Page 31 - United Brethren Preachers
P. 31
Volume 9 Preachers of U.B. and EUB Virginia Conferences December 26, 2024
Rockingham, 1908-10; Prince William Mission, 1910-16; Bayard, 1916-22; Great
Cacapon, 1922-24; Singers Glen, 1924-28; and Pleasant Valley, 1928-31. After
retiring in 1931, he served as associate pastor to his son at Salem-Friendship
churches (1932-36) and as class leader and teacher of the men’s Bible class of
Martinsburg Second Church. He died on Dec. 6, 1936 and was buried at Shiloh
U.B. Church, Hampshire County, W.Va. J. W. Brill married Fannie B. Cline [Kline]
(b. Oct. 20, 1858, d. 25 Mar. 1937) of Hampshire County, W.Va., Feb. 21, 1883.
They had seven children, Rev. Richard L. Brill, Ira Donovan Brill, W. Ott Brill, an
undertaker at Elkton, Va., Floyd Brill, Eva Brill (Mrs. Stanley J. Rexrode), Iva Brill
(Mrs. J. J. Crider), and Mrs. W. L. Davis. James W. Brill was well known for his poetry—in 1910 Va. Conf.
News printed the following poem by Brill [MacAllister 1976, pp. 98-99, which provided the picture on the left]:
Oh! for a heart to praise the Lord, A heart from sin set free,
For then we have a great reward, His beauty we do see. For blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see their God, For this is what the Saviour said To those who with Him trod.
Oh! may we feel the holy fire Inspiring us to go, In faithful service to the end, To know as we are known.
Brill was a great weather prophet. He would walk out on the parsonage porch and look up at the sky to
survey the atmospheric conditions. During much of the year, he could be seen wearing rubber overshoes and
fuzzy ear muffs. He also wore a derby hat and Prince Albert coat. His son and son-in-law ran a Chevrolet
agency in Marlington, W.Va. Consequently, Rev. Brill had a new car to drive every year. He had a peculiar
habit of getting his car out of the garage and driving it up and down the road during rain showers to clean off
the exterior. He was a modest man as well. During his final days he wanted to be remembered as a “sinner
saved by grace Mrs. Brill’s memoir is provided in Section II.A (below). [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 133, 157-158;
see also pp. 128, 200, 201, 293, 296-300] and [Glovier 1965, p. 124, from which the picture on the right was
taken; see also pp. 77, 90, 96, 187, 206, 216, 220, 269]
BRILL: L. E. Brill was born at LaFollettesville, Hampshire County, W.Va., on Dec. 8, 1876. He married
Minnie Spaid (b. Apr. 14, 1880; d. Dec. 30, 1969) on July 17, 1899. He was licensed to preach in 1907,
having served Lost River charge (1905-06) and Broadway Circuit (1906-07). He served Lost River again,
1907-08. He was assigned to Lost River a third year, but was unable to serve because of ill health. He died
at his birthplace on Oct. 25, 1918, and was buried (with Minnie) in the Shiloh UMC Cemetery, Hampshire
County, W.Va. Glovier 1965, p. 95, 116] His memoir is provided in Section II.A (below).
BRILL: Richard Lawrence Brill (b. Apr. 4, 1899), son of Rev. and Mrs.
James W. Brill, was converted in early life and joined the U.B. Church. He
received his early education in the public schools and at Shenandoah
Institute, Dayton, Va. (Class of 1912) He married Grace H. Gilbert and
had two children. He served pastorates in Nebraska, New Mexico, and
Colorado. In 1931 he joined Va. Conf., being received on transfer from
the Colorado Conference, at which he had been ordained in 1923. He
served as pastor at Blairton, 1930-31; Martinsburg Second, 1931-38;
Keyser, 1938-1945, with Bayard, 1944-45; and Verona, 1945-52, when
he was appointed full-time Campaign Director to represent Shenandoah
College and Shenandoah Conservatory of Music in Va. Conf. At the
Annual Conference of 1953, he was granted a letter of transfer to the Florida Conference, where he has served
as pastor and as superintendent. He is (1965) superannuated and living (at least until 1968) in St.
Petersburg, Fla. [Glovier 1965, p. 269, from which the picture on the right was taken; see also pp. 77, 90,
96, 124, 187, 206, 216, 220] and [General Minutes 1968, p. 212]. Not listed in the 1969 or 1985 UMC
General Minutes.
BRIMLOW: David Garfield Brimlow was born in Frostburg, Md., on Oct. 18, 1880. He was licensed to
preach in 1895, and was ordained in the Methodist Church South. After serving a number of fields in that
church, he was received into Va. Conf. in 1911, where he served a number of fields and rendered faithful
service. He served Jones Spring, 1912-1914; Churchville, 1914-16; South Branch, 1916-17; Berkeley Springs
Circuit, 1919-1920; Edinburg, 1922-1925; West Rockingham, 1925-26; Toms Brook, 1926-29; Blairton,
1929-30; Mt. Clinton, 1931-32; Sleepy Creek, 1932-36; and Toms Brook, 1938-39. He was forced to rest for
a time on several different occasions because of ill health, but always came back ready to do his best in the
ministry of the Word. Brother Brimlow was thorough-going in all of his work and always had his work well
organized and met the requirements of the church. His great desire was to preach Christ as the Saviour of
men. During his last illness, his last wish was that he might be permitted to preach a few more years. He
died on Nov. 5, 1936 in Martinsburg, W.Va., and was buried at Gerrardstown, W.Va. [Funkhouser 1921, pp.
128, 194, 199, 304-305] and [Glovier 1965, pp. 90, 96, 124, 143] His memoir is provided in Section II.A
(below).
Biographical Sketches 19
Rockingham, 1908-10; Prince William Mission, 1910-16; Bayard, 1916-22; Great
Cacapon, 1922-24; Singers Glen, 1924-28; and Pleasant Valley, 1928-31. After
retiring in 1931, he served as associate pastor to his son at Salem-Friendship
churches (1932-36) and as class leader and teacher of the men’s Bible class of
Martinsburg Second Church. He died on Dec. 6, 1936 and was buried at Shiloh
U.B. Church, Hampshire County, W.Va. J. W. Brill married Fannie B. Cline [Kline]
(b. Oct. 20, 1858, d. 25 Mar. 1937) of Hampshire County, W.Va., Feb. 21, 1883.
They had seven children, Rev. Richard L. Brill, Ira Donovan Brill, W. Ott Brill, an
undertaker at Elkton, Va., Floyd Brill, Eva Brill (Mrs. Stanley J. Rexrode), Iva Brill
(Mrs. J. J. Crider), and Mrs. W. L. Davis. James W. Brill was well known for his poetry—in 1910 Va. Conf.
News printed the following poem by Brill [MacAllister 1976, pp. 98-99, which provided the picture on the left]:
Oh! for a heart to praise the Lord, A heart from sin set free,
For then we have a great reward, His beauty we do see. For blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see their God, For this is what the Saviour said To those who with Him trod.
Oh! may we feel the holy fire Inspiring us to go, In faithful service to the end, To know as we are known.
Brill was a great weather prophet. He would walk out on the parsonage porch and look up at the sky to
survey the atmospheric conditions. During much of the year, he could be seen wearing rubber overshoes and
fuzzy ear muffs. He also wore a derby hat and Prince Albert coat. His son and son-in-law ran a Chevrolet
agency in Marlington, W.Va. Consequently, Rev. Brill had a new car to drive every year. He had a peculiar
habit of getting his car out of the garage and driving it up and down the road during rain showers to clean off
the exterior. He was a modest man as well. During his final days he wanted to be remembered as a “sinner
saved by grace Mrs. Brill’s memoir is provided in Section II.A (below). [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 133, 157-158;
see also pp. 128, 200, 201, 293, 296-300] and [Glovier 1965, p. 124, from which the picture on the right was
taken; see also pp. 77, 90, 96, 187, 206, 216, 220, 269]
BRILL: L. E. Brill was born at LaFollettesville, Hampshire County, W.Va., on Dec. 8, 1876. He married
Minnie Spaid (b. Apr. 14, 1880; d. Dec. 30, 1969) on July 17, 1899. He was licensed to preach in 1907,
having served Lost River charge (1905-06) and Broadway Circuit (1906-07). He served Lost River again,
1907-08. He was assigned to Lost River a third year, but was unable to serve because of ill health. He died
at his birthplace on Oct. 25, 1918, and was buried (with Minnie) in the Shiloh UMC Cemetery, Hampshire
County, W.Va. Glovier 1965, p. 95, 116] His memoir is provided in Section II.A (below).
BRILL: Richard Lawrence Brill (b. Apr. 4, 1899), son of Rev. and Mrs.
James W. Brill, was converted in early life and joined the U.B. Church. He
received his early education in the public schools and at Shenandoah
Institute, Dayton, Va. (Class of 1912) He married Grace H. Gilbert and
had two children. He served pastorates in Nebraska, New Mexico, and
Colorado. In 1931 he joined Va. Conf., being received on transfer from
the Colorado Conference, at which he had been ordained in 1923. He
served as pastor at Blairton, 1930-31; Martinsburg Second, 1931-38;
Keyser, 1938-1945, with Bayard, 1944-45; and Verona, 1945-52, when
he was appointed full-time Campaign Director to represent Shenandoah
College and Shenandoah Conservatory of Music in Va. Conf. At the
Annual Conference of 1953, he was granted a letter of transfer to the Florida Conference, where he has served
as pastor and as superintendent. He is (1965) superannuated and living (at least until 1968) in St.
Petersburg, Fla. [Glovier 1965, p. 269, from which the picture on the right was taken; see also pp. 77, 90,
96, 124, 187, 206, 216, 220] and [General Minutes 1968, p. 212]. Not listed in the 1969 or 1985 UMC
General Minutes.
BRIMLOW: David Garfield Brimlow was born in Frostburg, Md., on Oct. 18, 1880. He was licensed to
preach in 1895, and was ordained in the Methodist Church South. After serving a number of fields in that
church, he was received into Va. Conf. in 1911, where he served a number of fields and rendered faithful
service. He served Jones Spring, 1912-1914; Churchville, 1914-16; South Branch, 1916-17; Berkeley Springs
Circuit, 1919-1920; Edinburg, 1922-1925; West Rockingham, 1925-26; Toms Brook, 1926-29; Blairton,
1929-30; Mt. Clinton, 1931-32; Sleepy Creek, 1932-36; and Toms Brook, 1938-39. He was forced to rest for
a time on several different occasions because of ill health, but always came back ready to do his best in the
ministry of the Word. Brother Brimlow was thorough-going in all of his work and always had his work well
organized and met the requirements of the church. His great desire was to preach Christ as the Saviour of
men. During his last illness, his last wish was that he might be permitted to preach a few more years. He
died on Nov. 5, 1936 in Martinsburg, W.Va., and was buried at Gerrardstown, W.Va. [Funkhouser 1921, pp.
128, 194, 199, 304-305] and [Glovier 1965, pp. 90, 96, 124, 143] His memoir is provided in Section II.A
(below).
Biographical Sketches 19
