Page 24 - United Brethren Preachers
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Volume 9 Preachers of U.B. and EUB Virginia Conferences December 26, 2024
BENNETT: W. B. Bennett served Pleasant Valley Circuit, 1906-07. (Not mentioned in [Funkhouser
1921]).
BERGER: Christian Berger was licensed in 1803 and ordained in 1805. To see what would take place
below in the great meeting, he hid himself in a barn in Berks Co., but at length the people were startled by his
loud cries and prayers; he was brought down and soon converted—always in deep poverty, but an
indefatigable preacher—moved to Westmoreland Co., Pa. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 132; see also pp. 124, 228,
229, 230, 231]. He is mentioned in [Newcomer’s Journal, pp. 76, 208, 215]. See [Glovier 1965, pp. 19, 87].
BERGER: Joseph Berger (Barger) became a member of Conference and licensed in 1828 and was
ordained in 1835. He was a charter member of Allegheny Conference in 1839. His name was erased from the
rolls in 1857. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 125, 132, 239; Glovier 1965, p. 88; Lycoming 2013]
BERRY: William Richard Berry, second son of Archibald and Elizabeth Berry, was
born Oct. 11, 1853, near Mt. Clinton in Rockingham County, Va. In 1870, at a camp
meeting conducted by Rev. J. W. Howe, near Singers Glen, he was converted. He
was first licensed to preach by Rev. John Ruebush, Nov. 1874, at Otterbein Church,
Rockingham County, Va. He united with the Virginia Annual Conference at
Winchester, Mar. 1878, and was appointed to a field of labor. He was ordained in
1881. For 28 years he was in the regular work of the ministry serving the following
charges: Pleasant Valley, Shady Grove, 1878-79; New Creek, 1879-81; South
Branch, 1881-82; Mechanicstown, 1882-84; Hagerstown, 1884-86; Berkeley Springs Circuit,
1886-90; Edinburg, 1890-91; Winchester Station, 1891-92; Cross Keys, 1892-94; Lacey Springs,
1893-94; Singers Glen, 1894-1900; Dayton, 1900-03; and Frederick, 1903-06. He was a man of deep
convictions and when he once decided that a measure was right or wrong he stood firm in his opinion, even if
he had to suffer on account of it. “Ill health compelled him to locate, but he lived only a few weeks in a home
of his own. Mr. Berry was a faithful minister, and few members of Va. Conf. were more highly esteemed. In
1882 he was married to Miss Margaret Taylor of Hampshire County.” He died on July 30, 1906, age 53.
Funeral services were held from the Dayton, Va., U.B. Church. His body was laid to rest in the Dayton
Cemetery. His memoir, as well as his wife’s, is provided in Section II.A (below). The picture at the right is
from [MacAllister 1976, p. 93]. [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 132, 156; see also pp. 127, 156, 276-278, 280-295,
297, 301] and [Glovier 1965, pp. 70, 89, 94, 112, 151].
BESHORE: Andrew S. Beshore was licensed in 1912 and served Elkton Circuit, with W. S. Rau, 1912-14;
preaching at two appointments, including Mt. Bethel. He was also a student at Shenandoah Institute, 1912-
14. He married Nannie Burrus, also a student at Shenandoah Institute. In 1914-15 he was living in Aurora,
Neb., and in 1915 transferred to the Nebraska Conference [Lycoming 2013].
BLACK: Glen Black was ordained in 1960 and served Riverton Circuit, 1965-68; and Manassas Circuit
(Metropolitan District), 1968-70 [General Minutes 1969, p. 1064]. In the 1985 and 1990 UMC General
Minutes he is listed as previously retired but he is not listed in the 1995 General Minutes.
BLACK: William A. Black became a member of Conference in 1897 and ordained in 1900. He served
Shenandoah City Mission, 1897-1900; and Roanoke First Church, 1900-03. He was granted local relation to
Conference in 1907 In 1921 he was living in Roanoke. [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 132, 310; see also pp. 128,
294, 296, 298, 301, 311] and [Glovier 1965, p. 90]
BLAKNEY: P. E. Blakney served Cumberland Second Circuit, 1923-25. Not mentioned in [Funkhouser
1921] but see [Glovier 1965, pp. 91]. A Rev. Paul E. Blakeney (Wife Carrie A.) was appointed pastor of the
U.B. Church in East St. Louis and served as the minister of Signal Hill Methodist Episcopal Church, 1918-19, in
Belleville in East St. Louis, Ill (Evanston Directory and 1918 Southern Illinois Conference of the MEC). A P. E.
Blakeney married Jennie Ruth Roddy and Walter Grant Clark at Cumberland, Md., on July 23, 1924. The
Cumberland Evening Times of Oct. 8, 1926, refers to the “unfrocking” of Rev. Blakney.
BOEHM: Charles Boehm became a member of Conference in 1830 and ordained in 1832 He was a
designated Conference Itinerant, 1830-31, and served Juniata Circuit, 1831-32. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 132,
125, 240-243; Glovier 1965, p. 88; Lycoming 2013].
BOEHM: Henry Boehm was a member of Conference in 1800—joined M.E.Ch. in 1802,
when he was licensed, and ordained there in 1803—he is interred at Staten Island. From
Wikipedia: Henry Boehm (b. June 8, 1775; d. Dec. 28, 1875) was an American clergyman and
pastor. The son of noted clergyman Martin Boehm, Henry preferred to be a traveling preacher,
going to different churches and lecturing about various religious topics. Boehm established
many Methodist churches and ministerial services throughout the United States, but the first
Methodist church was located in Lancaster, Pa. This is where Henry Boehm preached for over
70 years. His centennial was held in high regard throughout the small villages and cities where
Boehm had visited. Boehm preached his last sermon a few days before his death at age 100 in
1875. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 132; see also pp. 15, 43, 46-47, 49, 57-58, 62-63, 124, 225]; [Lycoming 2013];
Biographical Sketches 12
BENNETT: W. B. Bennett served Pleasant Valley Circuit, 1906-07. (Not mentioned in [Funkhouser
1921]).
BERGER: Christian Berger was licensed in 1803 and ordained in 1805. To see what would take place
below in the great meeting, he hid himself in a barn in Berks Co., but at length the people were startled by his
loud cries and prayers; he was brought down and soon converted—always in deep poverty, but an
indefatigable preacher—moved to Westmoreland Co., Pa. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 132; see also pp. 124, 228,
229, 230, 231]. He is mentioned in [Newcomer’s Journal, pp. 76, 208, 215]. See [Glovier 1965, pp. 19, 87].
BERGER: Joseph Berger (Barger) became a member of Conference and licensed in 1828 and was
ordained in 1835. He was a charter member of Allegheny Conference in 1839. His name was erased from the
rolls in 1857. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 125, 132, 239; Glovier 1965, p. 88; Lycoming 2013]
BERRY: William Richard Berry, second son of Archibald and Elizabeth Berry, was
born Oct. 11, 1853, near Mt. Clinton in Rockingham County, Va. In 1870, at a camp
meeting conducted by Rev. J. W. Howe, near Singers Glen, he was converted. He
was first licensed to preach by Rev. John Ruebush, Nov. 1874, at Otterbein Church,
Rockingham County, Va. He united with the Virginia Annual Conference at
Winchester, Mar. 1878, and was appointed to a field of labor. He was ordained in
1881. For 28 years he was in the regular work of the ministry serving the following
charges: Pleasant Valley, Shady Grove, 1878-79; New Creek, 1879-81; South
Branch, 1881-82; Mechanicstown, 1882-84; Hagerstown, 1884-86; Berkeley Springs Circuit,
1886-90; Edinburg, 1890-91; Winchester Station, 1891-92; Cross Keys, 1892-94; Lacey Springs,
1893-94; Singers Glen, 1894-1900; Dayton, 1900-03; and Frederick, 1903-06. He was a man of deep
convictions and when he once decided that a measure was right or wrong he stood firm in his opinion, even if
he had to suffer on account of it. “Ill health compelled him to locate, but he lived only a few weeks in a home
of his own. Mr. Berry was a faithful minister, and few members of Va. Conf. were more highly esteemed. In
1882 he was married to Miss Margaret Taylor of Hampshire County.” He died on July 30, 1906, age 53.
Funeral services were held from the Dayton, Va., U.B. Church. His body was laid to rest in the Dayton
Cemetery. His memoir, as well as his wife’s, is provided in Section II.A (below). The picture at the right is
from [MacAllister 1976, p. 93]. [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 132, 156; see also pp. 127, 156, 276-278, 280-295,
297, 301] and [Glovier 1965, pp. 70, 89, 94, 112, 151].
BESHORE: Andrew S. Beshore was licensed in 1912 and served Elkton Circuit, with W. S. Rau, 1912-14;
preaching at two appointments, including Mt. Bethel. He was also a student at Shenandoah Institute, 1912-
14. He married Nannie Burrus, also a student at Shenandoah Institute. In 1914-15 he was living in Aurora,
Neb., and in 1915 transferred to the Nebraska Conference [Lycoming 2013].
BLACK: Glen Black was ordained in 1960 and served Riverton Circuit, 1965-68; and Manassas Circuit
(Metropolitan District), 1968-70 [General Minutes 1969, p. 1064]. In the 1985 and 1990 UMC General
Minutes he is listed as previously retired but he is not listed in the 1995 General Minutes.
BLACK: William A. Black became a member of Conference in 1897 and ordained in 1900. He served
Shenandoah City Mission, 1897-1900; and Roanoke First Church, 1900-03. He was granted local relation to
Conference in 1907 In 1921 he was living in Roanoke. [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 132, 310; see also pp. 128,
294, 296, 298, 301, 311] and [Glovier 1965, p. 90]
BLAKNEY: P. E. Blakney served Cumberland Second Circuit, 1923-25. Not mentioned in [Funkhouser
1921] but see [Glovier 1965, pp. 91]. A Rev. Paul E. Blakeney (Wife Carrie A.) was appointed pastor of the
U.B. Church in East St. Louis and served as the minister of Signal Hill Methodist Episcopal Church, 1918-19, in
Belleville in East St. Louis, Ill (Evanston Directory and 1918 Southern Illinois Conference of the MEC). A P. E.
Blakeney married Jennie Ruth Roddy and Walter Grant Clark at Cumberland, Md., on July 23, 1924. The
Cumberland Evening Times of Oct. 8, 1926, refers to the “unfrocking” of Rev. Blakney.
BOEHM: Charles Boehm became a member of Conference in 1830 and ordained in 1832 He was a
designated Conference Itinerant, 1830-31, and served Juniata Circuit, 1831-32. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 132,
125, 240-243; Glovier 1965, p. 88; Lycoming 2013].
BOEHM: Henry Boehm was a member of Conference in 1800—joined M.E.Ch. in 1802,
when he was licensed, and ordained there in 1803—he is interred at Staten Island. From
Wikipedia: Henry Boehm (b. June 8, 1775; d. Dec. 28, 1875) was an American clergyman and
pastor. The son of noted clergyman Martin Boehm, Henry preferred to be a traveling preacher,
going to different churches and lecturing about various religious topics. Boehm established
many Methodist churches and ministerial services throughout the United States, but the first
Methodist church was located in Lancaster, Pa. This is where Henry Boehm preached for over
70 years. His centennial was held in high regard throughout the small villages and cities where
Boehm had visited. Boehm preached his last sermon a few days before his death at age 100 in
1875. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 132; see also pp. 15, 43, 46-47, 49, 57-58, 62-63, 124, 225]; [Lycoming 2013];
Biographical Sketches 12
