Page 127 - United Brethren Preachers
P. 127
Volume 9 Preachers of U.B. and EUB Virginia Conferences December 26, 2024
General Conference, EUB Church. He was also a member of Phi Theta Kappa. His memoir is provided in
Section II.A (below). [Glovier 1965, pp. 85, 86, 91, 224, 257, 259, 280, 327, 333, 339, 341]
RACEY: Lee Allen Racey was born near Moorefield, W.Va., Mar. 28, 1869, and is
another son of Morgan and Rebecca Racey and brother of C. J. Racey (see above). He
was educated in the public schools of West Virginia and graduated from Shenandoah
College in 1896 and taught school for several years in Hardy County, W.Va. He had
joined Otterbein Chapel in 1882, received a quarterly license in 1895, and preached his
first sermon that same year. He joined Conference in 1897 and was ordained in 1900
and served 15 charges in 47 years, including Manassas/Prince William, 1897-98; Bayard,
1899-1902; Franklin, 1902-04; Toms Brook, 1904-08; South Branch, 1908-10; Pleasant
Valley, 1910-12; Winchester, 1912-14; Bayard, 1914-16; Shaw, Great Cacapon, 1916-18; Inwood, 1918-22;
Churchville, 1922-24; Shenandoah, 1924-29; Edinburg, 1929-35; Singers Glen, 1935-41; and Lacey Springs,
1940-43. He retired in 1943 and moved to Shenandoah, Va. “He relates that he was reared in a Christian
home, and does not remember the time when he did not consider himself a member of the church.”
[Funkhouser 1921, p. 178] He was a good man. L. A. Racey married Minnie Belle Purgitt, daughter of William
S. and Mittie Statton Purgitt of Purgitsville, W.Va., June 20, 1900. They were married by Rev. John D.
Donovan who was the Conference Superintendent. The Raceys were elderly when they served Singers Glen.
Mrs. Racey was not well, and Rev. Racey had a nervous temperament and was easily annoyed, though
otherwise a nice man. Nearly every Sunday during church service, he would call down the children for
misbehaving even if they were not deserving of the chastisement. He died on Mar. 17, 1948, and was buried
in the U.B. Cemetery in Shenandoah, Va. His memoir, as well as his wife’s, is provided in Section II.A
(below). The picture on the left is from [Glovier 1965, p. 77], taken in 1919. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 143; see
also pp. 128, 178, 294, 296, 300, 307]; and [Glovier 1965, pp. 90, 96, 128, 327]; and [MacAllister 1976,
p. 102, which provided the picture on the right]
RAINES: George S. Raines served as (supply) pastor for Berkeley Place and Salem, 1939-41. He was
given Lay License to Preach by the Inwood Quarterly Conference in 1931-32 when a student at Shenandoah
College; this License was renewed for 1938-41. [Glovier 1965, p. 191]
RAMEY: William Boyd Ramey, Jr., son of William
Boyd and Elsie Boyd Ramey, was born June 11, 1937, in
Winchester, Va. He was converted in 1950 at Mt. Olive
Evangelical U.B. Church on West Frederick Charge. He
attended and graduated from James Wood High School,
Winchester; Shenandoah College (Junior College Diploma
in 1958) and Lebanon Valley College (B.A.); and United
Seminary (M.Div.). He was ordained in 1964 by Bishop
J. Gordon Howard and became a member of Va. Conf.
He served with the Evangelism Service Program in 1961-1962. He was married to Miss Nancy Tittlebaugh on
Aug. 29, 1964. [Glovier 1965, p. 280] He served Edinburg Circuit, 1957-58; Mt. Horeb Circuit, 1965-67; and
Hott Memorial, 1967-69. He married Miss Nancy Tittlebaugh on Aug. 29, 1964 [Burch 1985, p. 31]. In 2002
he was retired, living in Winchester, Va. Rita Desola is their child. He died in 2007. His memoir is provided
in Section II.A (below). [Glovier 1965, pp. 92, 258, 259, 280]
RANDALL: Abel Randall became a member of Conference in 1850 and was ordained 1853. A local
preacher, he lived in Pendleton County, below Fort Seybert. He transferred to Iowa Conference in 1859.
[Funkhouser 1921, p. 143; see also pp. 128, 178, 294, 296, 300, 307]
RATHFANG: John Rathfang became a member of Conference and was licensed to preach in 1814. Note:
Another man named John Rathfang served Pa. Conf.; he joined the Conf. in 1835 and was ordained in 1837.
[Funkhouser 1921, pp. 124, 143, 230; Glovier 1965, pp. 87; Lycoming 2013]
RAU: William Samuel Rau, “son of John V. and Sarah E. Rau, was born Aug. 19, 1858, at
Edinburg, Va., was converted in 1876, admitted to Conference and licensed there in 1885, but he
later returned his credentials to Conference. He joined Conference and was licensed again in 1900,
was ordained in 1908, and was an itinerant 20 years—”he has built several parsonages and
remodeled still more.” He married Laura Bruce. His first assignment was to the Rockbridge Circuit
in 1899. He served pastorates on Rockbridge, Bayard, Augusta, Elkton, Lacey Springs, Shenandoah
Circuits, and Bethel Church near Harriston, Augusta County, Va. He retired in 1927 after a ministry
in Va. Conf. of 28 years. For a number of years prior to his retirement, he was mayor of
Shenandoah, where he had lived since 1918. During his ministry, he gave the church valued service. He built
several parsonages and remodeled still more. He died suddenly during the summer of 1929 at the age of 71
and was buried at Shenandoah, Va. His memoir, as well as Laura’s, is provided in Section II.A (below). The
picture is from [Glovier 1965, p. 77], taken in 1919. [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 143, 178; see also pp. 27, 128,
193, 199-200, 202, 285-287, 296-299] and [Glovier 1965, pp. 90, 95, 120, 171, 187, 215, 228, 236, 310]
Biographical Sketches 115
General Conference, EUB Church. He was also a member of Phi Theta Kappa. His memoir is provided in
Section II.A (below). [Glovier 1965, pp. 85, 86, 91, 224, 257, 259, 280, 327, 333, 339, 341]
RACEY: Lee Allen Racey was born near Moorefield, W.Va., Mar. 28, 1869, and is
another son of Morgan and Rebecca Racey and brother of C. J. Racey (see above). He
was educated in the public schools of West Virginia and graduated from Shenandoah
College in 1896 and taught school for several years in Hardy County, W.Va. He had
joined Otterbein Chapel in 1882, received a quarterly license in 1895, and preached his
first sermon that same year. He joined Conference in 1897 and was ordained in 1900
and served 15 charges in 47 years, including Manassas/Prince William, 1897-98; Bayard,
1899-1902; Franklin, 1902-04; Toms Brook, 1904-08; South Branch, 1908-10; Pleasant
Valley, 1910-12; Winchester, 1912-14; Bayard, 1914-16; Shaw, Great Cacapon, 1916-18; Inwood, 1918-22;
Churchville, 1922-24; Shenandoah, 1924-29; Edinburg, 1929-35; Singers Glen, 1935-41; and Lacey Springs,
1940-43. He retired in 1943 and moved to Shenandoah, Va. “He relates that he was reared in a Christian
home, and does not remember the time when he did not consider himself a member of the church.”
[Funkhouser 1921, p. 178] He was a good man. L. A. Racey married Minnie Belle Purgitt, daughter of William
S. and Mittie Statton Purgitt of Purgitsville, W.Va., June 20, 1900. They were married by Rev. John D.
Donovan who was the Conference Superintendent. The Raceys were elderly when they served Singers Glen.
Mrs. Racey was not well, and Rev. Racey had a nervous temperament and was easily annoyed, though
otherwise a nice man. Nearly every Sunday during church service, he would call down the children for
misbehaving even if they were not deserving of the chastisement. He died on Mar. 17, 1948, and was buried
in the U.B. Cemetery in Shenandoah, Va. His memoir, as well as his wife’s, is provided in Section II.A
(below). The picture on the left is from [Glovier 1965, p. 77], taken in 1919. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 143; see
also pp. 128, 178, 294, 296, 300, 307]; and [Glovier 1965, pp. 90, 96, 128, 327]; and [MacAllister 1976,
p. 102, which provided the picture on the right]
RAINES: George S. Raines served as (supply) pastor for Berkeley Place and Salem, 1939-41. He was
given Lay License to Preach by the Inwood Quarterly Conference in 1931-32 when a student at Shenandoah
College; this License was renewed for 1938-41. [Glovier 1965, p. 191]
RAMEY: William Boyd Ramey, Jr., son of William
Boyd and Elsie Boyd Ramey, was born June 11, 1937, in
Winchester, Va. He was converted in 1950 at Mt. Olive
Evangelical U.B. Church on West Frederick Charge. He
attended and graduated from James Wood High School,
Winchester; Shenandoah College (Junior College Diploma
in 1958) and Lebanon Valley College (B.A.); and United
Seminary (M.Div.). He was ordained in 1964 by Bishop
J. Gordon Howard and became a member of Va. Conf.
He served with the Evangelism Service Program in 1961-1962. He was married to Miss Nancy Tittlebaugh on
Aug. 29, 1964. [Glovier 1965, p. 280] He served Edinburg Circuit, 1957-58; Mt. Horeb Circuit, 1965-67; and
Hott Memorial, 1967-69. He married Miss Nancy Tittlebaugh on Aug. 29, 1964 [Burch 1985, p. 31]. In 2002
he was retired, living in Winchester, Va. Rita Desola is their child. He died in 2007. His memoir is provided
in Section II.A (below). [Glovier 1965, pp. 92, 258, 259, 280]
RANDALL: Abel Randall became a member of Conference in 1850 and was ordained 1853. A local
preacher, he lived in Pendleton County, below Fort Seybert. He transferred to Iowa Conference in 1859.
[Funkhouser 1921, p. 143; see also pp. 128, 178, 294, 296, 300, 307]
RATHFANG: John Rathfang became a member of Conference and was licensed to preach in 1814. Note:
Another man named John Rathfang served Pa. Conf.; he joined the Conf. in 1835 and was ordained in 1837.
[Funkhouser 1921, pp. 124, 143, 230; Glovier 1965, pp. 87; Lycoming 2013]
RAU: William Samuel Rau, “son of John V. and Sarah E. Rau, was born Aug. 19, 1858, at
Edinburg, Va., was converted in 1876, admitted to Conference and licensed there in 1885, but he
later returned his credentials to Conference. He joined Conference and was licensed again in 1900,
was ordained in 1908, and was an itinerant 20 years—”he has built several parsonages and
remodeled still more.” He married Laura Bruce. His first assignment was to the Rockbridge Circuit
in 1899. He served pastorates on Rockbridge, Bayard, Augusta, Elkton, Lacey Springs, Shenandoah
Circuits, and Bethel Church near Harriston, Augusta County, Va. He retired in 1927 after a ministry
in Va. Conf. of 28 years. For a number of years prior to his retirement, he was mayor of
Shenandoah, where he had lived since 1918. During his ministry, he gave the church valued service. He built
several parsonages and remodeled still more. He died suddenly during the summer of 1929 at the age of 71
and was buried at Shenandoah, Va. His memoir, as well as Laura’s, is provided in Section II.A (below). The
picture is from [Glovier 1965, p. 77], taken in 1919. [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 143, 178; see also pp. 27, 128,
193, 199-200, 202, 285-287, 296-299] and [Glovier 1965, pp. 90, 95, 120, 171, 187, 215, 228, 236, 310]
Biographical Sketches 115
