Page 145 - United Brethren Preachers
P. 145
Volume 9 Preachers of U.B. and EUB Virginia Conferences December 26, 2024
SHARP: T. M. Sharp was received from Alleghany Conference and joined Va. Conf. in 1909 (with R. G.
Hammond and H. E. Richardson). T. M. Sharp served Roanoke First (Hott Memorial), 1908-1915, during
which period the membership doubled from 101 to 205. He conducted funeral services for Margaret
Bradenville, Westmoreland Co., Pa., in July 1919. [Not listed in Lycoming 2013.] Note: A T. M. Sharp was
member of the Easton Diocese [Episcopal Church] of Oregon in 1917.91 [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 128, 302;
Glovier 1965, pp. 75, 90, 114]
SHEAFFER: Lee Benjamin Sheaffer served as
Winchester District Superintendent, 1976-1980. Son
of Rev. Lee Earle Sheaffer (see below) and Mrs. Lena
A. Sheaffer, he was born Nov. 17, 1932, in the
parsonage at Shenandoah, Va. His first 12 years in
school were spent at Shenandoah, Va.; Franklin,
W.Va.; and Cumberland, Md., as his father served
pastorates in these locations. He graduated from
Cumberland High School, Cumberland, Md., in 1950,
and entered Shenandoah College in the fall of the same year, from which he graduated in 1952. He entered
Bridgewater College, Bridgewater, Va., in 1952 and received his B.A. degree upon graduation in 1954. He
entered United Seminary, Dayton, Ohio, in 1954 and graduated from there in 1957 with a B.D. Degree. Rev.
Sheaffer married Miss Sue Anderson (who received an A.A. degree from Shenandoah College in 1955) of
Winchester, Va., on July 10, 1955, at which time his father and Dr. Carl W. Hiser were the officiating
ministers. The Sheaffers have two children, Lee Benjamin, Jr., Gina Maria Thornton, and Jonathan
(deceased). Commissioned as a probationary elder in 1952 and ordained as an elder in 1957 in the Virginia
EUB Conference, he was appointed (as a Ministerial Student) to serve Mt. Horeb Church, 1951-54 (the first
year as Lay Supply); was in school, 1954-55; and then served the following appointments: Wayne Avenue
UMC, Dayton, 1955-57 (Assistant Pastor); Inwood-Pikeside UMC, 1957-67; St Mark’s EUB, Arlington, 1967-
70; St Mark’s UMC, 1970-73; First UMC, Salem, 1973-76; Winchester District Superintendent, 1976-80;
Aldersgate UMC, Alexandria, 1980-87; Norfolk District Superintendent, 1987-91; DS, Conference Director,
COM, 1991-97; and Ashland District Superintendent, 1997-2001. He retired in 2001, but served Hopewell
UMC, 2004-Present. Already a Trustee for Shenandoah College, in Autumn 1987 he was appointed Trustee at
Virginia Wesleyan College. In 2002 he was living in Richmond, Va. In 2012 Lee was listed as a retired elder
of the Virginia Annual Conference living with his wife Sue in Mechanicsville, Va. [Glovier 1965, pp. 92, 202,
258, 259, 282, 339] and [VAC 2012 p. 85]
SHEAFFER: Rev. Lee Earl Sheaffer, son of William A. and Minnie Sheaffer, was
born Nov. 26, 1901 at Carlisle, Pa. His education consisted of high school, some
courses at Shenandoah College, Dayton, Va., a two-year correspondence course at
the Moody Bible School, and a six-week course at Garrett Biblical Seminary at
Evanston, Ill. He married Lena Alice Heishman. He was original licensed in Pa. Conf.
(recommended by Carlisle Grace). He joined Va. Conf. in 1927 and has served as
pastor at Manassas, 1926-29; Shenandoah, 1929-41; Franklin, 1941-48; Potomac
Park, 1948-51; Westernport, 1951-52; Broadway, 1952-55; and Pendleton-Grant, 1955-56. The
church and parsonage were built at Potomac Park during his ministry there. He retired in 1956 and lived in
Petersburg, W.Va. He died Oct. 1978 and is interred at Maple Hill Cemetery in Petersburg. [Lycoming 2013]
His memoir is provided in Section II.A (below). The pictures are from [Glovier 1965, p. 82, 263], the one on
the right taken in 1956 on his retirement. [Glovier 1965, p. 263; see also pp. 86, 91, 186, 257, 258]
SHEESLEY: Joseph Pearl Sheesley, son of John J. and Elizabeth (Eyler) Sheesley, was born
July 23, 1894, in Jefferson County, Pa. At the age of 16 he began a course with the
International Correspondence School. In the fall of 1919 he entered Cleveland Bible Institute,
Cleveland, Ohio, and in 1921 received a definite call from God to preach. He was licensed to
preach in Pittsburg Conference, Evangelic Church, recommended by St. Jacob’s on the
Worthville Charge. He then took the Conference Course of Study and later studied at the
School of Theology in Reading, Pa. He was ordained an elder in Pittsburgh Conference in 1923,
and on Oct. 10, 1923, Rev. Sheesley was united in marriage to Miss Esther Ionia Hamilton. He
was ordained an elder in 1926. He served through two church mergers, in three Annual
Conferences, under 13 Bishops and 8 Superintendents. He was received into Va. Conf. on transfer from the
former Central Pa. Conf. of the Evangelical Church and there served the following circuits and churches:
Berkeley-Morgan, Hardy, 1951-54; Cumberland Calvary-Bethel, 1954-56; South Branch, 1956-57; Blairton-
Greensburg, 1958-59 (3 months, finishing the pastorate of Eldon Shingleton); Massanutten, 1959-60;
91 The Living Church Annual and Churchman’s Almanac. Morehouse Publishing Company, 1916.
Biographical Sketches 133
SHARP: T. M. Sharp was received from Alleghany Conference and joined Va. Conf. in 1909 (with R. G.
Hammond and H. E. Richardson). T. M. Sharp served Roanoke First (Hott Memorial), 1908-1915, during
which period the membership doubled from 101 to 205. He conducted funeral services for Margaret
Bradenville, Westmoreland Co., Pa., in July 1919. [Not listed in Lycoming 2013.] Note: A T. M. Sharp was
member of the Easton Diocese [Episcopal Church] of Oregon in 1917.91 [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 128, 302;
Glovier 1965, pp. 75, 90, 114]
SHEAFFER: Lee Benjamin Sheaffer served as
Winchester District Superintendent, 1976-1980. Son
of Rev. Lee Earle Sheaffer (see below) and Mrs. Lena
A. Sheaffer, he was born Nov. 17, 1932, in the
parsonage at Shenandoah, Va. His first 12 years in
school were spent at Shenandoah, Va.; Franklin,
W.Va.; and Cumberland, Md., as his father served
pastorates in these locations. He graduated from
Cumberland High School, Cumberland, Md., in 1950,
and entered Shenandoah College in the fall of the same year, from which he graduated in 1952. He entered
Bridgewater College, Bridgewater, Va., in 1952 and received his B.A. degree upon graduation in 1954. He
entered United Seminary, Dayton, Ohio, in 1954 and graduated from there in 1957 with a B.D. Degree. Rev.
Sheaffer married Miss Sue Anderson (who received an A.A. degree from Shenandoah College in 1955) of
Winchester, Va., on July 10, 1955, at which time his father and Dr. Carl W. Hiser were the officiating
ministers. The Sheaffers have two children, Lee Benjamin, Jr., Gina Maria Thornton, and Jonathan
(deceased). Commissioned as a probationary elder in 1952 and ordained as an elder in 1957 in the Virginia
EUB Conference, he was appointed (as a Ministerial Student) to serve Mt. Horeb Church, 1951-54 (the first
year as Lay Supply); was in school, 1954-55; and then served the following appointments: Wayne Avenue
UMC, Dayton, 1955-57 (Assistant Pastor); Inwood-Pikeside UMC, 1957-67; St Mark’s EUB, Arlington, 1967-
70; St Mark’s UMC, 1970-73; First UMC, Salem, 1973-76; Winchester District Superintendent, 1976-80;
Aldersgate UMC, Alexandria, 1980-87; Norfolk District Superintendent, 1987-91; DS, Conference Director,
COM, 1991-97; and Ashland District Superintendent, 1997-2001. He retired in 2001, but served Hopewell
UMC, 2004-Present. Already a Trustee for Shenandoah College, in Autumn 1987 he was appointed Trustee at
Virginia Wesleyan College. In 2002 he was living in Richmond, Va. In 2012 Lee was listed as a retired elder
of the Virginia Annual Conference living with his wife Sue in Mechanicsville, Va. [Glovier 1965, pp. 92, 202,
258, 259, 282, 339] and [VAC 2012 p. 85]
SHEAFFER: Rev. Lee Earl Sheaffer, son of William A. and Minnie Sheaffer, was
born Nov. 26, 1901 at Carlisle, Pa. His education consisted of high school, some
courses at Shenandoah College, Dayton, Va., a two-year correspondence course at
the Moody Bible School, and a six-week course at Garrett Biblical Seminary at
Evanston, Ill. He married Lena Alice Heishman. He was original licensed in Pa. Conf.
(recommended by Carlisle Grace). He joined Va. Conf. in 1927 and has served as
pastor at Manassas, 1926-29; Shenandoah, 1929-41; Franklin, 1941-48; Potomac
Park, 1948-51; Westernport, 1951-52; Broadway, 1952-55; and Pendleton-Grant, 1955-56. The
church and parsonage were built at Potomac Park during his ministry there. He retired in 1956 and lived in
Petersburg, W.Va. He died Oct. 1978 and is interred at Maple Hill Cemetery in Petersburg. [Lycoming 2013]
His memoir is provided in Section II.A (below). The pictures are from [Glovier 1965, p. 82, 263], the one on
the right taken in 1956 on his retirement. [Glovier 1965, p. 263; see also pp. 86, 91, 186, 257, 258]
SHEESLEY: Joseph Pearl Sheesley, son of John J. and Elizabeth (Eyler) Sheesley, was born
July 23, 1894, in Jefferson County, Pa. At the age of 16 he began a course with the
International Correspondence School. In the fall of 1919 he entered Cleveland Bible Institute,
Cleveland, Ohio, and in 1921 received a definite call from God to preach. He was licensed to
preach in Pittsburg Conference, Evangelic Church, recommended by St. Jacob’s on the
Worthville Charge. He then took the Conference Course of Study and later studied at the
School of Theology in Reading, Pa. He was ordained an elder in Pittsburgh Conference in 1923,
and on Oct. 10, 1923, Rev. Sheesley was united in marriage to Miss Esther Ionia Hamilton. He
was ordained an elder in 1926. He served through two church mergers, in three Annual
Conferences, under 13 Bishops and 8 Superintendents. He was received into Va. Conf. on transfer from the
former Central Pa. Conf. of the Evangelical Church and there served the following circuits and churches:
Berkeley-Morgan, Hardy, 1951-54; Cumberland Calvary-Bethel, 1954-56; South Branch, 1956-57; Blairton-
Greensburg, 1958-59 (3 months, finishing the pastorate of Eldon Shingleton); Massanutten, 1959-60;
91 The Living Church Annual and Churchman’s Almanac. Morehouse Publishing Company, 1916.
Biographical Sketches 133
