Page 27 - United Brethren Preachers
P. 27
Volume 9 Preachers of U.B. and EUB Virginia Conferences December 26, 2024
BOVEY: Jacob A. Bovey (1824-59), first son of Rev. Adam I. Bovey and Elizabeth Rinehart, was licensed
to preach at the Annual Conference held at Otterbein Chapel, Shenandoah County, Va., Mar. 15, 1856. He
was ordained at the Conference of 1858. He served Highland, 1856-57; Frederick-Myersville, 1857-58; Lacey
Springs, 1858-59; and was appointed to Woodstock for 1859-60; however, he died in Nov. 1859. A victim to
typhoid fever and buried at Edinburg, Va., his dying message was, “Say to my brethren I die in the faith I
have preached. His widow was paid $100 by the Annual Conference of 1861, a like amount in 1863, and $72
in 1864. [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 132, 190; see also pp. 26, 156, 190, 258-263] and [Glovier 1965, pp. 89,
93, 98, 109, 148, 211].
BOWERS: Walter F. Bowers, Sr., served Martinsburg Circuit, 1967-69. He was admitted to Baltimore
Conference in full connection in 1974. In 1982 and 1985 he was serving Bunker Hill Charge (W.Va.), in 1990
Washington Square Charge (Hagerstown), and in 1995 Arden UMC (W.Va.). Rev. Bowers officiated at funeral
services for Bernard L. Watson of Bedington UMC, Martinsburg, on June 25, 2003; and for Clare E. Beitz in
Martinsburg on Sep. 2, 2000, both at Brown Funeral Home. He is currently a member of the Balt.-Wash.
Conf.
BOWERSOX: James E. Bowersox (1824-1880) became a member of Conference in 1843 and was
ordained in 1846. He served Staunton, 1843-44; Rockbridge, 1844-46; and Hagerstown, 1846-48. He
transferred to Iowa Conference 1858. He married Mary Margaret Shuey (1825-1896) and died at Shueyville,
Iowa. James and Mary had 10 children. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 133; see also pp. 126, 250-260] and [Glovier
1965, p. 88]
BOWMAN: Lee Gipson Bowman was born Jan. 2, 1931, in Freetown, Sierra
Leone, West Africa. His father, Rev. Lloyd S. Bowman (see below), was a
retired minister of Va. Conf. and former instructor in Shenandoah College. His
mother is Lelia Gipson Bowman. His parents both gave years of service as
missionaries in our Mission Field in Africa. Rev. Bowman is married to the
former Norma Haire, a grade-school teacher. Rev. Bowman earned his B.A. at
Bob Jones University, and he is a graduate of Evangelical School of Theology,
Naperville, Ill. He has served as pastor of Franklin Circuit, 1961-62; and
Pleasant Valley Circuit, 1962-69. [Glovier 1965, p. 268, from which the picture on the left is taken; see also
pp. 86, 92, 153, 258, 259] His memoir is provided in Section II.A (below).
BOWMAN: Lloyd Sharon Bowman, son of James B. and Margaret Rebecca Mehrague
Bowman, was born Dec. 31, 1895, in Halifax Township, Dauphin County, Pa. His education
consisted of graduation from Halifax High School, Lebanon Valley College with a B.A. Degree,
Princeton Theological Seminary with a Th.B. and a Th.M., and studies at University of Illinois,
Normal, Illinois. He was a missionary to Sierra Leone, West Africa, 1929-1936; Instructor
and Business Manager at Shenandoah College, 1937-1941. He served Mt. Clinton, Sleepy
Creek and Manassas Circuits in Va. Conf. He was ordained an elder in the West Africa
Conference, Sierra Leone, West Africa Jan. 12, 1930. He joined Va. Conf. in 1939. He was
married to Lela Ethel Gipson of Bloomington, Illinois on Jan. 12, 1930, the day of his
ordination. He retired and lived at Halifax, Pa. He died Jan. 10, 1981. [Glovier 1965, p. 264, from which the
picture is taken; see also pp. 86, 91, 167, 208, 257-258, 268, 316]. His memoir is provided in Section II.A
(below).
BOYD: S. E. Boyd (1844-1911) entered the local ministry of the M. E. Church South, at Rock’s Ferry,
W.Va., and into the active work in Loudon County, Va. He served as pastor or assistant, Wood Grove and
Carper’s Valley Circuits, afterward assuming local relation. Rev. Boyd joined the U.B. Church in Roanoke in
1901, and had charge of the Second Church in that city for 2 years. He joined the Conference in 1902. Rev.
Boyd was a great giver, a good preacher, and a worthy man. He died at Roanoke July 12, 1911, aged 67. His
funeral was preached in the Roanoke U.B. Church by the pastor Rev. T. M. Sharp. The trustees of the
Roanoke U.B. Church, donated a memorial window in their church to his memory and thereon inscribed: “In
memory of Rev. S. E. Boyd, 1844-1911. He served Roanoke Second, 1901-1905, with Roanoke First, 1903-
04; and Roanoke Circuit, 1905-08.” His memoir is provided in Section II.A (below). [Funkhouser 1921,
p. 132; see also pp. 128, 297, 298, 303] and [Glovier pp. 90, 94, 114]
BRADY: Troy R. Brady, a native of West Virginia—member of the W.Va. He
U.B. Conf. and for seven years pastor of the Elkins Church—was elected
President of Shenandoah College and Conservatory of Music in Aug. of 1952.
His duties as President to begin on June 23, 1953. He then served as
President through the session of 1955-1956. He served the Waynesboro EUB
Church from Jan. 1, 1957, until the Annual Conference Session of Sep. 4-8,
1957. He later went to Florida where he is serving a church in that
Conference in 1965. Rev. Brady graduated from Bonebrake Theological
Seminary in 1934. He was then ordained and admitted to conference in full connection.
Biographical Sketches 15
BOVEY: Jacob A. Bovey (1824-59), first son of Rev. Adam I. Bovey and Elizabeth Rinehart, was licensed
to preach at the Annual Conference held at Otterbein Chapel, Shenandoah County, Va., Mar. 15, 1856. He
was ordained at the Conference of 1858. He served Highland, 1856-57; Frederick-Myersville, 1857-58; Lacey
Springs, 1858-59; and was appointed to Woodstock for 1859-60; however, he died in Nov. 1859. A victim to
typhoid fever and buried at Edinburg, Va., his dying message was, “Say to my brethren I die in the faith I
have preached. His widow was paid $100 by the Annual Conference of 1861, a like amount in 1863, and $72
in 1864. [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 132, 190; see also pp. 26, 156, 190, 258-263] and [Glovier 1965, pp. 89,
93, 98, 109, 148, 211].
BOWERS: Walter F. Bowers, Sr., served Martinsburg Circuit, 1967-69. He was admitted to Baltimore
Conference in full connection in 1974. In 1982 and 1985 he was serving Bunker Hill Charge (W.Va.), in 1990
Washington Square Charge (Hagerstown), and in 1995 Arden UMC (W.Va.). Rev. Bowers officiated at funeral
services for Bernard L. Watson of Bedington UMC, Martinsburg, on June 25, 2003; and for Clare E. Beitz in
Martinsburg on Sep. 2, 2000, both at Brown Funeral Home. He is currently a member of the Balt.-Wash.
Conf.
BOWERSOX: James E. Bowersox (1824-1880) became a member of Conference in 1843 and was
ordained in 1846. He served Staunton, 1843-44; Rockbridge, 1844-46; and Hagerstown, 1846-48. He
transferred to Iowa Conference 1858. He married Mary Margaret Shuey (1825-1896) and died at Shueyville,
Iowa. James and Mary had 10 children. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 133; see also pp. 126, 250-260] and [Glovier
1965, p. 88]
BOWMAN: Lee Gipson Bowman was born Jan. 2, 1931, in Freetown, Sierra
Leone, West Africa. His father, Rev. Lloyd S. Bowman (see below), was a
retired minister of Va. Conf. and former instructor in Shenandoah College. His
mother is Lelia Gipson Bowman. His parents both gave years of service as
missionaries in our Mission Field in Africa. Rev. Bowman is married to the
former Norma Haire, a grade-school teacher. Rev. Bowman earned his B.A. at
Bob Jones University, and he is a graduate of Evangelical School of Theology,
Naperville, Ill. He has served as pastor of Franklin Circuit, 1961-62; and
Pleasant Valley Circuit, 1962-69. [Glovier 1965, p. 268, from which the picture on the left is taken; see also
pp. 86, 92, 153, 258, 259] His memoir is provided in Section II.A (below).
BOWMAN: Lloyd Sharon Bowman, son of James B. and Margaret Rebecca Mehrague
Bowman, was born Dec. 31, 1895, in Halifax Township, Dauphin County, Pa. His education
consisted of graduation from Halifax High School, Lebanon Valley College with a B.A. Degree,
Princeton Theological Seminary with a Th.B. and a Th.M., and studies at University of Illinois,
Normal, Illinois. He was a missionary to Sierra Leone, West Africa, 1929-1936; Instructor
and Business Manager at Shenandoah College, 1937-1941. He served Mt. Clinton, Sleepy
Creek and Manassas Circuits in Va. Conf. He was ordained an elder in the West Africa
Conference, Sierra Leone, West Africa Jan. 12, 1930. He joined Va. Conf. in 1939. He was
married to Lela Ethel Gipson of Bloomington, Illinois on Jan. 12, 1930, the day of his
ordination. He retired and lived at Halifax, Pa. He died Jan. 10, 1981. [Glovier 1965, p. 264, from which the
picture is taken; see also pp. 86, 91, 167, 208, 257-258, 268, 316]. His memoir is provided in Section II.A
(below).
BOYD: S. E. Boyd (1844-1911) entered the local ministry of the M. E. Church South, at Rock’s Ferry,
W.Va., and into the active work in Loudon County, Va. He served as pastor or assistant, Wood Grove and
Carper’s Valley Circuits, afterward assuming local relation. Rev. Boyd joined the U.B. Church in Roanoke in
1901, and had charge of the Second Church in that city for 2 years. He joined the Conference in 1902. Rev.
Boyd was a great giver, a good preacher, and a worthy man. He died at Roanoke July 12, 1911, aged 67. His
funeral was preached in the Roanoke U.B. Church by the pastor Rev. T. M. Sharp. The trustees of the
Roanoke U.B. Church, donated a memorial window in their church to his memory and thereon inscribed: “In
memory of Rev. S. E. Boyd, 1844-1911. He served Roanoke Second, 1901-1905, with Roanoke First, 1903-
04; and Roanoke Circuit, 1905-08.” His memoir is provided in Section II.A (below). [Funkhouser 1921,
p. 132; see also pp. 128, 297, 298, 303] and [Glovier pp. 90, 94, 114]
BRADY: Troy R. Brady, a native of West Virginia—member of the W.Va. He
U.B. Conf. and for seven years pastor of the Elkins Church—was elected
President of Shenandoah College and Conservatory of Music in Aug. of 1952.
His duties as President to begin on June 23, 1953. He then served as
President through the session of 1955-1956. He served the Waynesboro EUB
Church from Jan. 1, 1957, until the Annual Conference Session of Sep. 4-8,
1957. He later went to Florida where he is serving a church in that
Conference in 1965. Rev. Brady graduated from Bonebrake Theological
Seminary in 1934. He was then ordained and admitted to conference in full connection.
Biographical Sketches 15
