Page 59 - United Brethren Preachers
P. 59
Volume 9 Preachers of U.B. and EUB Virginia Conferences December 26, 2024
received his high school diploma. He attended Madison College and received his B.A. Degree from
Bridgewater College in 1932. He took two classes at Garrett Biblical Institute, Evanston, Ill. He received a
definite call to the ministry in 1920 (in prayer, God responded, “How can I make you a good S.S.
Superintendent when you do not do what I want you to do?”), took a quarterly license to preach in 1920 from
A. S. Hammack, joined Va. Conf. in 1923, and was ordained Sep. 1926 by Bishop G. D. Batdorf. He served
Swift Run, 1920-21 (as a student pastor); West Frederick, 1922-24; Pleasant Valley, 1924-27; Hardy, 1927-
30; Harriston, 1930-31; Pleasant Valley, 1931-34; Jones Spring, 1934-47; supplied Buck Hall, 1942-43;
served Edinburg, 1947-48; South Branch, 1948-55; Sleepy Creek, 1955-62; Great Cacapon, 1962-64; Sleepy
Creek, 1964-66; and West Frederick, 1966-69. He served on various boards of the Conference and was
Statistical Secretary 1947-69. On May 30, 1924, Rev. Frazier married Rachel Rinaca (b. Nov. 30, 1901; d.
Sep. 15, 1954), the daughter of James Abraham Rinaca (b. July 24, 1873; d. July 17, 2024) and Cora
Elizabeth (Bruce) Rinaca (b. Dec. 31, 1876; d. Oct. 30, 1953). To them was born Venusta Virginia Frazier
(Aug. 24, 1926). Ruth Marie was born in 1936, Esther Irene in 1938, and David Evans in 1941. Rachel was
killed as a result of a motor-vehicle accident in 1954. Later, on Sleepy Creek Charge he met and Married
Hazel Marie Butts (one of the singing Butts sisters; b. Jan. 5, 1908; d. July 25, 2024), who lived at
Johnsontown and taught elementary school at Hedgesville, W.Va. He taught elementary school part time and
full time while appointed as a preacher. Suffering from wide-spread melanoma, Rev. Frazier died at his home
on Route 3, Hedgesville, W.Va., on Feb. 9, 1981, at age 82. At the time, he was a member of Providence
Bible Church, for which Rev. Frank Douty was the pastor. Services were held in Martinsburg and burial at
Rose Dale Cemetery in that city. Hazel died 20 years later and is buried beside him. As of 2006, the four
children are still living, 5 of the 10 grandchildren are still living, and there are 18 great-grandchildren and at
least 12 great-great-grandchildren. His memoir, as well as his wife’s, is provided in Section II.A (below).
[Glovier 1965, p. 272; see also pp. 3, 91, 141, 144, 145, 147, 150, 257, 259]
FREED: A. Dorsey Freed, son of the Rev. John D. Freed of Virginia and Maryland, was born Oct. 15, 1850,
and died Oct. 1877. He was converted in 1867, and felt a call to preach, yet his diffidence and a sense of
being unworthy led him for a long while to keep back his convictions from others. After two terms in Lebanon
Valley, where he made commendable progress and occasionally preached, he was taken into Conference, but
the feebleness of his health compelled him to resign” his first charge and die at his father’s home at age 27.
[Funkhouser 1921, pp. 127, 136, 164, 191, 219, 272-275; Glovier 1965, p. 89].
FREED [FRIED]: John D. Freed (Fried48) joined Va. Conf. and was
licensed to preach in 1857. He was ordained in 1862. He served
appointments at Franklin, 1857-1860; Winchester Circuit, 1860-61;
South Branch, 1862-64; Hagerstown, 1864-66; Frederick, 1867-68;
Woodstock, 1869-1871; Tuscarora Mission, 1871-1873; Potomac
Mission, 1873-1875; Tuscarora Circuit, 1875-1877; Mechanicstown,
1877-1881; Frederick, 1882-1884; and Berkeley, 1886-87.
Colvinstown Church in the Edinburg circuit was built during his
pastorate in 1872 at a cost of $1,500; the church was dedicated by
Bishop Weaver. His son, A. D. Freed, was licensed in Va. Conf. in 1875
but died in Oct. 1876. J. D. Freed transferred to the Pa. Conf. in 1887. The left-most pictures are from
[Glovier 1965, pp. 68-70]; the one on the left was taken in 1873 and the one in the middle in 1886. The
picture on the right is from [Holdcraft 1938, p. 306] , taken in 1888. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 135, 195, 259,
268-285, 287, 289; Glovier 1965, pp. 68, 70, 245]
FRIDINGER: Donald Nelson Fridinger was born in Martinsburg, W.Va., on
Jan. 6, 1928, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Herman Fridinger. He was converted at
the age of 8 years at the Martinsburg First Church, where he held his
membership until his entry into the ministry. He graduated from Martinsburg
High School (1945); for 2 years attended Shenandoah College (Junior College
Diploma, 1947); and graduated from Lebanon Valley College (B.A., 1949) and
Bonebrake Theological Seminary (B.D., M.Div., 1952). He was ordained an
Elder in 1952 by Bishop D. T. Gregory. On Aug. 18, 1951, he was married to
Miss Norma Jean Nuscher of Dayton, Ohio, whom he met while serving her church as assistant pastor in
conjunction with attending seminary.. They are parents of two daughters, Sandra and Kimberly. Upon
graduation from Seminary he was assigned to the Franklin Charge, where he served until Dec. 31, 1955. On
Jan. 1, 1956 he became pastor in Elkton, Va. Rev. Don served Franklin, 1952-55, and Elkton, 1955-69. He
retired after 40 years of service in the ministry in June 1989, some months after a heart attack and triple by-
48 Often (21 times, but not always) identified in Va. Conf. Minutes as J. D. Fried (the German form of this name) from
1857-1879.
Biographical Sketches 47
received his high school diploma. He attended Madison College and received his B.A. Degree from
Bridgewater College in 1932. He took two classes at Garrett Biblical Institute, Evanston, Ill. He received a
definite call to the ministry in 1920 (in prayer, God responded, “How can I make you a good S.S.
Superintendent when you do not do what I want you to do?”), took a quarterly license to preach in 1920 from
A. S. Hammack, joined Va. Conf. in 1923, and was ordained Sep. 1926 by Bishop G. D. Batdorf. He served
Swift Run, 1920-21 (as a student pastor); West Frederick, 1922-24; Pleasant Valley, 1924-27; Hardy, 1927-
30; Harriston, 1930-31; Pleasant Valley, 1931-34; Jones Spring, 1934-47; supplied Buck Hall, 1942-43;
served Edinburg, 1947-48; South Branch, 1948-55; Sleepy Creek, 1955-62; Great Cacapon, 1962-64; Sleepy
Creek, 1964-66; and West Frederick, 1966-69. He served on various boards of the Conference and was
Statistical Secretary 1947-69. On May 30, 1924, Rev. Frazier married Rachel Rinaca (b. Nov. 30, 1901; d.
Sep. 15, 1954), the daughter of James Abraham Rinaca (b. July 24, 1873; d. July 17, 2024) and Cora
Elizabeth (Bruce) Rinaca (b. Dec. 31, 1876; d. Oct. 30, 1953). To them was born Venusta Virginia Frazier
(Aug. 24, 1926). Ruth Marie was born in 1936, Esther Irene in 1938, and David Evans in 1941. Rachel was
killed as a result of a motor-vehicle accident in 1954. Later, on Sleepy Creek Charge he met and Married
Hazel Marie Butts (one of the singing Butts sisters; b. Jan. 5, 1908; d. July 25, 2024), who lived at
Johnsontown and taught elementary school at Hedgesville, W.Va. He taught elementary school part time and
full time while appointed as a preacher. Suffering from wide-spread melanoma, Rev. Frazier died at his home
on Route 3, Hedgesville, W.Va., on Feb. 9, 1981, at age 82. At the time, he was a member of Providence
Bible Church, for which Rev. Frank Douty was the pastor. Services were held in Martinsburg and burial at
Rose Dale Cemetery in that city. Hazel died 20 years later and is buried beside him. As of 2006, the four
children are still living, 5 of the 10 grandchildren are still living, and there are 18 great-grandchildren and at
least 12 great-great-grandchildren. His memoir, as well as his wife’s, is provided in Section II.A (below).
[Glovier 1965, p. 272; see also pp. 3, 91, 141, 144, 145, 147, 150, 257, 259]
FREED: A. Dorsey Freed, son of the Rev. John D. Freed of Virginia and Maryland, was born Oct. 15, 1850,
and died Oct. 1877. He was converted in 1867, and felt a call to preach, yet his diffidence and a sense of
being unworthy led him for a long while to keep back his convictions from others. After two terms in Lebanon
Valley, where he made commendable progress and occasionally preached, he was taken into Conference, but
the feebleness of his health compelled him to resign” his first charge and die at his father’s home at age 27.
[Funkhouser 1921, pp. 127, 136, 164, 191, 219, 272-275; Glovier 1965, p. 89].
FREED [FRIED]: John D. Freed (Fried48) joined Va. Conf. and was
licensed to preach in 1857. He was ordained in 1862. He served
appointments at Franklin, 1857-1860; Winchester Circuit, 1860-61;
South Branch, 1862-64; Hagerstown, 1864-66; Frederick, 1867-68;
Woodstock, 1869-1871; Tuscarora Mission, 1871-1873; Potomac
Mission, 1873-1875; Tuscarora Circuit, 1875-1877; Mechanicstown,
1877-1881; Frederick, 1882-1884; and Berkeley, 1886-87.
Colvinstown Church in the Edinburg circuit was built during his
pastorate in 1872 at a cost of $1,500; the church was dedicated by
Bishop Weaver. His son, A. D. Freed, was licensed in Va. Conf. in 1875
but died in Oct. 1876. J. D. Freed transferred to the Pa. Conf. in 1887. The left-most pictures are from
[Glovier 1965, pp. 68-70]; the one on the left was taken in 1873 and the one in the middle in 1886. The
picture on the right is from [Holdcraft 1938, p. 306] , taken in 1888. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 135, 195, 259,
268-285, 287, 289; Glovier 1965, pp. 68, 70, 245]
FRIDINGER: Donald Nelson Fridinger was born in Martinsburg, W.Va., on
Jan. 6, 1928, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Herman Fridinger. He was converted at
the age of 8 years at the Martinsburg First Church, where he held his
membership until his entry into the ministry. He graduated from Martinsburg
High School (1945); for 2 years attended Shenandoah College (Junior College
Diploma, 1947); and graduated from Lebanon Valley College (B.A., 1949) and
Bonebrake Theological Seminary (B.D., M.Div., 1952). He was ordained an
Elder in 1952 by Bishop D. T. Gregory. On Aug. 18, 1951, he was married to
Miss Norma Jean Nuscher of Dayton, Ohio, whom he met while serving her church as assistant pastor in
conjunction with attending seminary.. They are parents of two daughters, Sandra and Kimberly. Upon
graduation from Seminary he was assigned to the Franklin Charge, where he served until Dec. 31, 1955. On
Jan. 1, 1956 he became pastor in Elkton, Va. Rev. Don served Franklin, 1952-55, and Elkton, 1955-69. He
retired after 40 years of service in the ministry in June 1989, some months after a heart attack and triple by-
48 Often (21 times, but not always) identified in Va. Conf. Minutes as J. D. Fried (the German form of this name) from
1857-1879.
Biographical Sketches 47
