Page 53 - United Brethren Preachers
P. 53
Volume 9 Preachers of U.B. and EUB Virginia Conferences December 26, 2024
His circuits in Va. Conf. were South Branch (6 months), 1861,
Augusta, 1861-62; Rockbridge, 1862-64; Lacey Springs, 1864-
65; South River, 1865-66; Keezletown, 1866-67; Boonsboro,
1867-68; Myersville, 1868-70; Lacey Springs, 1870-71;
Hagerstown, 1871-72; Frederick, 1872-75; Martinsburg Station,
1875-78; Presiding Elder, South Branch District, 1878-79;
Churchville, 1879-82; Frederick Mission Station, 1882-86; and
North River, 1886-87. He was secretary of the conference that
met at Otterbein Chapel, Shen. Co., Va., Feb. 1869, [and] he was
an itinerant preacher in Va. Conf. for 25 years, during which time he served as presiding
elder 11 years. After 1887 he was a member of the Maryland Conference—in this period,
he was 7 years presiding elder, three times a delegate to the General Conference, and built
four churches. Abram M. Evers was married to Jennie Rhinehart (d. 1935). Their son,
Samuel J. Evers, was a Congregationalist minister in Connecticut, and their daughter, Alice M. Evers, married
Rev. D. E. Burtner, also a Congregationalist. He served Hagerstown Circuit, 1982-95; and Hagerstown Grace,
1895-1902. In 1902 he joined the Pa. Conf. where he held his membership until his death Sep. 18, 1918. He
served Marion, 1903-07, and beginning in 1907 held local relationship. He died Sep. 18, 1918, in
Hagerstown, Md., where he resided after retiring from active service. Interment was in Rose Hill Cemetery,
Hagerstown., Md. He married Jennie Rhinehart, who died Jan. 3, 1935, at the advanced age of 90. Samuel J.
Evers, a son, has been pastor of a Congregational Church in Connecticut since 1896. It is doubtful if any
minister of our Denomination ever enjoyed as large a circle of friends, both ministerial and lay, as did Father
Evers. In addition to numerous successful pastorates, mostly in Western Maryland, he served a number of
years as presiding elder in both Virginia and Maryland Conferences. He was the builder of many churches,
including the first building of Grace Church, Hagerstown. Mr. Evers was one of the group that formed the
Maryland Conference in 1887, and came with it into Pa. Conf. in 1901. The two pictures on the left are from
[Glovier 1965, pp. 68-70]; the left-most was taken in 1873, the one in the middle in 1886. [Funkhouser
1921, p. 162; see also pp. 126, 135, 162; 262-290, 292-293, 295-296, 298]; [Holdcraft 1938, p. 293 (which
provided he picture on the right)]; [Glovier 1965, p. 117; see also pp. 89, 95]; and [Lycoming 2013]
EVERS. E. Evers was listed as an absent member of Conference in 1861; nothing else is known.
[Funkhouser 1921, p. 261]
EVERS: Samuel Evers was admitted to Conference in 1857 and served Frederick, 1858-59, and
Churchville, 1859-60; but he died at age 30 in June 1861, “just as the war-clouds were gathering. He was
undertaking an important work as teacher, and it had been only two years since joining Conference. His
health had been undermined in his efforts to secure a college education. He was buried in the cemetery of the
Union Presbyterian church at Cross Keys, Va.” From [Funkhouser 1921, p. 217]: The first member of this
conference after Otterbein to be a college graduate was Samuel Evers, who completed the course in Otterbein
University and joined the conference in 1857. He founded Pleasant Grove Academy in 1859 and had less than
2 years of service when death ended his work. [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 126, 135, 191, 217, 260-261; Glovier
1965, p. 89]
EVERS: William B. Evers (b. 1839, Rockingham County, Va.; d. Nov. 9, 1920, Martinsburg,
W.Va.) served Franklin, 1862-63; Big Grove Circuit (E. Des Moines Conf.), 1863-65;
Winchester, 1865-66; and New Holland (E. Pa. Conf.), 1866-67 in Va. Conf. He attended his
first (recorded) Va. Conf. in 1866. He transferred to E. Pa. Conf. in 1867. There he served
Mount Joy, 1867-68; Shamokin, 1868-70; Highspire, 1870-71; Reading Otterbein, 1871-72;
Harrisburg Boas Street, 1872-75; Phoenixville, 1875-77; and Greencastle (Pa. Conf.), 1877-78.
He transferred to Pa. Conf. in 1878. However, he attended Va. Conf. in 1879 and served
additional circuits in Va. Conf.: Opequon, 1879-80; Vancleavesville, 1882-83 and 1886-89;
Keedysville, 1889-90; and both Midland and Westernport Circuits, 1903-04. After 1904 he held
a local relationship. His 1920 interment was in Martinsburg, W.Va. The picture is from
[Holdcraft 1938, p. 307], taken in 1888. [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 265, 278, 282-285, 289; Lycoming 2013]
EWIG (EVIG): James Ewig was licensed to exhort in 1822, was licensed to preach and became a member
of Conference in 1824; was licensed (again) to exhort in 1828; became a member of Conference (again) in
1829; was a designated Conference Itinerant in 1829; and ordained 1829 (?) [Funkhouser 1921, p. 125, 135
(the interrogatory is for “James Evig”); 235-236, 240-241; Glovier 1965, p. 88].
EWING: John Wesley Otterbein Ewing (b. Aug. 14, 1866; d. Oct.
18, 1898) was born of pious parents in the year 1866 (near Stephens
City, Va.) and united with the Church when 14 years of age. He
began his active ministry on Winchester Circuit in 1887, joined Va.
Conf. in 1889, and was ordained in 1892—but he soon died (1898).
Besides Winchester, 1887-88, he served Vancleavesville, 1889-90;
Biographical Sketches 41
His circuits in Va. Conf. were South Branch (6 months), 1861,
Augusta, 1861-62; Rockbridge, 1862-64; Lacey Springs, 1864-
65; South River, 1865-66; Keezletown, 1866-67; Boonsboro,
1867-68; Myersville, 1868-70; Lacey Springs, 1870-71;
Hagerstown, 1871-72; Frederick, 1872-75; Martinsburg Station,
1875-78; Presiding Elder, South Branch District, 1878-79;
Churchville, 1879-82; Frederick Mission Station, 1882-86; and
North River, 1886-87. He was secretary of the conference that
met at Otterbein Chapel, Shen. Co., Va., Feb. 1869, [and] he was
an itinerant preacher in Va. Conf. for 25 years, during which time he served as presiding
elder 11 years. After 1887 he was a member of the Maryland Conference—in this period,
he was 7 years presiding elder, three times a delegate to the General Conference, and built
four churches. Abram M. Evers was married to Jennie Rhinehart (d. 1935). Their son,
Samuel J. Evers, was a Congregationalist minister in Connecticut, and their daughter, Alice M. Evers, married
Rev. D. E. Burtner, also a Congregationalist. He served Hagerstown Circuit, 1982-95; and Hagerstown Grace,
1895-1902. In 1902 he joined the Pa. Conf. where he held his membership until his death Sep. 18, 1918. He
served Marion, 1903-07, and beginning in 1907 held local relationship. He died Sep. 18, 1918, in
Hagerstown, Md., where he resided after retiring from active service. Interment was in Rose Hill Cemetery,
Hagerstown., Md. He married Jennie Rhinehart, who died Jan. 3, 1935, at the advanced age of 90. Samuel J.
Evers, a son, has been pastor of a Congregational Church in Connecticut since 1896. It is doubtful if any
minister of our Denomination ever enjoyed as large a circle of friends, both ministerial and lay, as did Father
Evers. In addition to numerous successful pastorates, mostly in Western Maryland, he served a number of
years as presiding elder in both Virginia and Maryland Conferences. He was the builder of many churches,
including the first building of Grace Church, Hagerstown. Mr. Evers was one of the group that formed the
Maryland Conference in 1887, and came with it into Pa. Conf. in 1901. The two pictures on the left are from
[Glovier 1965, pp. 68-70]; the left-most was taken in 1873, the one in the middle in 1886. [Funkhouser
1921, p. 162; see also pp. 126, 135, 162; 262-290, 292-293, 295-296, 298]; [Holdcraft 1938, p. 293 (which
provided he picture on the right)]; [Glovier 1965, p. 117; see also pp. 89, 95]; and [Lycoming 2013]
EVERS. E. Evers was listed as an absent member of Conference in 1861; nothing else is known.
[Funkhouser 1921, p. 261]
EVERS: Samuel Evers was admitted to Conference in 1857 and served Frederick, 1858-59, and
Churchville, 1859-60; but he died at age 30 in June 1861, “just as the war-clouds were gathering. He was
undertaking an important work as teacher, and it had been only two years since joining Conference. His
health had been undermined in his efforts to secure a college education. He was buried in the cemetery of the
Union Presbyterian church at Cross Keys, Va.” From [Funkhouser 1921, p. 217]: The first member of this
conference after Otterbein to be a college graduate was Samuel Evers, who completed the course in Otterbein
University and joined the conference in 1857. He founded Pleasant Grove Academy in 1859 and had less than
2 years of service when death ended his work. [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 126, 135, 191, 217, 260-261; Glovier
1965, p. 89]
EVERS: William B. Evers (b. 1839, Rockingham County, Va.; d. Nov. 9, 1920, Martinsburg,
W.Va.) served Franklin, 1862-63; Big Grove Circuit (E. Des Moines Conf.), 1863-65;
Winchester, 1865-66; and New Holland (E. Pa. Conf.), 1866-67 in Va. Conf. He attended his
first (recorded) Va. Conf. in 1866. He transferred to E. Pa. Conf. in 1867. There he served
Mount Joy, 1867-68; Shamokin, 1868-70; Highspire, 1870-71; Reading Otterbein, 1871-72;
Harrisburg Boas Street, 1872-75; Phoenixville, 1875-77; and Greencastle (Pa. Conf.), 1877-78.
He transferred to Pa. Conf. in 1878. However, he attended Va. Conf. in 1879 and served
additional circuits in Va. Conf.: Opequon, 1879-80; Vancleavesville, 1882-83 and 1886-89;
Keedysville, 1889-90; and both Midland and Westernport Circuits, 1903-04. After 1904 he held
a local relationship. His 1920 interment was in Martinsburg, W.Va. The picture is from
[Holdcraft 1938, p. 307], taken in 1888. [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 265, 278, 282-285, 289; Lycoming 2013]
EWIG (EVIG): James Ewig was licensed to exhort in 1822, was licensed to preach and became a member
of Conference in 1824; was licensed (again) to exhort in 1828; became a member of Conference (again) in
1829; was a designated Conference Itinerant in 1829; and ordained 1829 (?) [Funkhouser 1921, p. 125, 135
(the interrogatory is for “James Evig”); 235-236, 240-241; Glovier 1965, p. 88].
EWING: John Wesley Otterbein Ewing (b. Aug. 14, 1866; d. Oct.
18, 1898) was born of pious parents in the year 1866 (near Stephens
City, Va.) and united with the Church when 14 years of age. He
began his active ministry on Winchester Circuit in 1887, joined Va.
Conf. in 1889, and was ordained in 1892—but he soon died (1898).
Besides Winchester, 1887-88, he served Vancleavesville, 1889-90;
Biographical Sketches 41
