Biography of Harry P. Hartley HARRY P. HARTLEY. Straightforwardness of purpose and forcefulness in action combine for decisive results in the life of any individual. It is not always to the great that the most praise for correct living should be given. The men who discharge capably and cheerfully the responsibilities laid upon their shoulders and do their full duty in what- ever walk of life destiny places them are entitled to as much credit as those whose names are household words. It is not always difficult to rise to a big occasion; the real courage and ability is found in everyday life, in the per- formance of the tasks relating to ordinary undertakings. Judged by these standards a career that has been exemplary is that of Harry P. Hartley, president of the Board of Education of Slab Pork School District, and one of the well-known and popular educators of Wyoming County. Mr. Hartley was born at Lysander, Athens County, Ohio, March 31, 1882, and is a son of Samuel and Phoebe (Sprague) Hartley. Samuel Hartley was a life-long farmer in Ohio, where he applied himself industriously to the tilling of the soil, and where his death occurred June 30, 1918, when he was sixty-four years of age. He was greatly at- tached to his home and family, and never sought public honors or political preference, and much of his time was spent with his books, so that he became a very well-read man. He voted the republican ticket, and was a member of Graham Chapel of the Christian Church, as was his faithful and estimable wife, who died, greatly mourned, August 31, 1913, when fifty-five years of age. They were the parents of five sons and five daughters. Harry P. Hartley attended the country schools in the neighborhood of his father's Ohio farm, and then pursued a course at Judson (Ohio) High School, where he took all the subjects of the curriculum. Following this he had the advantages of a business course at the Ohio University of Athens, and then returned to the home farm, where he remained until twenty-four years of age, in the meantime teaching school for four terms. After his commercial course Mr. Hartley was employed by the Raleigh Lumber Company of Raleigh, West Virginia, in the capacity of stenographer. This company in 1906 was absorbed by the Bitter Lumber Company, with which Mr. Hartley remained at Raleigh until 1908, when he went to Beckley with the same company as secretary to Harvey Derne, division superintendent. He remained at Beckley for five years, three years as secretary to Mr. Derne and the remainder of the time as secretary to William Pryor, and in August, 1913, came to Maben in the same capacity but with greater responsibilities, as the great plant at Maben is under his supervision a great deal of the time, he now being chief clerk and assistant to the division superintendent During all this time Mr. Hartley has maintained his in- terest in the cause of education, always a paramount interest with him. He taught his first school when only eighteen years of age, was appointed a member of the board in 1919 and elected in 1920, and since the inauguration of the Slab Fork School District has acted as its president. During his administration of the affairs of this position there have been built the high school at Mullens, a modern, well-equipped structure, a six-room school building at Ifman, a five-room school building at Milam and schools for colored children at Mullens and Ifman. He has been untiring and unselfish in his labors in behalf of the children of his locality in an educational way, and his interest has made him popular with teachers, parents and pupils alike. On November 29, 1906, Mr. Hartley was united in mar- riage with Miss Rose K. Warrener, of Federal, Athens County, Ohio, daughter of Rev. William J. Warrener, a minister of the Christian faith at Federal. To this union there have been born four children: Clifford, Catherine, Mabel and Harry F., Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Hartley are active members of the Christian Church at Beckley, of which Mr. Hartley was an elder while residing at Beckley. They were the leading movers in the building of the Union Church for the people at Maben, and Mr. Hartley has served as Sunday school teacher or superintendent at various places for sixteen years. He is a Master Mason, having been initiated at Mullens. Source: The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III pg. 141 Submitted by Valerie F. Crook **************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages 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. Files may be printed or copied for personal use only. ****************************************************************