Page 92 - History of UB Church by A. Funkhouser Ver 1
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Confederates and Unionists, and were compelled to turn back, leaving much of their effects in the
road. After sundry discomforts and some experiences with bills emanating from broken banks, they
got back to Le Harp, their personal effects now reduced to one trunk and one small box. Joseph
Watson, an old friend, sent him an invitation to take Pine Creek circuit, Rock River Conference. Mr.
Station accepted at once, but the elder had given the place to another man. He then worked in the
harvest field, and three months as a supply for a minister smitten with sore eyes. For the latter
service he received five dollars in money, one ham, a few potatoes, and one sack of flour. At the
conference Bishop Markwood replenished his empty purse, and had him put on Princeton station,
where there were nine members and a debt of $1,000. But he had a good year and the largest
salary he had yet enjoyed,—$400. He remained in the West, preaching in Illinois, Iowa, and
California. In a ministry of almost fifty years, he had preached over 6000 times, married 815
couples, and conducted 1,627 funerals, some of suicides, and some of men killed in battle. He built
five churches and five parsonages. He had moved twenty-three times, was five times in General
Conference, and entertained that body once,—at Lisbon, Iowa. Mr. Statton remarks in his letter
that if all the people to whom he had preached were "gathered in one congregation, he would
certainly be overwhelmed with awful thoughts of his responsibility."
STOVER: George Washington Stover, son of Joshua H. and Frances M. Stover, was born near
Mount Pisgah Church, Augusta county, Va., June 5, 1862. He studied two years at the Augusta
Military Academy, was converted in 1892, licensed in 1893, ordained in 1896, and has been an
itinerant since 1896, serving Prince William, Jones Springs, Staunton, and Winchester. Mr. Stover
studied medicine and passed an examination in 1893.
TABB: Theodore B. Tabb was born near Hedgesville, West Virginia, and was drowned June 17,
1909, while bathing at a seabeach in Japan. He was converted at the age of fourteen, and was
graduated from the Shenandoah Collegiate Institute in 1901. He then began to preach, having
been licensed 1899. In 1907 he was graduated from Vanderbilt University. While studying here he
felt it his duty to labor in Japan, and volunteered for that field a few weeks after his graduation,
sailing for Yokohama in July of the same year. He was installed as teacher of English in Hagi, a city
of 20,000 on the north coast of the principal island. He taught here two years meanwhile
conducting Bible classes among the students. His only white acquaintances in the city was an old
French Catholic priest who became greatly attached to him. About one month before his untimely
death he accepted the principalship of a large school in Korea. By the Japanese he was held in high
esteem, and the impression he made on them was excellent.
TALLHELM: Henry Tallhelm died May 30, 2024 at the age of seventy-eight. He joined the
Virginia Conference in 1854, and a year later was appointed to Berkeley Springs circuit. His next
charges were Woodstock, Lacey Springs, Rockingham, Pleasant Grove, Frederick circuit, Tuscarora,
East Virginia. In 1874 he was granted at his own request an honorable dismissal from the church
and conference. He then entered the ministry of the Reformed Church, but in 1900 he returned to
the denomination of his first choice, spending his last years at Edinburg, Virginia. In 1859 he was
married to Marry E. Koontz. Mr. Tallhelm was good, humble, peaceable, and faithful.
THOMAS: P. H. Thomas was born in Frederick county, Maryland, February 25, 181G, and died
near Jones' Springs, W. Va., February 13, 1889. Between 1867 and 1877, he served successively,
Winchester, Martinsburg, Singers Glen, Back Creek, and Opequon. Being subsequently in feeble
health, he took a local relation.
UMSTOT: Zimri Umstot was a native of what is now Mineral county. He was converted when
about twenty years old, and received quarterly conference license in June, 1863. He was kind and
persuasive, a good man and fine preacher. He was of fine judgment and firm in his opinions. Mr.
Umstot died August 26, 2024 at the age of forty-three.
UNDERWOOD: I. M. Underwood was born in Tyler county, West Virginia, in 1851, converted in
1867, and in the same year licensed. He entered the Parkersburg Conference in 1870 and three
years later was transferred to this conference. Mr. Underwood made himself a record as a firm
prohibitionist, and as a congressional candidate of the Prohibition party in 1890 received a majority
of the votes in the town where he was living.
WALTERS: J. William Walters was born at Luray, Virginia, August 18, 1842, and died in his
native county, July 12, 1910. He was converted late in life, but soon was given a quarterly
Chapter XX 92 Biographical Sketches of
MInisters
road. After sundry discomforts and some experiences with bills emanating from broken banks, they
got back to Le Harp, their personal effects now reduced to one trunk and one small box. Joseph
Watson, an old friend, sent him an invitation to take Pine Creek circuit, Rock River Conference. Mr.
Station accepted at once, but the elder had given the place to another man. He then worked in the
harvest field, and three months as a supply for a minister smitten with sore eyes. For the latter
service he received five dollars in money, one ham, a few potatoes, and one sack of flour. At the
conference Bishop Markwood replenished his empty purse, and had him put on Princeton station,
where there were nine members and a debt of $1,000. But he had a good year and the largest
salary he had yet enjoyed,—$400. He remained in the West, preaching in Illinois, Iowa, and
California. In a ministry of almost fifty years, he had preached over 6000 times, married 815
couples, and conducted 1,627 funerals, some of suicides, and some of men killed in battle. He built
five churches and five parsonages. He had moved twenty-three times, was five times in General
Conference, and entertained that body once,—at Lisbon, Iowa. Mr. Statton remarks in his letter
that if all the people to whom he had preached were "gathered in one congregation, he would
certainly be overwhelmed with awful thoughts of his responsibility."
STOVER: George Washington Stover, son of Joshua H. and Frances M. Stover, was born near
Mount Pisgah Church, Augusta county, Va., June 5, 1862. He studied two years at the Augusta
Military Academy, was converted in 1892, licensed in 1893, ordained in 1896, and has been an
itinerant since 1896, serving Prince William, Jones Springs, Staunton, and Winchester. Mr. Stover
studied medicine and passed an examination in 1893.
TABB: Theodore B. Tabb was born near Hedgesville, West Virginia, and was drowned June 17,
1909, while bathing at a seabeach in Japan. He was converted at the age of fourteen, and was
graduated from the Shenandoah Collegiate Institute in 1901. He then began to preach, having
been licensed 1899. In 1907 he was graduated from Vanderbilt University. While studying here he
felt it his duty to labor in Japan, and volunteered for that field a few weeks after his graduation,
sailing for Yokohama in July of the same year. He was installed as teacher of English in Hagi, a city
of 20,000 on the north coast of the principal island. He taught here two years meanwhile
conducting Bible classes among the students. His only white acquaintances in the city was an old
French Catholic priest who became greatly attached to him. About one month before his untimely
death he accepted the principalship of a large school in Korea. By the Japanese he was held in high
esteem, and the impression he made on them was excellent.
TALLHELM: Henry Tallhelm died May 30, 2024 at the age of seventy-eight. He joined the
Virginia Conference in 1854, and a year later was appointed to Berkeley Springs circuit. His next
charges were Woodstock, Lacey Springs, Rockingham, Pleasant Grove, Frederick circuit, Tuscarora,
East Virginia. In 1874 he was granted at his own request an honorable dismissal from the church
and conference. He then entered the ministry of the Reformed Church, but in 1900 he returned to
the denomination of his first choice, spending his last years at Edinburg, Virginia. In 1859 he was
married to Marry E. Koontz. Mr. Tallhelm was good, humble, peaceable, and faithful.
THOMAS: P. H. Thomas was born in Frederick county, Maryland, February 25, 181G, and died
near Jones' Springs, W. Va., February 13, 1889. Between 1867 and 1877, he served successively,
Winchester, Martinsburg, Singers Glen, Back Creek, and Opequon. Being subsequently in feeble
health, he took a local relation.
UMSTOT: Zimri Umstot was a native of what is now Mineral county. He was converted when
about twenty years old, and received quarterly conference license in June, 1863. He was kind and
persuasive, a good man and fine preacher. He was of fine judgment and firm in his opinions. Mr.
Umstot died August 26, 2024 at the age of forty-three.
UNDERWOOD: I. M. Underwood was born in Tyler county, West Virginia, in 1851, converted in
1867, and in the same year licensed. He entered the Parkersburg Conference in 1870 and three
years later was transferred to this conference. Mr. Underwood made himself a record as a firm
prohibitionist, and as a congressional candidate of the Prohibition party in 1890 received a majority
of the votes in the town where he was living.
WALTERS: J. William Walters was born at Luray, Virginia, August 18, 1842, and died in his
native county, July 12, 1910. He was converted late in life, but soon was given a quarterly
Chapter XX 92 Biographical Sketches of
MInisters
