Page 48 - United Brethren Preachers
P. 48
Volume 9 Preachers of U.B. and EUB Virginia Conferences December 26, 2024
During his ministry, he served as pastor of the following charges: Shady Grove, 1877-78;
Bloomery, 1878-79; Dayton Circuit, 1879-80; Boonsboro, 1881-82; Martinsburg Station, 1882-
83; Berkeley Springs Circuit, 1883-86; Lacey Springs, 1886-89; Singers Glen, 1889-90;
Staunton, 1890-96; North River, 1896-1903, and Midland, 1902-03; Martinsburg Station,
1903-05; and, besides, “was Presiding Elder on Winchester District seven successive years.”
He represented his Conference in two General Conferences and was elected to the third, which
he was not permitted to attend on account of failing health. “Mr. Donovan easily made friends,
and among the railroad men he was a great favorite. He was an interesting preacher and
untiring pastor, and a most-successful evangelist. During the last months of his life, true to his
wish to help others, he cared for an aged blind man in whose home he lived in Martinsburg.”
He was preeminently successful in winning souls. His manner of life was such as to win multitudes of friends.
He quietly breathed his last on Apr. 22, 1905, in Martinsburg, W.Va., where he served his last pastorate.
Funeral services were conducted at Martinsburg. The remains were taken to Singers Glen, near his birthplace
and there laid to rest among his kindred. Memorial services were held at the U.B. Church at Singers Glen, Va.
“His wife was Miss Lillian V. Croft, of Staunton. He had an only son.” He served Martinsburg Mission Station
in 1880-1881 and Martinsburg Station 1903-05. He dedicated Cedar Grove U.B. Church in 1886, built at a
cost of $500; the second church house at Greensburg, W.Va., built in 1889 at a cost of $2,500; the third
church house at Mt. Hebron, built in 1897 with seating for 250 and costing $650; the U.B. Church at St. John’s
Run (W.Va.) in 1898; and Sperry’ Run Church in 1901. His memoir, as well as his wife’s, is provided in
Section II.A (below). The picture on the right is from [Glovier 1965, pp. 69, 111], taken in 1886; the one on
the left is from [U.B. Yearbook 1902, p. 13]. The picture below the others is from Donovan Memorial UMC.
[Funkhouser 1921 as “Donavan,” pp. 72, 127, 134, 195, 201, 291; as “Donovan,” 162-163, 197, 275-290,
296-297, 200] and [Glovier 1965 as “Donavon,” pp. 94, 111-112, 149, 311; as “Donavan, p. 89; as
“Donovan,” pp. 157, 173]
DORCAS: John Dorcas became a member of Conference in 1829; ordained 1832. He was designated
Conference Itinerant, 1829-31; and served Hagerstown, 1832-34, and Frederick, 1834-35. “A charge against
Bro. Dorcas [was] referred to Haney, Deneal and Jacob Rhinehart, who [reported] he should give up his
license, or they be given power to silence him if he refuse to give complete satisfaction.” [Funkhouser 1921,
p. 125, 134-136, 241-246; Glovier 1965, p. 88]
DORSEY: R. L. Dorsey became a member of Va. Conf. and was licensed to preach in 1890. He served
North Fork, 1890-91; and Bloomery, 1892-93; but he was “dismissed from the ministry and name stricken
from roll” in 1894 [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 128, 134, 291, 293; Glovier 1965, p. 90].
DOTSON: B. F. Dotson is listed as a Va. Conf. Itinerant and second year licentiate in 1911 (thus, he likely
joined Conference in 1910). He served Bayard, 1909-10; Shenandoah, 1910-11; and Martinsburg Second
Church, 1911-13. Early in his appointment at Second Church (now St. Luke’s), in July 1911, that church was
formally organized and the new building dedicated. While at Martinsburg Second he assisted the start of
Blairton Church. [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 303-305; Glovier 1965, p. 192, 200].
DOUB: Jacob Doub (Daub) (b. Nov. 22, 1771, Frederick, Md.; d. Aug. 27, 1838) served Augusta circuit,
1824-25 and was designated Conference Itinerant, 1824-26. Jacob Doub attended both sessions of the
Conference of 1825 and was placed on the Committee on Complaints (“should any be made”). Note: Jacob
Doub is a first cousin to Jacob Bowlus. He is also the brother of the Valentine Doub42 who married Esther
Kemp, the daughter of the Peter Kemp in whose home [in Frederick County, Md.) the U.B. denomination was
formed in 1800—the Conference of 1819 also met at Valentine Doub’s. This may be the Jacob Doub who
served the Bedford MEC Circuit in the Baltimore Conference 1827-28. [Lycoming 2013] Regarding the Doub
family, we have, from [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 49-50; see also pp. 236-237]:
The last visit [to Virginia] by Newcomer was in 1828, when he was 79 years old. That summer he held eight camp
meetings, three of them in Virginia. … The next day found Newcomer at a camp meeting on the land of Jacob Lentz, at the
head of Brock’s Gap four miles above Dovesville. Lentz had come from Loudoun County years before, bringing his United
Brethrenism with him, and though he was more than 30 miles from the county seat, he was not too far away for his old
friends to find him. Near him at Dovesville, was another United Brethren, Frederick Doub (Dove), who had come from
Frederick County, Md. The post office was named after him. The descendants of the Lentzs and Doves, and the
intermarried families now form a large element of the population here.
DOUTY: Frank Smith Douty “was born Mar. 23, 1924, in Omar, Logan County, W.Va., the
second of three children born to Charles Norman and Montie Kincaid Douty. After graduating
from Buckhannon-Upshur High School, Mr. Douty served three years in the U.S. Navy during
World War II. On July 4, 1946, he married Frances Aranita Crites, and to this union have
been born Franklin Darrell, Frances Darlene, Freda Diann, Fred Dwayne and Flora Denise. On
42 While Valentine Doub was not a U.B. preacher, he was made (in the Conference of 1822) a trustee for the newly-formed
benevolent society (for aging preachers).
Biographical Sketches 36
During his ministry, he served as pastor of the following charges: Shady Grove, 1877-78;
Bloomery, 1878-79; Dayton Circuit, 1879-80; Boonsboro, 1881-82; Martinsburg Station, 1882-
83; Berkeley Springs Circuit, 1883-86; Lacey Springs, 1886-89; Singers Glen, 1889-90;
Staunton, 1890-96; North River, 1896-1903, and Midland, 1902-03; Martinsburg Station,
1903-05; and, besides, “was Presiding Elder on Winchester District seven successive years.”
He represented his Conference in two General Conferences and was elected to the third, which
he was not permitted to attend on account of failing health. “Mr. Donovan easily made friends,
and among the railroad men he was a great favorite. He was an interesting preacher and
untiring pastor, and a most-successful evangelist. During the last months of his life, true to his
wish to help others, he cared for an aged blind man in whose home he lived in Martinsburg.”
He was preeminently successful in winning souls. His manner of life was such as to win multitudes of friends.
He quietly breathed his last on Apr. 22, 1905, in Martinsburg, W.Va., where he served his last pastorate.
Funeral services were conducted at Martinsburg. The remains were taken to Singers Glen, near his birthplace
and there laid to rest among his kindred. Memorial services were held at the U.B. Church at Singers Glen, Va.
“His wife was Miss Lillian V. Croft, of Staunton. He had an only son.” He served Martinsburg Mission Station
in 1880-1881 and Martinsburg Station 1903-05. He dedicated Cedar Grove U.B. Church in 1886, built at a
cost of $500; the second church house at Greensburg, W.Va., built in 1889 at a cost of $2,500; the third
church house at Mt. Hebron, built in 1897 with seating for 250 and costing $650; the U.B. Church at St. John’s
Run (W.Va.) in 1898; and Sperry’ Run Church in 1901. His memoir, as well as his wife’s, is provided in
Section II.A (below). The picture on the right is from [Glovier 1965, pp. 69, 111], taken in 1886; the one on
the left is from [U.B. Yearbook 1902, p. 13]. The picture below the others is from Donovan Memorial UMC.
[Funkhouser 1921 as “Donavan,” pp. 72, 127, 134, 195, 201, 291; as “Donovan,” 162-163, 197, 275-290,
296-297, 200] and [Glovier 1965 as “Donavon,” pp. 94, 111-112, 149, 311; as “Donavan, p. 89; as
“Donovan,” pp. 157, 173]
DORCAS: John Dorcas became a member of Conference in 1829; ordained 1832. He was designated
Conference Itinerant, 1829-31; and served Hagerstown, 1832-34, and Frederick, 1834-35. “A charge against
Bro. Dorcas [was] referred to Haney, Deneal and Jacob Rhinehart, who [reported] he should give up his
license, or they be given power to silence him if he refuse to give complete satisfaction.” [Funkhouser 1921,
p. 125, 134-136, 241-246; Glovier 1965, p. 88]
DORSEY: R. L. Dorsey became a member of Va. Conf. and was licensed to preach in 1890. He served
North Fork, 1890-91; and Bloomery, 1892-93; but he was “dismissed from the ministry and name stricken
from roll” in 1894 [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 128, 134, 291, 293; Glovier 1965, p. 90].
DOTSON: B. F. Dotson is listed as a Va. Conf. Itinerant and second year licentiate in 1911 (thus, he likely
joined Conference in 1910). He served Bayard, 1909-10; Shenandoah, 1910-11; and Martinsburg Second
Church, 1911-13. Early in his appointment at Second Church (now St. Luke’s), in July 1911, that church was
formally organized and the new building dedicated. While at Martinsburg Second he assisted the start of
Blairton Church. [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 303-305; Glovier 1965, p. 192, 200].
DOUB: Jacob Doub (Daub) (b. Nov. 22, 1771, Frederick, Md.; d. Aug. 27, 1838) served Augusta circuit,
1824-25 and was designated Conference Itinerant, 1824-26. Jacob Doub attended both sessions of the
Conference of 1825 and was placed on the Committee on Complaints (“should any be made”). Note: Jacob
Doub is a first cousin to Jacob Bowlus. He is also the brother of the Valentine Doub42 who married Esther
Kemp, the daughter of the Peter Kemp in whose home [in Frederick County, Md.) the U.B. denomination was
formed in 1800—the Conference of 1819 also met at Valentine Doub’s. This may be the Jacob Doub who
served the Bedford MEC Circuit in the Baltimore Conference 1827-28. [Lycoming 2013] Regarding the Doub
family, we have, from [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 49-50; see also pp. 236-237]:
The last visit [to Virginia] by Newcomer was in 1828, when he was 79 years old. That summer he held eight camp
meetings, three of them in Virginia. … The next day found Newcomer at a camp meeting on the land of Jacob Lentz, at the
head of Brock’s Gap four miles above Dovesville. Lentz had come from Loudoun County years before, bringing his United
Brethrenism with him, and though he was more than 30 miles from the county seat, he was not too far away for his old
friends to find him. Near him at Dovesville, was another United Brethren, Frederick Doub (Dove), who had come from
Frederick County, Md. The post office was named after him. The descendants of the Lentzs and Doves, and the
intermarried families now form a large element of the population here.
DOUTY: Frank Smith Douty “was born Mar. 23, 1924, in Omar, Logan County, W.Va., the
second of three children born to Charles Norman and Montie Kincaid Douty. After graduating
from Buckhannon-Upshur High School, Mr. Douty served three years in the U.S. Navy during
World War II. On July 4, 1946, he married Frances Aranita Crites, and to this union have
been born Franklin Darrell, Frances Darlene, Freda Diann, Fred Dwayne and Flora Denise. On
42 While Valentine Doub was not a U.B. preacher, he was made (in the Conference of 1822) a trustee for the newly-formed
benevolent society (for aging preachers).
Biographical Sketches 36
