Page 73 - United Brethren Preachers
P. 73
Volume 9 Preachers of U.B. and EUB Virginia Conferences December 26, 2024
following charges: Jones Springs, May 1928-Sep. 1928; Berkeley Springs, Sep. 1928-Sep. 1931; Keyser,
Feb. 1931-Sep. 1934; Roanoke, Sep. 1934-Sep. 1940; Conference Superintendent, Sep. 1940-Sep. 1946;
Berkeley Springs, Sep. 1946-Sep. 1947; Martinsburg First, Sep. 1947-Sep. 1955; Roanoke, Sep. 1955-
Sep. 1961; -June 1963; Dayton, June 1963-June 1965; Shenandoah College Chaplain, June 1965-June 1967.
He served as Conference Superintendent from 1940 to 1946. In addition, he has served the Conference in the
following positions or capacities: District Leader; President Conference Board of Missions; Trustee of
Shenandoah College and Conservatory of Music; Trustee of Lebanon Valley College; member of Shenandoah
College Endowment Committee: Chairman Court of Appeals; Trustee of Conference Church Extension Society,
and member of Board of Christian Education. He retired (superannuated) in 1967 and died in Aug. 1983.
During retirement he was Minister of Visitation at Asbury UMC, Charles Town, West Virginia, and later at
Otterbein UMC in Martinsburg. His memoir, as well as Ruby’s, is provided in Section II.A (below).
[Funkhouser 1921, p. 309; Glovier 1965, p. 274, from which the picture was taken; see also pp. 85, 86, 91,
127, 131, 153, 174, 186, 199, 209, 257, 259, 321, 333]
GRUVER: Dr. William Franklin Gruver—District Superintendent
(Presiding Elder) for the churches in Morgan County during 1903-1909,
1939-42, and 1944-45—was born near Chambersburg, Pa., on July 9, 1865,
a son of Jacob I. and Anna M. Gruver. He joined Va. Conf. in 1887, having
completed his educational preparation at Shenandoah College, and was
assigned to his first charge at Singers Glen. He served here for 2 years,
followed by a year at Elkton and three years at Edinburg. From 1893 to
1897 he served the congregation in Dayton and was the college pastor
during this time. In 1897 he came to be the pastor of Martinsburg First
Church, where he was to remain for 20 years. He was ordained in 1889.
He established or was responsible for establishing churches in Keyser, Cumberland, Blairton, at Cherry Grove,
and St. Luke’s, Martinsburg. From 1903 to 1906 he was Presiding Elder of Winchester District, and from 1906
to 1909 he was Superintendent of the entire Conference. Over a 30-year period he was elected to seven
General Conferences. In 1910 Lebanon Valley College conferred on him the Doctor of Divinity degree. His
last regular pastorate was at Harrisonburg where he served from 1921 to 1926. For 62 consecutive years he
answered the roll call in the Virginia Annual Conference. Dr. Gruver was a man of cool judgment, strong
convictions, uncompromising principles and far-reaching vision. He died in King’s Daughters Hospital in
Martinsburg, W.Va., on Nov. 30, 1950, at the age of 85. Funeral services were held from Martinsburg First
Church, conducted by the Conference Superintendent, Floyd L. Fulk. Interment was in Rosedale Cemetery,
Martinsburg. The degree of Doctor of Divinity was given him by Lebanon Valley College in June, 1910. He
was pastor when the second church house was built for Martinsburg First (1912, costing $21,000). He
dedicated many churches, including (alphabetically): Buck Hill (1911), Cherry Grove (1890), Cumberland
(1908), Greensburg (second church house, 1889), Salem (1907), and Verona (second church house, 1908).
He married Miss Nellie M. Ruby of Mt. Jackson, Virginia, Dec. 24, 1889 and had three children, Joseph, Pauline
and J. Paul (see above). His memoir is provided in Section II.A (below). [Funkhouser 1921, p. 166; see also
cover and pp. 1, 127, 137, 194-202, 288-291, 294, 296, 298-301, 306-308, 310]; [Glovier 1965, p. 129,
from which the picture was taken; see also pp. 53, 76, 77, 90, 96, 112, 127, 156-160, 167, 182, 192, 196-
199, 206, 236, 238, 252, 254, 289]; and [Burch 1985, p. 27]
GUETHING (GEETING): George A. Geeting, Sr., was a member of Conference in 1800; ordained 1783;
died 1812, aged 73 [Funkhouser 1921, p. 137; Glovier 1965, pp. 18-19, 87]. See GEETING.
GUETHING (GEETING): George A. Geeting, Jr., became a member of Conference in 1812; ordained 1816;
died about 1842, aged 61. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 137; Glovier 1965, pp. 18-19, 87]. See GEETING.
GUINN: A. S. Guinn served Cacapon Mission, 1899-1900. An A. S. Guinn died at Bulavillle, Ohio, on July
19, 1909—he had been a teacher, mostly in West Virginia, for 30 years, but had not taught for the 9 years
prior to his death; he left a wife and nine grown children, all married but one.
HAAS: Jacob Haas was converted at Mill Creek, born of the family living near Woodstock, Va. He was
licensed by Conference to exhort in 1829 and became a member of Conference in 1831. He was a local
preacher and blacksmith, living in Edinburg, Va. He died 1862, aged 72. Louisa Haas died in Philadelphia,
Jan. 11, 1888, at age 81, the wife of the late Jacob Hass (son, George W.). From [Funkhouser 1921, p. 241;
see also pp. 125, 137, 240-243; Glovier 1965, p. 88]: Much testimony given of the work of grace in the
hearts of the members. The experience of Jacob Haas surpassed anything ever brought before this
conference.
HABECKER: Peter Habecker became a member of Conference in 1825. His conference license was
renewed in 1831. A Peter Habecker was born in Lancaster County, Pa., Apr. 1, 1785 (d. Dec. 27, 1856).
[Funkhouser 1921, p. 125, 137, 237]
Biographical Sketches 61
following charges: Jones Springs, May 1928-Sep. 1928; Berkeley Springs, Sep. 1928-Sep. 1931; Keyser,
Feb. 1931-Sep. 1934; Roanoke, Sep. 1934-Sep. 1940; Conference Superintendent, Sep. 1940-Sep. 1946;
Berkeley Springs, Sep. 1946-Sep. 1947; Martinsburg First, Sep. 1947-Sep. 1955; Roanoke, Sep. 1955-
Sep. 1961; -June 1963; Dayton, June 1963-June 1965; Shenandoah College Chaplain, June 1965-June 1967.
He served as Conference Superintendent from 1940 to 1946. In addition, he has served the Conference in the
following positions or capacities: District Leader; President Conference Board of Missions; Trustee of
Shenandoah College and Conservatory of Music; Trustee of Lebanon Valley College; member of Shenandoah
College Endowment Committee: Chairman Court of Appeals; Trustee of Conference Church Extension Society,
and member of Board of Christian Education. He retired (superannuated) in 1967 and died in Aug. 1983.
During retirement he was Minister of Visitation at Asbury UMC, Charles Town, West Virginia, and later at
Otterbein UMC in Martinsburg. His memoir, as well as Ruby’s, is provided in Section II.A (below).
[Funkhouser 1921, p. 309; Glovier 1965, p. 274, from which the picture was taken; see also pp. 85, 86, 91,
127, 131, 153, 174, 186, 199, 209, 257, 259, 321, 333]
GRUVER: Dr. William Franklin Gruver—District Superintendent
(Presiding Elder) for the churches in Morgan County during 1903-1909,
1939-42, and 1944-45—was born near Chambersburg, Pa., on July 9, 1865,
a son of Jacob I. and Anna M. Gruver. He joined Va. Conf. in 1887, having
completed his educational preparation at Shenandoah College, and was
assigned to his first charge at Singers Glen. He served here for 2 years,
followed by a year at Elkton and three years at Edinburg. From 1893 to
1897 he served the congregation in Dayton and was the college pastor
during this time. In 1897 he came to be the pastor of Martinsburg First
Church, where he was to remain for 20 years. He was ordained in 1889.
He established or was responsible for establishing churches in Keyser, Cumberland, Blairton, at Cherry Grove,
and St. Luke’s, Martinsburg. From 1903 to 1906 he was Presiding Elder of Winchester District, and from 1906
to 1909 he was Superintendent of the entire Conference. Over a 30-year period he was elected to seven
General Conferences. In 1910 Lebanon Valley College conferred on him the Doctor of Divinity degree. His
last regular pastorate was at Harrisonburg where he served from 1921 to 1926. For 62 consecutive years he
answered the roll call in the Virginia Annual Conference. Dr. Gruver was a man of cool judgment, strong
convictions, uncompromising principles and far-reaching vision. He died in King’s Daughters Hospital in
Martinsburg, W.Va., on Nov. 30, 1950, at the age of 85. Funeral services were held from Martinsburg First
Church, conducted by the Conference Superintendent, Floyd L. Fulk. Interment was in Rosedale Cemetery,
Martinsburg. The degree of Doctor of Divinity was given him by Lebanon Valley College in June, 1910. He
was pastor when the second church house was built for Martinsburg First (1912, costing $21,000). He
dedicated many churches, including (alphabetically): Buck Hill (1911), Cherry Grove (1890), Cumberland
(1908), Greensburg (second church house, 1889), Salem (1907), and Verona (second church house, 1908).
He married Miss Nellie M. Ruby of Mt. Jackson, Virginia, Dec. 24, 1889 and had three children, Joseph, Pauline
and J. Paul (see above). His memoir is provided in Section II.A (below). [Funkhouser 1921, p. 166; see also
cover and pp. 1, 127, 137, 194-202, 288-291, 294, 296, 298-301, 306-308, 310]; [Glovier 1965, p. 129,
from which the picture was taken; see also pp. 53, 76, 77, 90, 96, 112, 127, 156-160, 167, 182, 192, 196-
199, 206, 236, 238, 252, 254, 289]; and [Burch 1985, p. 27]
GUETHING (GEETING): George A. Geeting, Sr., was a member of Conference in 1800; ordained 1783;
died 1812, aged 73 [Funkhouser 1921, p. 137; Glovier 1965, pp. 18-19, 87]. See GEETING.
GUETHING (GEETING): George A. Geeting, Jr., became a member of Conference in 1812; ordained 1816;
died about 1842, aged 61. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 137; Glovier 1965, pp. 18-19, 87]. See GEETING.
GUINN: A. S. Guinn served Cacapon Mission, 1899-1900. An A. S. Guinn died at Bulavillle, Ohio, on July
19, 1909—he had been a teacher, mostly in West Virginia, for 30 years, but had not taught for the 9 years
prior to his death; he left a wife and nine grown children, all married but one.
HAAS: Jacob Haas was converted at Mill Creek, born of the family living near Woodstock, Va. He was
licensed by Conference to exhort in 1829 and became a member of Conference in 1831. He was a local
preacher and blacksmith, living in Edinburg, Va. He died 1862, aged 72. Louisa Haas died in Philadelphia,
Jan. 11, 1888, at age 81, the wife of the late Jacob Hass (son, George W.). From [Funkhouser 1921, p. 241;
see also pp. 125, 137, 240-243; Glovier 1965, p. 88]: Much testimony given of the work of grace in the
hearts of the members. The experience of Jacob Haas surpassed anything ever brought before this
conference.
HABECKER: Peter Habecker became a member of Conference in 1825. His conference license was
renewed in 1831. A Peter Habecker was born in Lancaster County, Pa., Apr. 1, 1785 (d. Dec. 27, 1856).
[Funkhouser 1921, p. 125, 137, 237]
Biographical Sketches 61
