Page 81 - History of UB Church by A. Funkhouser Ver 1
P. 81
ordained 1889. He preached at Keedysville and Frederick before going to Africa as a missionary,
where he spent over six years. After his return he was presiding elder of Maryland Conference.
BURTNER: Otto W. Burtner was born at Mount Clinton, Virginia, in 1873. He was licensed in
1893, and during the next six years served five charges, receiving 157 members into the church.
BYRD: Rudolph Byrd was born near Ottobine, Rockingham county, in 1859, and was licensed in
1884. During the next 16 years he was on the Front Royal, Dayton, Edinburg, Toms Brook,
Berkeley Springs, Myersville, and Hagerstown charges. In this time he built one church and one
parsonage, and received 375 into the church.
CHILDRESS: W. Lomax Childress, born in Roanoke county, Virginia, in 1867, was converted
while studying law in the city of Roanoke. He first joined the Methodist Protestant Church and
served three charges therein, besides being conference evangelist. In 1894 he joined the Virginia
Conference, and served Dayton circuit, Lacey Spring, Berkeley Springs, and Rohrersville. In 1895
he was married to a daughter of William Burtner and has several children. Mr. Childress has a
poetic gift and is the author of several volumes of verse.
CLARY: William H. Clary was born in Frederick county, Maryland, July 22, 1834, and died at
Deer Park, in the same state, October 29, 1913. He was converted in 1865, and was licensed by
the Virginia Conference in 1870. After serving in a local capacity he was sent to the Deer Park
charge in 1879. His subsequent circuits were Westernport, Jones Springs, Toms Brook, and Elk
Garden. Despite limited educational advantages, Mr. Clary was a good preacher and very successful
evangelist. He always saw the bright side of life, had an active mind, and possessed a determined
will to succeed. His was the happy faculty of adapting himself to circumstances and making friends
wherever he went. He was married in 1863 to Eliza M. Wheat of Morgan county, West Virginia, and
had ten children. In 15 years he built two churches and received 620 members.
CLIFFORD: Theodore K. Clifford was a free-born negro who ran away from home at the age of
fifteen, and soon afterward enlisted in the regular army of the United States. After the close of the
war between North and South, he returned to Hardy county, West Virginia, and preached eleven
years in the Methodist Episcopal Church. But having lived among United Brethren people, and,
realizing the pressing claims of the United Brethren Church upon his race, he joined the Virginia
Conference in 1887, and served its freedmen's mission until the day of his death. He was a man
above the average of his race, and so deported himself as to win the respect and esteem of the
best people of both colors. His upright life was never questioned, and he manifested his
appreciation of genuine kindness in every proper way. He was a good preacher and singer. He
always attended the sessions of the conference, but never took part in its discussions unless called
upon. His people were poor and backward, and his work required long drives to sparsely settled
localities. Mr. Clifford died in Harrisonburg, March 16, 1908, at the age of sixty-three, having been
pastor of the mission twenty-five years. He had eight children and one of his sons took up his work.
COLLIS: Joseph Romain Collis, son of John M. and Lucy M. Collis, was born in Berkeley county,
W. Va., August 1, 1887. He was educated at the Shenandoah Collegiate Institute, converted in
1903, and licensed in 1912. He has preached six years at Reliance and Singer's Glen.
COURSEY: William R. Coursey was born in Rockingham county and joined the Virginia
Conference in 1833. He preached in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Illinois. He died in
Maryland while revisiting the East, July 2, 1881. As circuit preacher and presiding elder he wrought
great good in the bounds of this conference. In 1841 and again in 1849 he was a member of the
General Conference. As a preacher, Mr. Coursey was eminently clear, logical, and convincing, kind,
gentle, and enticing. His musical voice, and his countenance, such as one loved to look upon, gave
a charm to his pulpit ministrations.
CRABILL: Samuel A. Crabill, a son of Samuel and Mary Crabill, was born in Rockingham county,
in 1862, and was licensed in 1888. His early pastorates were Pendleton, Toms Brook, and Inwood.
CROWELL: Charles Henry Crowell, son of John and Hester J. Crowell, was born in Clearfield
county, Pa., May 14, 1850. He was educated in an academy at Churchville, Va., was converted in
1868, licensed in 1874, and ordained in 1882. He has been an itinerant 46 years, serving
Rockbridge, Page Valley, Augusta, Myersville, Boonsboro, Edinburg, Frederick, Harrisonburg and
Dayton, Roanoke, Berkeley Springs, Lacey Springs, and Great Cacapon. Mr. Crowell was four years
Presiding Elder of Winchester District.
Chapter XX 81 Biographical Sketches of
MInisters
where he spent over six years. After his return he was presiding elder of Maryland Conference.
BURTNER: Otto W. Burtner was born at Mount Clinton, Virginia, in 1873. He was licensed in
1893, and during the next six years served five charges, receiving 157 members into the church.
BYRD: Rudolph Byrd was born near Ottobine, Rockingham county, in 1859, and was licensed in
1884. During the next 16 years he was on the Front Royal, Dayton, Edinburg, Toms Brook,
Berkeley Springs, Myersville, and Hagerstown charges. In this time he built one church and one
parsonage, and received 375 into the church.
CHILDRESS: W. Lomax Childress, born in Roanoke county, Virginia, in 1867, was converted
while studying law in the city of Roanoke. He first joined the Methodist Protestant Church and
served three charges therein, besides being conference evangelist. In 1894 he joined the Virginia
Conference, and served Dayton circuit, Lacey Spring, Berkeley Springs, and Rohrersville. In 1895
he was married to a daughter of William Burtner and has several children. Mr. Childress has a
poetic gift and is the author of several volumes of verse.
CLARY: William H. Clary was born in Frederick county, Maryland, July 22, 1834, and died at
Deer Park, in the same state, October 29, 1913. He was converted in 1865, and was licensed by
the Virginia Conference in 1870. After serving in a local capacity he was sent to the Deer Park
charge in 1879. His subsequent circuits were Westernport, Jones Springs, Toms Brook, and Elk
Garden. Despite limited educational advantages, Mr. Clary was a good preacher and very successful
evangelist. He always saw the bright side of life, had an active mind, and possessed a determined
will to succeed. His was the happy faculty of adapting himself to circumstances and making friends
wherever he went. He was married in 1863 to Eliza M. Wheat of Morgan county, West Virginia, and
had ten children. In 15 years he built two churches and received 620 members.
CLIFFORD: Theodore K. Clifford was a free-born negro who ran away from home at the age of
fifteen, and soon afterward enlisted in the regular army of the United States. After the close of the
war between North and South, he returned to Hardy county, West Virginia, and preached eleven
years in the Methodist Episcopal Church. But having lived among United Brethren people, and,
realizing the pressing claims of the United Brethren Church upon his race, he joined the Virginia
Conference in 1887, and served its freedmen's mission until the day of his death. He was a man
above the average of his race, and so deported himself as to win the respect and esteem of the
best people of both colors. His upright life was never questioned, and he manifested his
appreciation of genuine kindness in every proper way. He was a good preacher and singer. He
always attended the sessions of the conference, but never took part in its discussions unless called
upon. His people were poor and backward, and his work required long drives to sparsely settled
localities. Mr. Clifford died in Harrisonburg, March 16, 1908, at the age of sixty-three, having been
pastor of the mission twenty-five years. He had eight children and one of his sons took up his work.
COLLIS: Joseph Romain Collis, son of John M. and Lucy M. Collis, was born in Berkeley county,
W. Va., August 1, 1887. He was educated at the Shenandoah Collegiate Institute, converted in
1903, and licensed in 1912. He has preached six years at Reliance and Singer's Glen.
COURSEY: William R. Coursey was born in Rockingham county and joined the Virginia
Conference in 1833. He preached in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Illinois. He died in
Maryland while revisiting the East, July 2, 1881. As circuit preacher and presiding elder he wrought
great good in the bounds of this conference. In 1841 and again in 1849 he was a member of the
General Conference. As a preacher, Mr. Coursey was eminently clear, logical, and convincing, kind,
gentle, and enticing. His musical voice, and his countenance, such as one loved to look upon, gave
a charm to his pulpit ministrations.
CRABILL: Samuel A. Crabill, a son of Samuel and Mary Crabill, was born in Rockingham county,
in 1862, and was licensed in 1888. His early pastorates were Pendleton, Toms Brook, and Inwood.
CROWELL: Charles Henry Crowell, son of John and Hester J. Crowell, was born in Clearfield
county, Pa., May 14, 1850. He was educated in an academy at Churchville, Va., was converted in
1868, licensed in 1874, and ordained in 1882. He has been an itinerant 46 years, serving
Rockbridge, Page Valley, Augusta, Myersville, Boonsboro, Edinburg, Frederick, Harrisonburg and
Dayton, Roanoke, Berkeley Springs, Lacey Springs, and Great Cacapon. Mr. Crowell was four years
Presiding Elder of Winchester District.
Chapter XX 81 Biographical Sketches of
MInisters
