WV-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest Volume 00 : Issue 114 Today's Topics: #1 BIO: IRA B. WESTFALL, Upshur Count [Valerie & Tommy Crook To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.20000414055924.008d59b0@trellis.net> Subject: BIO: IRA B. WESTFALL, Upshur County WV Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 412 IRA B. WESTFALL for a quarter of a century has car- ried on a prosperous business as a building contractor over Upshur and surrounding counties, but his home is on a farm a mile east of Buckhannon, and with the aid of his children he cultivates the land and takes an active part in this agricultural community. His birthplace was not far from the home where he lives today. He was born August 17, 1872, son of Granville D. and Martha E. (Day) Westfall. Few families ante-date the arrival of the Westfall family in what is now West Virginia. In 1772, three years before the beginning of the Revolutionary war, his ancestor James Westfall came to Randolph County and settled on the present site of Beverly. The line of descent from James Westfall to Ira B. West- fall leads through his son Zachariah, George Westfall who married Ruhama Cutright, Watson Westfall, who married Rachel Tinney, and Granville D. Westfall, who was born in Upshur County March 4, 1848. He grew up on his farm, made good use of his educational advantages and for several years was a teacher. After his marriage he settled on Sand Run, then moved to Buckhannon, and finally to a farm nearby, where he died March 8, 1908. He was one of the leaders of the United Brethren Church of his community and was a democrat. Of his six chil- dren the following are living: Ira B.; Lenora, wife of T. W. Hinkle, of Buekhannon; Iva F., wife of A. M. Hughes, of Akron, Ohio; and W. E. Westfall, a carpenter and builder of Buckhannon. Ira B. Westfall lived on the home farm until he was twenty-one, acquired a common school education and learned the trade of carpenter. He worked as a journey- man carpenter for several years, but for the past quarter of a century has done a business as a general contractor and has had a share of the contracts in the general up- building of this section of the state. He owns a business house and dwelling in Clarksburg, and also has seventy- six acres of farm land, his home farm comprising forty- two acres. Mr. Westfall married Ida C. Lowe, daughter of William R. and Mary E. (Mowery) Lowe, natives of Virginia. Mrs. Westfall was reared on a farm and had a common school education. To their marriage were born twelve children, all but one still living: Lottie M., born Septem- ber 29, 1897, wife of Henry Ours; Veta F., born July 12, 1899; William D., born September 5, 1901, now serving in the United States Navy; Burton J., born July 3, 1903; Winnie W., born February 9, 1906; Ida V., born August 4, 1908; Solomon D., born December 29, 1909; Virgil D., born November 20, 1911; Kelso L., born January 4, 1914; Mary E., born December 8, 1915; Henry F., born in Septem- ber, 1917, and died January 1, 1918; and Robert M., born April 19, 1919. The family are members of the United Brethren Church, of which Mr. Westfall is a trustee. He is a democrat and served as president of his local Board of Education two years.