Page 150 - United Brethren Preachers
P. 150
Volume 9 Preachers of U.B. and EUB Virginia Conferences December 26, 2024
Dayton, Ohio (M.Div., 1953). He joined Va. Conf. and was ordained in 1953. He served Cedar Grove, 1948-
49. He served Augusta Charge the year of 1953-1954, and he has served the Sleepy Hollow-Fairfax
congregation 1954-1966. On June 2, 1948, he married Miss Bettie Jane Powell of New Boston, Va. Their
children are Michael Emory, Sue Ellen, and Timothy Powell. The Sleepy Hollow Church was built, educational
unit added, parsonage purchased, and the congregation has made wonderful growth and progress under the
leadership of Rev. Smith. The estimated value of church and parsonage in 1964 is $190,200. He then served
as President, Industrial Management Institute in Reading, Pa., 1970-74; Director of Continuing Education,
Reading Area Community College, 1974-80; Employee Development Specialist, Carpenter Technology
Corporation in Reading; Human Resource Manager at Wright’s Knitwear Corporation in Auburn, Pa., and
Ordained Elder and Pastor, New Hope UMC, 1988-92, in New Hope, Pa. In 2002 he was living in
Shoemakersville, Pa. [Glovier 1965, pp. 283-284, which provided the picture in the middle; see also pp. 92,
160, 207-209, 258-259]
SMITH: William Henry Smith, Sr., was born son of H. W. H. and Flora V.
(Rockwell) Smith, was born at Great Cacapon, Morgan County, W.Va., on Sep. 5,
1886, was converted in 1912. Mt. Nebo of Great Cacapon was his home church.
Smith had a meager early education, attending grade school for a couple of years
only. In an effort to find a job, he went to Martinsburg and, in time, joined the U.B.
Church there. During evangelistic services held by W. F. Gruver, he responded to a
call to the ministry. He then enrolled in the High School Department at Shenandoah
Collegiate Institute, and he was given quarterly license to preach in 1914. He joined Conference in 1917 and
was then licensed to preach. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 184] He completed his college work at Lebanon Valley
College in 1925 and graduated from Bonebrake Theological Seminary in 1928. While at Shenandoah, he
served Pleasant Grove and Singers Glen, and at the other schools he also served churches. Following
graduation he was appointed to Keyser, W.Va., where he served for three years. In 1931 he went to Elkton,
Va., where he served for 8 years. He married Mary Elizabeth Edwards on Sep. 11, 1918, and to this union
were born two children, Helen and William H. Jr. (see above). Helen married Helen married Lewis C.
Armentrout, Jr., another Methodist minister. Rev. Smith was short and chunky, but he was a handsome man
who dressed well. He could usually be seen wearing a straw “sailors” hat in summer. He also wore dark
rimmed eye glasses. When greeting people, he shook hands with great force. During the time he served
Singers Glen, Rev. Smith was attending Shenandoah Collegiate Institute in Dayton. He drove a small Saxon
automobile. The size of his car was unusual for the times. When preaching was over, he would go to his car,
which was parked in front of church, and always took a long time cranking the engine to get it started. While
World War I was in progress and local labor was in short supply. Smith and Rev. C. C. Thomas, the Singers
Glen Baptist preacher, helped harvest wheat for Eddie Funk during the summertime. Rev. Smith died in
Dayton, Va., on Feb. 10, 1942, and was buried in Dayton Cemetery. He was then 56 years of age. He served
West Frederick, 1914-15; Dayton, 1915-17; Singer’s Glen, 1918-19; South Branch, 1919-21; Singer’s Glen,
1921-22; Keyser, 1928-31; and Elkton Circuit, 1931-39. By 1939, Elkton Circuit had 608 members. He died
in 1942. His memoir is provided in Section II.A (below). The pictures are from [Glovier 1965, p. 77, 126],
the one on the left taken in 1819. [Glovier 1965, p. 126; see also pp. 77, 80, 91, 96, 126, 147, 160, 290,
298] and [MacAllister 1976, p. 96]
SNAPP: George H. Snapp was licensed and became a member of Va. Conf. in 1864; ordained there in
1874; he later transferred to Parkersburg Conference. He served Lacey Springs, 1862-64; Shamokin Circuit
(East Pa. Conf.), 1864-65; Shopp’s Station (Shiremanstown, Pa. Conf.), 1865-66’ Alleghany, 1868-69;
Boonsboro, 1869-70; Potomac, 1870-71; Back Creek, 1871-72; Rockbridge, 1872-73; Conference Evangelist,
1873-75; Mill Creek, 1875-76; Garrett, 1876-77; Conference Evangelist, 1877-79; and Madison Mission,
1887-89. In 1900 he was living in Mt. Olive, Va. He died Apr. 6, 1901. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 144; see also
pp. 126, 262, 264, 266-274, 276-277, 280, 284, 289-291, 293-294, 296] and [Glovier 1965, p. 89;
Lycoming 2013]
SNELL: Gideon Snell was a designated Conference Itinerant, 1824-25. A Gideon Snell (b. Aug. 21,
1807), son of Jacob Peter Snell and Mary C. Helmick, died in 1901. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 236]
SNELL: Samuel Henry Snell (b. Mar. 20, 1854; d. July 9, 1945; mar. C.
Arbelon Spessard) was given quarterly conference license by Dayton (Va.)
Circuit in 1878, became a member of Va. Conf. and licensed to preach in 1880;
ordained in 1883; and transferred to Maryland Conference in 1887. He was a
student at Shenandoah Seminary 1879-80. He served Bloomery, 1880-81; New
Creek, 1881-82; Edinburg, 1882-83; Hagerstown St. Paul’s Station, 1883-84;
Frederick Circuit (Walkersville), 1884-86; Hagerstown Circuit, 1886-87;
Williamsport, Md., 1887 (9 months), Vancleavesville, 1892-93; Martinsburg
Mission Station, 1895-96; and Lacey Springs, 1896-87 (6 months); Laurel
Mission, 1898 (6 months), Rohrersville, 1900-01 (6 months); and transferred to
Biographical Sketches 138
Dayton, Ohio (M.Div., 1953). He joined Va. Conf. and was ordained in 1953. He served Cedar Grove, 1948-
49. He served Augusta Charge the year of 1953-1954, and he has served the Sleepy Hollow-Fairfax
congregation 1954-1966. On June 2, 1948, he married Miss Bettie Jane Powell of New Boston, Va. Their
children are Michael Emory, Sue Ellen, and Timothy Powell. The Sleepy Hollow Church was built, educational
unit added, parsonage purchased, and the congregation has made wonderful growth and progress under the
leadership of Rev. Smith. The estimated value of church and parsonage in 1964 is $190,200. He then served
as President, Industrial Management Institute in Reading, Pa., 1970-74; Director of Continuing Education,
Reading Area Community College, 1974-80; Employee Development Specialist, Carpenter Technology
Corporation in Reading; Human Resource Manager at Wright’s Knitwear Corporation in Auburn, Pa., and
Ordained Elder and Pastor, New Hope UMC, 1988-92, in New Hope, Pa. In 2002 he was living in
Shoemakersville, Pa. [Glovier 1965, pp. 283-284, which provided the picture in the middle; see also pp. 92,
160, 207-209, 258-259]
SMITH: William Henry Smith, Sr., was born son of H. W. H. and Flora V.
(Rockwell) Smith, was born at Great Cacapon, Morgan County, W.Va., on Sep. 5,
1886, was converted in 1912. Mt. Nebo of Great Cacapon was his home church.
Smith had a meager early education, attending grade school for a couple of years
only. In an effort to find a job, he went to Martinsburg and, in time, joined the U.B.
Church there. During evangelistic services held by W. F. Gruver, he responded to a
call to the ministry. He then enrolled in the High School Department at Shenandoah
Collegiate Institute, and he was given quarterly license to preach in 1914. He joined Conference in 1917 and
was then licensed to preach. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 184] He completed his college work at Lebanon Valley
College in 1925 and graduated from Bonebrake Theological Seminary in 1928. While at Shenandoah, he
served Pleasant Grove and Singers Glen, and at the other schools he also served churches. Following
graduation he was appointed to Keyser, W.Va., where he served for three years. In 1931 he went to Elkton,
Va., where he served for 8 years. He married Mary Elizabeth Edwards on Sep. 11, 1918, and to this union
were born two children, Helen and William H. Jr. (see above). Helen married Helen married Lewis C.
Armentrout, Jr., another Methodist minister. Rev. Smith was short and chunky, but he was a handsome man
who dressed well. He could usually be seen wearing a straw “sailors” hat in summer. He also wore dark
rimmed eye glasses. When greeting people, he shook hands with great force. During the time he served
Singers Glen, Rev. Smith was attending Shenandoah Collegiate Institute in Dayton. He drove a small Saxon
automobile. The size of his car was unusual for the times. When preaching was over, he would go to his car,
which was parked in front of church, and always took a long time cranking the engine to get it started. While
World War I was in progress and local labor was in short supply. Smith and Rev. C. C. Thomas, the Singers
Glen Baptist preacher, helped harvest wheat for Eddie Funk during the summertime. Rev. Smith died in
Dayton, Va., on Feb. 10, 1942, and was buried in Dayton Cemetery. He was then 56 years of age. He served
West Frederick, 1914-15; Dayton, 1915-17; Singer’s Glen, 1918-19; South Branch, 1919-21; Singer’s Glen,
1921-22; Keyser, 1928-31; and Elkton Circuit, 1931-39. By 1939, Elkton Circuit had 608 members. He died
in 1942. His memoir is provided in Section II.A (below). The pictures are from [Glovier 1965, p. 77, 126],
the one on the left taken in 1819. [Glovier 1965, p. 126; see also pp. 77, 80, 91, 96, 126, 147, 160, 290,
298] and [MacAllister 1976, p. 96]
SNAPP: George H. Snapp was licensed and became a member of Va. Conf. in 1864; ordained there in
1874; he later transferred to Parkersburg Conference. He served Lacey Springs, 1862-64; Shamokin Circuit
(East Pa. Conf.), 1864-65; Shopp’s Station (Shiremanstown, Pa. Conf.), 1865-66’ Alleghany, 1868-69;
Boonsboro, 1869-70; Potomac, 1870-71; Back Creek, 1871-72; Rockbridge, 1872-73; Conference Evangelist,
1873-75; Mill Creek, 1875-76; Garrett, 1876-77; Conference Evangelist, 1877-79; and Madison Mission,
1887-89. In 1900 he was living in Mt. Olive, Va. He died Apr. 6, 1901. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 144; see also
pp. 126, 262, 264, 266-274, 276-277, 280, 284, 289-291, 293-294, 296] and [Glovier 1965, p. 89;
Lycoming 2013]
SNELL: Gideon Snell was a designated Conference Itinerant, 1824-25. A Gideon Snell (b. Aug. 21,
1807), son of Jacob Peter Snell and Mary C. Helmick, died in 1901. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 236]
SNELL: Samuel Henry Snell (b. Mar. 20, 1854; d. July 9, 1945; mar. C.
Arbelon Spessard) was given quarterly conference license by Dayton (Va.)
Circuit in 1878, became a member of Va. Conf. and licensed to preach in 1880;
ordained in 1883; and transferred to Maryland Conference in 1887. He was a
student at Shenandoah Seminary 1879-80. He served Bloomery, 1880-81; New
Creek, 1881-82; Edinburg, 1882-83; Hagerstown St. Paul’s Station, 1883-84;
Frederick Circuit (Walkersville), 1884-86; Hagerstown Circuit, 1886-87;
Williamsport, Md., 1887 (9 months), Vancleavesville, 1892-93; Martinsburg
Mission Station, 1895-96; and Lacey Springs, 1896-87 (6 months); Laurel
Mission, 1898 (6 months), Rohrersville, 1900-01 (6 months); and transferred to
Biographical Sketches 138
