Page 159 - United Brethren Preachers
P. 159
Volume 9 Preachers of U.B. and EUB Virginia Conferences December 26, 2024
SWANK: Wilmer Rolston Swank was born May 22, 1894, near Singers Glen, Va.,
son of Louis E. and Elizabeth Catherine (Rolston) Swank; he died Jan. 4, 1957, at
Dayton, Va., and was buried at Singers Glen Cemetery [photo by FDP]. Rev. Swank
attended Shenandoah Collegiate Institute and graduated from Moody Bible Institute
in Chicago, Illinois. He also attended Bonebrake Theological Seminary in Dayton,
Ohio, and Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Va. He joined Va. Conf. in 1916
while he continued his studies at the Moody Institute. He had been employed by the Conference since 1915.
He served charges at Greensburg (1919-20); Swoope, 1920-21; attended Otterbein College in Westerville,
Ohio; Hardy, 1922-24; Manassas, 1925-26; and Jones Spring, 1926-27. In 1928, he withdrew from the
Conference. He joined the Presbyterian Church as a pastor. Wilmer Swank married Lillie Ardella May (1895-
1948), daughter of Charles L. and Florence May of near Singers Glen, Aug. 28, 1918, who was also a student
at Shenandoah Collegiate Institute. They were married in the Donovan Memorial Church. A young daughter
Elizabeth (1929-1934) died when the Swanks were living above T. Funk and Sons store in Singers Glen.
Other children are Florena Swank, who worked for Shenandoah College for many years, Louise Swank (Mrs.
Roscoe Detamore), and Wilmer Rolston, Jr. [Funkhouser 1921, p 125, 237-239, 241; Glovier 1965, p. 91;
MacAllister 1976, p. 114]
SWARTZ: Harry Clarence Swartz was born at Stephenson, Va., Mar. 27, 1887. Years later while a
railroad conductor in Kansas City, Mo., he became interested in the ministry and for 20 years he combined the
two occupations. In Missouri he worked among missions and preached regularly in United Brethren churches.
He was admitted to Va. Conf. in 1950. He served Bayard Charge from Dec. 1, 1948, to Sep. 1, 1954, and
then went to Edinburg Charge where he served until he retired in Luray, Va., on May 15, 1958. While in Luray
he preached regularly at Beahm’s Chapel on Sunday nights. He died of a heart attack in the Page Memorial
Hospital, Luray, Va., on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 1963. Funeral services were held from the Bradley Funeral
Home in Luray on Saturday, Feb. 2, 1963. Interment was in Beahm’s Chapel Cemetery by the body of his
wife. There was no compromise with the Word in his preaching, and whatever favor he sought was with God
and not with man. He was married to Mary Ellen Monahan Swartz (1883-1960). His memoir, as well as
Mary’s, is provided in Section II.A (below). He assisted with the graveside services at Beahm’s Chapel
Cemetery, Luray, Va., in May 1953. A Mrs. Harry C. Swartz of Bristol, Pa., died in Sep. 1920. [Glovier 1965,
p. 137; see also pp. 92, 97]
SWARTZ: Peter Swartz (b. May 8, 1774, in Pa.; d. Oct. 13, 1845, Monroe Township, Pa.; mar. M.
Christina Swartz (1771-1849) became a member of Conference and licensed to preach in 1811; he was also
licensed to preach in 1815 and ordained in 1816. Member of Pa. Conf. of 1833 and charter member of
Allegheny Conf. in 1839—he died in 1845 and is interred at Niemonds Church near Richfield, Pa.. Tiffany
Stuck on www.findagrave.com provides a list of the 28 charter members of Niemonds Church, of which Peter
Swartz was one. The same site lists the children: Christina, Fanny, Magdalena, Peter, and John. Juniata
County records show Rev. Peter Swartz, living in Swartz Valley, being assessed on property there beginning in
1805 [Franklin Ellis and Austin N. Hungerford, History of Juniata and Susquehanna Valleys in Pennsylvania.
Everts, Peck and Richards, 1886, p. 883]. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 145; see also pp. 124, 228, 230-231] and
[Glovier 1965, p. 87; Lycoming 2013]
SWOKER: J. L. Swoker served West Frederick Circuit, 1924-26.
SWOPE: Benedict Swope was an early member of the U.B. Church. He was called by the independent
congregation, comprising “evangelical minority” of the Reformed Church in Baltimore, which seceded in 1771,
and through his efforts bought a lot and built a frame church house—the historical brick “Otterbein” church
was not built until 1786. Swope was absent from the Conferences of 1789 and 1791. Swope entered the
Ministry for the Reformed Church in 1771, already preaching in the neighborhood of Baltimore. After his
ordination he became pastor of Second Reformed Church in Baltimore, being the choice of the evangelical
party of the Church. About 1774 he moved to Kentucky and settled at Logan’s Station, Lincoln Co., where he
bought a tract of land. During the Revolutionary War he returned to Baltimore. He was a life-long friend of
Bishop Asbury, and he assisted Dr. Coke at the Asbury’s ordination in Baltimore in 1784—Asbury referred to
him as “a very pious, talented and Zealous German minister, in full sympathy with the several movements of
the Church.” He died March 30, 1811, having ceased ministerial work only in 1809, preaching in both German
and English. He married Susanna Welker, who died in March 1795, and had children John, Benedict, Pollie,
Jacob, George, Susanna, David, and Sally. [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 35, 224] and [Swope 1900. pp. 317-
321].98
SYPOLT: B. N. Sypolt joined Conference, was licensed to preach in 1905, and listed as an Itinerant in
1906. He served Cacapon Circuit, 1903-1908; and Shenandoah Circuit, 1908-1910. He was given an open
transfer in 1912. Pastor B. N. Sypolt reported in Mary 1904 [The Religious Telescope, Mar. 30, 1904, Vol. 70,
98 [Swope 1896]. 147
Biographical Sketches
SWANK: Wilmer Rolston Swank was born May 22, 1894, near Singers Glen, Va.,
son of Louis E. and Elizabeth Catherine (Rolston) Swank; he died Jan. 4, 1957, at
Dayton, Va., and was buried at Singers Glen Cemetery [photo by FDP]. Rev. Swank
attended Shenandoah Collegiate Institute and graduated from Moody Bible Institute
in Chicago, Illinois. He also attended Bonebrake Theological Seminary in Dayton,
Ohio, and Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Va. He joined Va. Conf. in 1916
while he continued his studies at the Moody Institute. He had been employed by the Conference since 1915.
He served charges at Greensburg (1919-20); Swoope, 1920-21; attended Otterbein College in Westerville,
Ohio; Hardy, 1922-24; Manassas, 1925-26; and Jones Spring, 1926-27. In 1928, he withdrew from the
Conference. He joined the Presbyterian Church as a pastor. Wilmer Swank married Lillie Ardella May (1895-
1948), daughter of Charles L. and Florence May of near Singers Glen, Aug. 28, 1918, who was also a student
at Shenandoah Collegiate Institute. They were married in the Donovan Memorial Church. A young daughter
Elizabeth (1929-1934) died when the Swanks were living above T. Funk and Sons store in Singers Glen.
Other children are Florena Swank, who worked for Shenandoah College for many years, Louise Swank (Mrs.
Roscoe Detamore), and Wilmer Rolston, Jr. [Funkhouser 1921, p 125, 237-239, 241; Glovier 1965, p. 91;
MacAllister 1976, p. 114]
SWARTZ: Harry Clarence Swartz was born at Stephenson, Va., Mar. 27, 1887. Years later while a
railroad conductor in Kansas City, Mo., he became interested in the ministry and for 20 years he combined the
two occupations. In Missouri he worked among missions and preached regularly in United Brethren churches.
He was admitted to Va. Conf. in 1950. He served Bayard Charge from Dec. 1, 1948, to Sep. 1, 1954, and
then went to Edinburg Charge where he served until he retired in Luray, Va., on May 15, 1958. While in Luray
he preached regularly at Beahm’s Chapel on Sunday nights. He died of a heart attack in the Page Memorial
Hospital, Luray, Va., on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 1963. Funeral services were held from the Bradley Funeral
Home in Luray on Saturday, Feb. 2, 1963. Interment was in Beahm’s Chapel Cemetery by the body of his
wife. There was no compromise with the Word in his preaching, and whatever favor he sought was with God
and not with man. He was married to Mary Ellen Monahan Swartz (1883-1960). His memoir, as well as
Mary’s, is provided in Section II.A (below). He assisted with the graveside services at Beahm’s Chapel
Cemetery, Luray, Va., in May 1953. A Mrs. Harry C. Swartz of Bristol, Pa., died in Sep. 1920. [Glovier 1965,
p. 137; see also pp. 92, 97]
SWARTZ: Peter Swartz (b. May 8, 1774, in Pa.; d. Oct. 13, 1845, Monroe Township, Pa.; mar. M.
Christina Swartz (1771-1849) became a member of Conference and licensed to preach in 1811; he was also
licensed to preach in 1815 and ordained in 1816. Member of Pa. Conf. of 1833 and charter member of
Allegheny Conf. in 1839—he died in 1845 and is interred at Niemonds Church near Richfield, Pa.. Tiffany
Stuck on www.findagrave.com provides a list of the 28 charter members of Niemonds Church, of which Peter
Swartz was one. The same site lists the children: Christina, Fanny, Magdalena, Peter, and John. Juniata
County records show Rev. Peter Swartz, living in Swartz Valley, being assessed on property there beginning in
1805 [Franklin Ellis and Austin N. Hungerford, History of Juniata and Susquehanna Valleys in Pennsylvania.
Everts, Peck and Richards, 1886, p. 883]. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 145; see also pp. 124, 228, 230-231] and
[Glovier 1965, p. 87; Lycoming 2013]
SWOKER: J. L. Swoker served West Frederick Circuit, 1924-26.
SWOPE: Benedict Swope was an early member of the U.B. Church. He was called by the independent
congregation, comprising “evangelical minority” of the Reformed Church in Baltimore, which seceded in 1771,
and through his efforts bought a lot and built a frame church house—the historical brick “Otterbein” church
was not built until 1786. Swope was absent from the Conferences of 1789 and 1791. Swope entered the
Ministry for the Reformed Church in 1771, already preaching in the neighborhood of Baltimore. After his
ordination he became pastor of Second Reformed Church in Baltimore, being the choice of the evangelical
party of the Church. About 1774 he moved to Kentucky and settled at Logan’s Station, Lincoln Co., where he
bought a tract of land. During the Revolutionary War he returned to Baltimore. He was a life-long friend of
Bishop Asbury, and he assisted Dr. Coke at the Asbury’s ordination in Baltimore in 1784—Asbury referred to
him as “a very pious, talented and Zealous German minister, in full sympathy with the several movements of
the Church.” He died March 30, 1811, having ceased ministerial work only in 1809, preaching in both German
and English. He married Susanna Welker, who died in March 1795, and had children John, Benedict, Pollie,
Jacob, George, Susanna, David, and Sally. [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 35, 224] and [Swope 1900. pp. 317-
321].98
SYPOLT: B. N. Sypolt joined Conference, was licensed to preach in 1905, and listed as an Itinerant in
1906. He served Cacapon Circuit, 1903-1908; and Shenandoah Circuit, 1908-1910. He was given an open
transfer in 1912. Pastor B. N. Sypolt reported in Mary 1904 [The Religious Telescope, Mar. 30, 1904, Vol. 70,
98 [Swope 1896]. 147
Biographical Sketches
