. They were consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church south. Eight children were born to them, namely: Christopher C., Franklin W., Benjamin W., Timothy S. and William F. Layne, all five being now deceased, the three survivors being Julia Ann, Robert T. and Mary Elizabeth Layne. Julia Ann and Mary Elizabeth became the wives respectively of James Thaxton and Martin Dooley. R. T. Layne obtained his education in the schools of Union District, which he attended with more or less regularity until he was twenty years of age. He then enlisted in the Union army, joining Co. A, 7th W. Va. Cav., which was organized at Charleston. He was with his regiment in all its marches and battles for three and one-half years, becoming cor-poral of his company. He was mustered out at Wheeling, having escaped all the dangers of war, and returned to the home farm until his marriage in 1867. He bought and operated the first circular sawmill on the waters of Tup-per's Creek, and also ran a grist and sawmill for a time in Jackson County. He then returned to the homestead and has remained here ever since. Mr. Layne is a Democrat and has frequently been elected to office by his party, having served two terms as justice of the peace in Union District, one term as constable, and one term as President of the Board of Education, and one term as a member of the County Board of Supervisors. He has also served several terms as district trustee. Mr. Layne was married October 22, 1867, to Miss Mary F. Carney, who was born in Jackson County, W. Va., May 15, 1845, and died January 29, 1911. She was a noble Christian woman, a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, south, and had a wide circle of attached friends. She was the beloved mother of the following children: Mahala Jane, who married B. F. Matthew, residing in Fayette County, they having six children-Minerva, Hazel, Pansy, Thomas, Roland and Mildred; J. E., who was born in Union District, married Me-lissa j. Mairs, and has had two children-Elsie, who is a bright school girl, and William, who died February 22, 1903, aged one year; Robert C., who lives in Poca District, married Elizabeth Derrick; John S., who married Gertrude Jenkins, and lives in Charleston District, they having five children-Cecil, Masil, Russia, Olive and Thomas; Julia, who is the wife of Enoch Shamblin, of Fayette County, and has five children-Rome, Mary F., Lizzie, May and Bessie; Rhoda, who married Rawley Joseph, lives in Putnam County, and has two children-Ida and Roger E.; 0. F., who mar-ried Cora Milam, lives at Charleston and has three children-Robert, Carl and Arvil; and E. F., who lives on the home farm and married Clara Milam. Mr. Layne is a member of Lodge No.147, Odd Fellows, at Sissonville. Sandy Spradling SSpradling@AOL.com State Contact for WV GenExchange http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm ______________________________X-Message: #5 Date: Sat, 25 Sep 1999 10:16:35 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: Subject: BIO: Hon. Louis E. McWHORTER, Kanawha County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and Representative Citizens W.S. Laidley Richmond Arnold Publishing Co., Chicago, ILL. 1911 p. 387 HON. LOUIS E. McWHORTER, junior member (of the well known law firm of H. C. & L. E. McWhorter, at Charleston, W. Va., is one of the representative mem-bers of the Kanawha County bar and a cit-izen of public worth. He was born November 30, 1856, at Spencer, Roane County, Va., and is a son of Hon. J. M. and Julia A. (Stalnaker) McWhorter. Judge J. M. McWhorter, father of Louis E., has long been identified with public life in this section, in 1863 representing Roane County in the state legislature, and serving as the first auditor of West Virginia, from 1865 until 1869. Later he removed to Greenbrier County, and in 1870 was appointed circuit judge of the Seventh Judicial Circuit; again, in 1896, he became circuit judge of the Tenth Judicial District. He was married first to Julia A. Stalnaker, who died in 1869, having been the mother of ten children. Judge McWhorter was married secondly in 1870, to Julia Kinsley. Louis E. McWhorter was educated first in the public schools of Greenbrier County and later at Lewisburg Academy. He then entered upon the study of the law, under the supervision of his father and also under that of Hon. H. C. McWhorter, afterward entering the law department of the University of Virginia, at Charlottesville. He was admitted to the bar in 1882 but did not enter actively into practice until four years later, when he formed a partnership with Judge H. C. McWhorter, which continued until 1897, when Judge McWhorter retired from practice in order to assume the duties of judge of the Supreme Court of Appeals. Shortly afterward, Louis E. McWhorter became associated in practice with Isaac Loewenstein, and this partnership lasted until May 31, 1909. In the meanwhile Judge McWhorter had retired from his high public office and on August 1, 1909, again resumed private practice in partnership with L. E. McWhorter, under the old firm name of H. C. & L. E. McWhorter, with offices in the Alderson-Stephenson Building. Mr. McWhorter was married June 27, 1883, to Miss Emma M. Champe, a daugh-ter of Sewall and Almeda Champe. Five children were born to them, four daughters and one son: Julia, Almeda, Lou Emma, Louis Edwin and Ruth Annette. Julia, the eldest, died April 17, 1904. They are mem-bers of the State Street Methodist Episcopal church. In politics Mr. McWhorter is a Republican, and he represented Kanawba County in the House of Delegates in 1905, and was city attorney for the city of Charleston, from April, 1905, to April, 1907. His residence is at No.110 Bradford Street, Charleston. Mr. McWhorter is a liberal and public spirited citizen. He lives up to the demands of the day and takes an earnest interest in the institutions and enterprises which promise to build up the prosperity of this section. Sandy Spradling SSpradling@AOL.com State Contact for WV GenExchange http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm ______________________________X-Message: #6 Date: Sat, 25 Sep 1999 10:28:18 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <7c750ea3.251e3602@aol.com> Subject: BIO: William B. DONNALLY, Kanawha County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and Representative Citizens W.S. Laidley Richmond Arnold Publishing Co., Chicago, ILL. 1911 p. 387-390 WILLIAM B. DONNALLY, a well known business man of Charleston, where he is engaged in the transfer and freighting business, and is also a dealer in grain and feed stuffs, was born in the Salines, on Kanawha river, this county, in 1851, a son of Van Bibber and Mary B. (Waggoner) Donnally. He is a great grands6n of Col. Andrew Donnally, born in the north of Ireland, who came to this country about the middle of the eighteenth century, at which time there was a large Scotch-Irish emigration to the Val-ley of Virginia. This early ancestor soon became a prominent man in his locality, serving as high sheriff and county lieutenant, or military commander of Botetourte County. This office of county lieutenant, or military commander, was a very important one at that day and was borrowed from the Mother Country, where it was usually held by a person of rank. It carried with it also the title of colonel. Col. Donnally may have been one of the officers of Bote-tourte County at its formation in 1770. The fort called Donnally's was built in 1771 in that county. The colonel or county lieutenant was the person to communicate with the governor and the secretary of the colony, commanded the militia and presided at the county courts. He was appointed by the governor with the advice of the council and was generally the most prominent citizen. The office was held during good be-havior. Ccl. Donnally was subsequently made county lieutenant of Greenbrier County and continued in that office under Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson, the two first governors of Virginia. There is a story current in the family that he was with Washington's army at Valley Forge during the severe winter of 1777-78 and par-ticipated in the awful suffering of that period, but, however this may be, there is no further evidence of his being again with the Continental army. About this time, however, he had his experience of Indian warfare. The murder of the famous Chief Cornstalk by the whites, or rather, by some white men, for it was an act denounced by the best men on the frontier, had greatly exasperated the Indians and they retaliated viciously on the unprotected settlers. In the spring of 1778 they attempted to surprise and capture Fort Randolph at Point Pleasant, but failing in that, they turned their attention to Fort Donnally. The occupants of the fort were apprised of their danger in time by two men from Fort Randolph, who succeeded in eluding the savages. Col. Donnally, who had been absent, returned to the fort at night just as the enemy were investing it, but succeeded in entering it without being noticed. The attack which followed was disastrous to the Indians, who' departed after suffering considerable loss. Four white men in all were killed, two while on their way to the fort. Among the defenders, Col. Donnally's daughter Catherine took a conspicuous part, though then but a young girl of twelve years. Another daughter, Katie, helped to mould the pewter plate and' spoons into bullets and poured hot water through the puncheons on the heads of the savages. With perhaps one exception, this was the last raid of the Indians to the Greenbrier. Says a writer in the West Virginia Historical Magazine (Quarterly) for July, 1901: "The responsibilities of Col. Donnally's position were very great and the work heavy. He felt personally accountable for the lives of the people in the wilds of the Greenbrier, Meadow Creek and Kanawha'rivers and their tributaries. The duties of his office called him constantly from home, but it seems that he was ever at hand when emergencies arose. That he was a man of great executive ability, history proves. Stories of his personal courage and great physical strength are too well known to admit of a doubt and his racy repartees became proverbial. . . . He had only 550 men in the militia at his disposal, for the defense of this western frontier. Governor Jefferson was now asking for some of these men to be sent to General George Rogers Clark to aid in his expedition against his Indians of the West. The Assembly also required of him more men for the Contin-ental army * * * The public credit was at so low an ebb that no one would advance money. Ammunition was scarce. The militia must depend upon the corn tax levied on the settlers. Yet these brave men struggled on and fought for their country." Cot. Donnally resigned his comnaission as military commander on September 19, 1781. It was not accepted evidently, as he writes officially to Gov. Patrick Henry in 1785. Cot. Donnalty was one of the trustees of Lewisburg at its establishment in 1782. He did not come to reside on the Kanawha until after the battle at Fort Donnally. He went directly to the mouth of the river and lived just above the present town of Point Pleasant for a year or more. He was one of those who denounced the murderers of Cornstalk, and on one occasion meeting with a man who boasted that he had fired the fatal shot that brought such desolation to the frontier settlements, he knocked him senseless with a stanchion, so that when he recovered he hastened away from the locality and was never more heard of. Colonel Donnally owned many negroes, one of whom, Dick Pointer, distinguished himself in the fight at Donnally's Fort in 1778. A son of the latter was taken prisoner by the Indians in 1790 and was made a chief by them. He subse-quently aided the Americans in the war of 1812. Cot. Donnally lived a short time at the mouth of the Elk after leaving Point Pleasant. Kanawha county was formed in 1789 and he was chosen the first representative. The population at this time however, was so sparse that but thirteen votes were cast, at-thought the polls were open for three days. He again served his county as representative in 1803. From the mouth of the Elk he moved to his permanent home, about five mites above Charleston, on the south side of the Kanawha, where he lived in comfort and prosperity for many years. He died about 1825. He had one brother, whose descendants reside in New Jersey and Ohio Of his own immediate family he had several daughters, who are represented by the Slaughters, Hendersons and Wilsons, now living here and elsewhere, and are prominently married and represented in the different professions and trades. There has scarcely been a period in the last century that this state, county or town was not represented by one of Cot. Donnally's descendants, either directly or indirectly through marriage. The renowned Daniel Boone was neighbor for years to Colonel Donnally, re-siding on his place up to the time that he left for Spanish Missouri in 1799. Daniel's son, Jesse Boone, who was Colonel Don-natty's brother-in-law, resided in his father's home until i8i6, when he also went West. Colonel Donnalty was one of the early salt manufacturers of the county, this industry being an important one at that time on the frontier, as salt, while one of the most necessary articles for the pioneer, was also one of the most difficult ones to obtain, except in the immediate vicinity of salt springs, where the salt was manufactured by the tedious process of boiling and evaporation. The Colonel and his wife were Presbyterians in religious faith. They died when between 60 and 70 years of age and were buried in what is now the old family plat, where many of their descendants have found a last resting-place. They had a family of four or five children. Andrew Donnally (2d), son of the fore-going and grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was born in Fort Donnally, ten miles west of Lewisburg and, like his father, in turn became a prominent man in his com-munity, owning about 100,000 acres of land together with 150 slaves. Together with a Mr. Ruffner, as the firm of Ruffner and Donnally, he owned and controlled the entire salt output of the county, this being the first commercial monopoly known in the his-tory of the tounty. At one time he lived in Charleston, where he owned valuable prop~ erty, though he and his wife resided for nearly half a century on the old homestead, which they improved and greatly enlarged in area. A Whig in politics, he was twice high sheriff, was clerk of the courts, and magistrate and a representative in the Virginia legislature. His death toQk place in 1849 when he was about 70 years of age. In 1802 he had married Marjory, daughter of Captain John Van Bibber, and they had six sons that arrived at maturity, besides two daughters. The sons married into prominent old families of the valley, and all were engaged conspicuously in business interests. The two daughters married respectively, Henry Fry, great grandson of Col. Joshua Fry, who commanded the Colonial army in 1754, and who had been prominent in Virginia history for thirty years or more, and Col. John Lewis, grandson of Gen. Andrew Lewis, the Indian fighter, and Colonial and also Revolutionary officer of renown. The members of this family, which numbered nine children in all, are all now deceased. Van Bibber Donnally, father of the subject of this sketch, was the eldest child of his parents. He was born in Charleston, W. Va., in 1809 and grew to manhood in Kanawha county. His literary education was obtained in a college at Athens, Ohio. Like his father, he engaged in the salt business and continued in it most of the time until the breaking out of the Civil War. He was an active member of the Democratic party and in religion a Presbytenan.' His death took place in Buffalo, W. Va., when he had attained the age of 72 years. He had married in Mason county, W. Va., Mary B. Wag-goner, a native of that county. She was born a little later than her husband and died later, at the age of 75 years. Like him she was a Presbyterian in religion. Their family num-bered ten children, of whom there are five still living, one daughter being a widow and two of the children being yet unmarried. William B. Donnally, the date and place of whose nativity has been already given, was educated in the public schools, but endowed with a good brain and an energetic nature he has since largely increased his mental equipment in the domain of practical knowledge. Coming to Charleston in 1885 he established here the freighting and transfer business, of which he is now the head, and which has since grown to large proportions, giving employment to 25 people. A Democratic in politics, he was nominated for the office of sheriff and twice for county clerk, but this being a strong Republican district, he was defeated. Mr. Donnally was married in this county to Sallie Ashton Cotton, who was born in Charleston in i858, daughter of Dr. John T. and Sarah (Fitzhugh) Cotton, one time resi-dents in Ohio, but who were for many years prominent in the business and social life of Charleston, Va. Of this union there have been ten children, of whom two died young. The living are as follows: Sarah is the wife of L. L. Sheets and has one son, Donnally. John C., who was educated at Phillips-Exeter Academy, graduating also from the law department of the University of Virginia in the class of 1903. Frank Woodman died at the age of 9 years. William B. Jr., who is a well educated young man, is associated with his father in business. The other children, Henry Fitzhugh, Van Bibber, Dorothy, Fitzhugh and Robert, are attending the high school. Mr. Donnally adheres to the religious faith of his ancestors, being a Presbyterian, while Mrs. Donnally is an Episcopalian. Sandy Spradling SSpradling@AOL.com State Contact for WV GenExchange http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm ______________________________X-Message: #7 Date: Sat, 25 Sep 1999 10:30:48 EDT From: SSpradling@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: Subject: BIO: Noane SNYDER, Kanawha County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and Representative Citizens W.S. Laidley Richmond Arnold Publishing Co., Chicago, ILL. 1911 p. 390 NOANE SNYDER, one of the younger business men of Berrien Creek, Kanawha County, W. Va., where he is engaged in the mercantile line and since 1907 has been assistant postmaster, was born at Queen Shoals, Big Sandy District, Kanawba County, July I, i886, and is a son of John F. and Nancy (Lynch) Snyder. The mother of Mr. Snyder died in 1891, leaving three children, Elmer, Noane and Bessie. After the death of his mother and his father's second marriage., Noane Snyder was reared in the home of his grandparents until he was twelve years old. He attended school and afterward spent two years as a coal miner and later worked with his father as a carpenter until 1905. He then came to Berrien Creek, where he embarked in the general mercantile business. Mr. Snyder is a Republican in his political sen-timents. He married Miss Ella Stump, who wasborn in Kanawha County and is a daugh-ter of George W. Stump, Esq., of Clendenin. Mr. and Mrs. Snyder have one son, Russell, who has reached the age of two years. They both belong to old families of this section and are prominent in the pleasant social life of Berrien Creek. Sandy Spradling SSpradling@AOL.com State Contact for WV GenExchange http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm