Page 120 - United Brethren Preachers
P. 120
Volume 9 Preachers of U.B. and EUB Virginia Conferences December 26, 2024
1808. Newcomer preached at Niswander’s in June 1811, June 1814, and Sep. 1817. [Funkhouser 1921,
p. 142; see also pp. 46, 56, 124, 227] and [Glovier 1965, pp. 27, 87]
NISWANDER [NEISWANDER]: Isaac Niswander was a member of Conference in 1800; frequently
attended Annual Conferences through 1820; but died later in 1820 or 1821. Relation to Abraham Niswander
is unknown. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 142; see also pp. 124, 225, 227-233] and [Glovier 1965, pp. 19, 87]
NULL: Edgar D. Null was born at Parkersburg, W.Va., on Dec. 11, 1933, the son
of Clarence and Ella Archer Null. He was converted in 1946 in the 7th Street
Evangelical U.B. Church of Parkersburg. Mr. Null graduated from High School in
Parkersburg, attended Shenandoah College for two years (A.A. degree in 1960) and
graduated from Salem College in West Virginia with the B.A. degree. He also
completed all requirements for the Master of Education degree from Madison College
at Harrisonburg, Va. Mr. Null served the Franklin Charge in 1960 and has served
the Pendleton-Grant Charge, 1962-69. Part of this time he was a probationer from
West Virginia, but at the Annual Conference of 1964, Mr. Null transferred his membership to Va. Conf. He is
also pursuing the course of study looking toward ordination. On July 31, 2024 Edgar married Nancy C. Huber,
who also attended Shenandoah (A.A. in 1959), and at present [1965] she is serving as the conference
children’s director. They have a son, Eddie, Jr. [In 2002 Nancy was in Grant County Nursing Home in
Petersburg, W.Va., and Edgar was living in Franklin, W.Va., serving as pastor of Christ Central Community
Church in Upper Tract, W.Va. [Glovier 1965, p. 296, which provided the picture on the right; and 86, 259
(both as “Edward Null”)]
NUSZ: Gordon Nusz, a Ministerial Student, served as Student Intern for Harrisonburg Charge under Rev.
Robert L. Bridgers, 1968-69.
OBAUGH: William B. Obaugh was born Dec. 6, 1892, the son of S.
H. and Sarah Caroline Propse Obaugh. He was converted in 1908 at
the Churchville U.B. Church. He attended Shenandoah Collegiate
Institute and School of Music (Class of 1916). He joined Va. Conf. and
was licensed to preach in 1916, and he was ordained in 1922.
Following graduation from high school, he was voted Quarterly
Conference License to preach by the local Evangelical U.B.
Congregation at Roanoke, Va., in 1946. The conference year of 1946-1947 he served as supply pastor of the
Cedar Grove Church. In 1947 he was assigned to the pastorate of the Lacey Springs Charge, where he served
for 3 years. In 1948 the annual conference voted him the License of a Probationer. In the fall of 1920, he
entered United Seminary, Dayton, Ohio, and graduated in 1922. He served Fountain, 1916-17; Edinburg,
1917-19; Toms Brook, 1921-22; Reliance, 1922-26; West Rockingham, 1926-27; Mt. Clinton, 1927-31;
Inwood-Pikeside, 1931-35; Winchester, 1935-40; Roanoke Hott Memorial, 1940-46, Elkton, 1946-51, along
with Cedar Grove (1946-47) and Lacey Springs (1947-50); Petersburg, 1951-58; Toms brook, 1965-66, and
Winchester Circuit, 1968-69. A new church was built at Mt. Clinton, at a cost of $18,000 and dedicated
Aug. 14, 1927. An Educational Unit was built at Petersburg in 1958, which, with other improvements, cost
$70,000 and was dedicated by Bishop J. Gordon Howard on Aug. 24, 1958. Both of these enterprises were
completed and dedicated under the leadership and ministry of Rev. Obaugh. He is a graduate of Shenandoah
College and United Seminary, Dayton, Ohio. He was Statistical Secretary of the Conference from 1929 to
1947, and Conference Treasurer since 1947. He has served on other committees and boards of the
Conference. He was ordained by Bishop D. T. Gregory at the Annual Conference of 1953 at which time he
joined Va. Conf. as an itinerant elder. The Virginia Annual Conference of 1953 granted him a letter of transfer
to the Florida Conference, where he has served with distinction as pastor of the Lake Magdalene Church and
as secretary of the Florida Conference. He retired in 1959 to Winchester and died there July 23, 1978; buried
at Mt. Hebron Cemetery. Services were held at First UMC, Winchester, on July 26, 1978, with the Rev. Lee B.
Sheaffer, Winchester District Superintendent, presiding, assisted by Forrest S. Racy, James H. Boyce, Jr., and
J. Paul Gruver. His memoir is provided in Section II.A (below). [Funkhouser 1921, p. 177; see also pp. 129,
177, 307-309, 312]; [Glovier 1965, p. 261 (from which the center picture was taken), 279-280; see also pp.
3, 80, 86, 91, 127, 131, 167, 216, 257, 258, 317, 339]; and [Arrington 1970, p. 69, from which the Aug.
1948 picture on the left was taken]
OBAUGH: William R. Obaugh, son of William B. and Lillian Rogers Obaugh (see above) was
born Dec. 13, 1920 in Dayton, Ohio. Bill served in the U.S. Army during the Second World War.
He was a degree recipient from Shenandoah Conservatory of Music in 1948 and Bonebrake
Theological Seminary. Admitted on Trial into Va. Conf. of the U.B. Church in 1946, Bill was
granted full connection and ordained an Elder in 1953. He transferred to the Florida Conference
of the EUB Church in 1954 and retired from its successor Florida UMC Conference in 1972. He
transferred to the Rocky Mountain UMC Conference in 1973 and was restored to active service in
1974, serving the local churches of Vineland UMC, 1972-1975; First UMC, Salt Lake City, 1975-
Biographical Sketches 108
1808. Newcomer preached at Niswander’s in June 1811, June 1814, and Sep. 1817. [Funkhouser 1921,
p. 142; see also pp. 46, 56, 124, 227] and [Glovier 1965, pp. 27, 87]
NISWANDER [NEISWANDER]: Isaac Niswander was a member of Conference in 1800; frequently
attended Annual Conferences through 1820; but died later in 1820 or 1821. Relation to Abraham Niswander
is unknown. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 142; see also pp. 124, 225, 227-233] and [Glovier 1965, pp. 19, 87]
NULL: Edgar D. Null was born at Parkersburg, W.Va., on Dec. 11, 1933, the son
of Clarence and Ella Archer Null. He was converted in 1946 in the 7th Street
Evangelical U.B. Church of Parkersburg. Mr. Null graduated from High School in
Parkersburg, attended Shenandoah College for two years (A.A. degree in 1960) and
graduated from Salem College in West Virginia with the B.A. degree. He also
completed all requirements for the Master of Education degree from Madison College
at Harrisonburg, Va. Mr. Null served the Franklin Charge in 1960 and has served
the Pendleton-Grant Charge, 1962-69. Part of this time he was a probationer from
West Virginia, but at the Annual Conference of 1964, Mr. Null transferred his membership to Va. Conf. He is
also pursuing the course of study looking toward ordination. On July 31, 2024 Edgar married Nancy C. Huber,
who also attended Shenandoah (A.A. in 1959), and at present [1965] she is serving as the conference
children’s director. They have a son, Eddie, Jr. [In 2002 Nancy was in Grant County Nursing Home in
Petersburg, W.Va., and Edgar was living in Franklin, W.Va., serving as pastor of Christ Central Community
Church in Upper Tract, W.Va. [Glovier 1965, p. 296, which provided the picture on the right; and 86, 259
(both as “Edward Null”)]
NUSZ: Gordon Nusz, a Ministerial Student, served as Student Intern for Harrisonburg Charge under Rev.
Robert L. Bridgers, 1968-69.
OBAUGH: William B. Obaugh was born Dec. 6, 1892, the son of S.
H. and Sarah Caroline Propse Obaugh. He was converted in 1908 at
the Churchville U.B. Church. He attended Shenandoah Collegiate
Institute and School of Music (Class of 1916). He joined Va. Conf. and
was licensed to preach in 1916, and he was ordained in 1922.
Following graduation from high school, he was voted Quarterly
Conference License to preach by the local Evangelical U.B.
Congregation at Roanoke, Va., in 1946. The conference year of 1946-1947 he served as supply pastor of the
Cedar Grove Church. In 1947 he was assigned to the pastorate of the Lacey Springs Charge, where he served
for 3 years. In 1948 the annual conference voted him the License of a Probationer. In the fall of 1920, he
entered United Seminary, Dayton, Ohio, and graduated in 1922. He served Fountain, 1916-17; Edinburg,
1917-19; Toms Brook, 1921-22; Reliance, 1922-26; West Rockingham, 1926-27; Mt. Clinton, 1927-31;
Inwood-Pikeside, 1931-35; Winchester, 1935-40; Roanoke Hott Memorial, 1940-46, Elkton, 1946-51, along
with Cedar Grove (1946-47) and Lacey Springs (1947-50); Petersburg, 1951-58; Toms brook, 1965-66, and
Winchester Circuit, 1968-69. A new church was built at Mt. Clinton, at a cost of $18,000 and dedicated
Aug. 14, 1927. An Educational Unit was built at Petersburg in 1958, which, with other improvements, cost
$70,000 and was dedicated by Bishop J. Gordon Howard on Aug. 24, 1958. Both of these enterprises were
completed and dedicated under the leadership and ministry of Rev. Obaugh. He is a graduate of Shenandoah
College and United Seminary, Dayton, Ohio. He was Statistical Secretary of the Conference from 1929 to
1947, and Conference Treasurer since 1947. He has served on other committees and boards of the
Conference. He was ordained by Bishop D. T. Gregory at the Annual Conference of 1953 at which time he
joined Va. Conf. as an itinerant elder. The Virginia Annual Conference of 1953 granted him a letter of transfer
to the Florida Conference, where he has served with distinction as pastor of the Lake Magdalene Church and
as secretary of the Florida Conference. He retired in 1959 to Winchester and died there July 23, 1978; buried
at Mt. Hebron Cemetery. Services were held at First UMC, Winchester, on July 26, 1978, with the Rev. Lee B.
Sheaffer, Winchester District Superintendent, presiding, assisted by Forrest S. Racy, James H. Boyce, Jr., and
J. Paul Gruver. His memoir is provided in Section II.A (below). [Funkhouser 1921, p. 177; see also pp. 129,
177, 307-309, 312]; [Glovier 1965, p. 261 (from which the center picture was taken), 279-280; see also pp.
3, 80, 86, 91, 127, 131, 167, 216, 257, 258, 317, 339]; and [Arrington 1970, p. 69, from which the Aug.
1948 picture on the left was taken]
OBAUGH: William R. Obaugh, son of William B. and Lillian Rogers Obaugh (see above) was
born Dec. 13, 1920 in Dayton, Ohio. Bill served in the U.S. Army during the Second World War.
He was a degree recipient from Shenandoah Conservatory of Music in 1948 and Bonebrake
Theological Seminary. Admitted on Trial into Va. Conf. of the U.B. Church in 1946, Bill was
granted full connection and ordained an Elder in 1953. He transferred to the Florida Conference
of the EUB Church in 1954 and retired from its successor Florida UMC Conference in 1972. He
transferred to the Rocky Mountain UMC Conference in 1973 and was restored to active service in
1974, serving the local churches of Vineland UMC, 1972-1975; First UMC, Salt Lake City, 1975-
Biographical Sketches 108
