Page 167 - United Brethren Preachers
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Volume 9 Preachers of U.B. and EUB Virginia Conferences December 26, 2024
WEEKLEY: Bishop William Marion Weekley, D.D., presided over the U.B. Va. Conf. in 1910 and 1913-16.
William M. Weekley was born in Wilber,
W.Va., on Sep. 18, 1851. He was
appointed to a circuit as a minister in
1870 at the age of 19. He had been
diagnosed as seriously ill with
“consumption”, and was not expected
to be able to complete his work. In
fact, doctors did not expect him to live
very long. His circuit consisted of nine
churches, and required that he ride a horse over 100 miles of rural mud roads to complete one visit to each.
He not only completed his circuits, but, by the time he was 26 years old, his health had greatly improved, and
he had been elected presiding elder of the Parkersburg conference. In 1890 he moved to Rock River
Conference in Illinois and within two years, was a presiding elder there. He was elected Bishop in 1905 and
served the West District (comprising 11 conferences and one mission in Montana), living in Des Moines, Iowa,
and in Kansas City, Mo. He served as an active Bishop for 12 years, at which time he requested that he not
be re-elected. He was then made Bishop Emeritus. In Va. Conf., he served Harrisonburg Station, 1917-1920.
He represented the U.B. Church at the Parliament of Religions at the World’s Fair in Chicago. He was the
author of three books, including one titled Twenty Years on Horseback, or Itinerating in West Virginia and Our
Heroes or United Brethren Home Missionaries (in 1911); he was co-author of another. Bishop Weekley died at
Parkersburg, WV, on Jan. 8, 1926.101 He was a visiting minister to the Virginia Annual Conference in 1896,
1899, 1900, 1905, and 1908, before finally coming to preside as bishop in 1910. In 1904, he dedicated the
first building for Calvary Church (Keyser), the second building for the Dayton Church, the second building for
the Harrisonburg Church, and the first building for the Keyser Church. He dedicated the Pleasant Hill Church
(Jones Spring Circuit) in 1915, and the Petersburg (W.Va.) Church in 1917, and the second building for
Calvary (Keyser) in 1922. The picture second from the left is from [U.B. Yearbook 1898, p. 37]; the next
from the left is from [Holdcraft 1938, p. 391]. [Thompson 1906, p. 668, which provided the picture second
from the right]; [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 1, 5, 129, 195-196, 199, 293, 295, 296, 299, 301-302, 304-307];
[Glovier 1965, pp. 77, 158, 184, 219, 288]; and [Kline 1981, p. 18, which provided the picture on the far left]
WEIDNER: Henry Weidner (b. Switzerland; d. 1811 near Baltimore, Md.) attended the
first Conferences in 1789, 1791, and 1800. He was licensed June 2, 1776, by Otterbein,
Swope, Hendel, and Weimer—he is interred near Baltimore. The sketch is from [Glovier 1965,
p. vii]. From [Drury 1884, p. 274]: Henry Weidner was born in Switzerland. His excellent
talents had received fair cultivation. As early as 1785, he was an elder in Mr. Otterbein’s
church in Baltimore. He was a leader of one of the Baltimore “classes” in 1774 and was
afterward licensed to preach by the “United Ministers.” He traveled and preached extensively.
About 1790 he moved to Virginia. He ever remained dear to the heart of Mr. Otterbein. He
died in 1811 near Baltimore. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 146; see also pp. 38, 124, 224]; [Miller
1968, p. 369]; and [Glovier 1965, pp. 18, 87; Lycoming 2013]
WEIDNER: Jacob Weidner attended as a member of the Conferences of 1812 and 1820. [Funkhouser
1921, p. 228, 233]
WEIST (WEAST; WIEST): Conrad Weist was licensed to exhort in 1818, licensed and received into Conf.
in 1819, and ordained in 1822. He served the Virginia Circuit, 1819-20; and Hagerstown Circuit, 1820-21.
During 1821-27 he was designated a Conference Itinerant. However: “The early restrictive legislation was
not always heeded. The conference of 1831 took this action concerning one of its members: “Resolved, if
Conrad Weast don’t quit making liquor and preach more, he shall have his license demanded.” Evidently this
remedy was not effective, for 6 years later (1837) it is ordered that “it be published in the Telescope that
Conrad Weast is no longer a preacher among us.” Pa. Conf. archives show that Conrad Wiest [sic] married
Mary Fetterhof, the daughter of George Fetterhoff, namesake of Fetterhoff Chapel south of Fayetteville,
Franklin County, Pa.; and that he served Juniata Circuit, 1824-25 [Lycoming 2013]. Note: There is a Wiest
[sic] Family Cemetery at Wes Cocalico Twp. in Lancaster Co., Pa., and a Wiest [sic] Memorial U.B./EUB/UMC
Church in Schoeneck, Pa., built in 1904 by Samuel E. Wiest. [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 117, 146; see also
pp. 232-239, 242-246] and [Glovier 1965, pp. 245, 305]
WELCH: Charles King Welch, son of Charles K. and Ruth Hudson Welch, was born Apr. 26,
1897, at Winfield, W.Va. He was converted in 1917 at First U.B. Church, Huntington, W.Va.
He was educated at Huntington High School, Shenandoah College, and Hebrew Seminary. He
has served Winchester Circuit, 1920-22; Toms Brook Circuit, 1922-24; Westernport Circuit,
101 Ref: http://www.wilburwv.com/churchs.htm. 155
Biographical Sketches
WEEKLEY: Bishop William Marion Weekley, D.D., presided over the U.B. Va. Conf. in 1910 and 1913-16.
William M. Weekley was born in Wilber,
W.Va., on Sep. 18, 1851. He was
appointed to a circuit as a minister in
1870 at the age of 19. He had been
diagnosed as seriously ill with
“consumption”, and was not expected
to be able to complete his work. In
fact, doctors did not expect him to live
very long. His circuit consisted of nine
churches, and required that he ride a horse over 100 miles of rural mud roads to complete one visit to each.
He not only completed his circuits, but, by the time he was 26 years old, his health had greatly improved, and
he had been elected presiding elder of the Parkersburg conference. In 1890 he moved to Rock River
Conference in Illinois and within two years, was a presiding elder there. He was elected Bishop in 1905 and
served the West District (comprising 11 conferences and one mission in Montana), living in Des Moines, Iowa,
and in Kansas City, Mo. He served as an active Bishop for 12 years, at which time he requested that he not
be re-elected. He was then made Bishop Emeritus. In Va. Conf., he served Harrisonburg Station, 1917-1920.
He represented the U.B. Church at the Parliament of Religions at the World’s Fair in Chicago. He was the
author of three books, including one titled Twenty Years on Horseback, or Itinerating in West Virginia and Our
Heroes or United Brethren Home Missionaries (in 1911); he was co-author of another. Bishop Weekley died at
Parkersburg, WV, on Jan. 8, 1926.101 He was a visiting minister to the Virginia Annual Conference in 1896,
1899, 1900, 1905, and 1908, before finally coming to preside as bishop in 1910. In 1904, he dedicated the
first building for Calvary Church (Keyser), the second building for the Dayton Church, the second building for
the Harrisonburg Church, and the first building for the Keyser Church. He dedicated the Pleasant Hill Church
(Jones Spring Circuit) in 1915, and the Petersburg (W.Va.) Church in 1917, and the second building for
Calvary (Keyser) in 1922. The picture second from the left is from [U.B. Yearbook 1898, p. 37]; the next
from the left is from [Holdcraft 1938, p. 391]. [Thompson 1906, p. 668, which provided the picture second
from the right]; [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 1, 5, 129, 195-196, 199, 293, 295, 296, 299, 301-302, 304-307];
[Glovier 1965, pp. 77, 158, 184, 219, 288]; and [Kline 1981, p. 18, which provided the picture on the far left]
WEIDNER: Henry Weidner (b. Switzerland; d. 1811 near Baltimore, Md.) attended the
first Conferences in 1789, 1791, and 1800. He was licensed June 2, 1776, by Otterbein,
Swope, Hendel, and Weimer—he is interred near Baltimore. The sketch is from [Glovier 1965,
p. vii]. From [Drury 1884, p. 274]: Henry Weidner was born in Switzerland. His excellent
talents had received fair cultivation. As early as 1785, he was an elder in Mr. Otterbein’s
church in Baltimore. He was a leader of one of the Baltimore “classes” in 1774 and was
afterward licensed to preach by the “United Ministers.” He traveled and preached extensively.
About 1790 he moved to Virginia. He ever remained dear to the heart of Mr. Otterbein. He
died in 1811 near Baltimore. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 146; see also pp. 38, 124, 224]; [Miller
1968, p. 369]; and [Glovier 1965, pp. 18, 87; Lycoming 2013]
WEIDNER: Jacob Weidner attended as a member of the Conferences of 1812 and 1820. [Funkhouser
1921, p. 228, 233]
WEIST (WEAST; WIEST): Conrad Weist was licensed to exhort in 1818, licensed and received into Conf.
in 1819, and ordained in 1822. He served the Virginia Circuit, 1819-20; and Hagerstown Circuit, 1820-21.
During 1821-27 he was designated a Conference Itinerant. However: “The early restrictive legislation was
not always heeded. The conference of 1831 took this action concerning one of its members: “Resolved, if
Conrad Weast don’t quit making liquor and preach more, he shall have his license demanded.” Evidently this
remedy was not effective, for 6 years later (1837) it is ordered that “it be published in the Telescope that
Conrad Weast is no longer a preacher among us.” Pa. Conf. archives show that Conrad Wiest [sic] married
Mary Fetterhof, the daughter of George Fetterhoff, namesake of Fetterhoff Chapel south of Fayetteville,
Franklin County, Pa.; and that he served Juniata Circuit, 1824-25 [Lycoming 2013]. Note: There is a Wiest
[sic] Family Cemetery at Wes Cocalico Twp. in Lancaster Co., Pa., and a Wiest [sic] Memorial U.B./EUB/UMC
Church in Schoeneck, Pa., built in 1904 by Samuel E. Wiest. [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 117, 146; see also
pp. 232-239, 242-246] and [Glovier 1965, pp. 245, 305]
WELCH: Charles King Welch, son of Charles K. and Ruth Hudson Welch, was born Apr. 26,
1897, at Winfield, W.Va. He was converted in 1917 at First U.B. Church, Huntington, W.Va.
He was educated at Huntington High School, Shenandoah College, and Hebrew Seminary. He
has served Winchester Circuit, 1920-22; Toms Brook Circuit, 1922-24; Westernport Circuit,
101 Ref: http://www.wilburwv.com/churchs.htm. 155
Biographical Sketches
