Page 91 - United Brethren Preachers
P. 91
Volume 9 Preachers of U.B. and EUB Virginia Conferences December 26, 2024
HOUCK: Jacob C. Houck55 became a member of Conference in 1831 and was appointed (with John Zahn,
Noah Woodyard, John Haney) to the Staunton and Woodstock Circuits. He was ordained in 1833 (with J. J.
Glossbrenner). He served Staunton, 1835-36 (along with P. Whitesel); Winchester Circuit, 1836-37; and
Woodstock, 1837-39. [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 247-248]
HOUK: Harmon (Herrman) Houk became a member of Conference in 1830 and was then licensed to
preach; ordained 1834. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 139; see also pp. 242-245]
HOUK: Jacob M. Houk became a member of Conference in 1830; ordained in 1833; lived near Melrose;
and married Barbara Rhodes, the woman who reared him and who was probably 40 years older. He served
Staunton and Woodstock Circuits, 1831-32; and Staunton Circuit, 1835-36. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 139]
HOUK: Jonah Houk was licensed and joined the Conference in 1825, when he was licensed to preach.
[Funkhouser 1921, p. 139; see also 237-238, 244, 302] and [Glovier 1965, p. 304]
HOVERMALE: Mrs. U. P. Hovermale, formerly Viola Thompson, widow of Dr. U. P.
Hovermale, was living in Sarasota, Fla. Mrs. Hovermale was a local elder with membership in
the Va. Conf. She graduated from Shenandoah College in 1918. It is not known whether she
was a student at Bonebrake Seminary, with her husband, 1921-24 (see below). She, with her
husband, was ordained at the Oct. 1-5, 1924, Annual Conference held at Keyser, W.Va., by
Bishop William M. Bell, assisted by Dr. J. H. Brunk and Dr. W. F. Gruver. [Glovier 1965,
p. 289, which provided the picture; see also pp. 136, 257, 259, 317]
HOVERMALE: Ulsie Perkins Hovermale—Conference
Superintendent during 1931-1937, and 1942-43—was
born Aug. 15, 1893, near Berkeley Springs, W.Va. He
attended Shenandoah Institute (Class of 1913), Otterbein
College, and earned the Divinity degree from Bonebrake
Theological Seminary in 1924. In 1918 he married Jennie
Viola Thompson, and they had two daughters, Ann
Jeanette and Ruth Lenore. He joined Va. Conf. in 1921—
the living in Dayton, Ohio, as a student at Bonebrake
Seminary—and with Mrs. Hovermale was ordained in 1924. He was elected secretary of the Conference that
year and served until elected Superintendent, 1930-37, 1942-43, and 1948-49. Prior to this, he served
Roanoke, 1924-26, and Dayton, 1926-30. He was also interim supply pastor at First Church, Martinsburg, for
four months, in addition to his duties as Superintendent. In 1937, Lebanon Valley College conferred on him
the Doctor of Divinity degree, and in 1938 a similar honor was bestowed by Otterbein College. He succeeded
Dr. Weidler as General Secretary of the Department of Home Missions and Church Erection. At the uniting
General Conference in 1946, he was elected first Executive Secretary of the newly-formed Division of Home
Missions and Church Extension, which official relationship he sustained until his death in 1960 in Sarasota,
Florida. He was buried there in Manasota Memorial Park. His memoir is provided in Section II.A (below). The
two center pictures are from [Holdcraft, 1938, pp. 390, 418, respectively]. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 310; see
also pp. 129, 309, 311] and [Glovier 1965, p. 136; see also pp. 64, 79, 80, 91, 97, 125, 144, 206, 232, 289,
298]
HOWARD: Bishop John Gordon Howard—who presided over the
EUB Va. Conf. during 1957-1968—was born Dec. 3, 1899, in Tokyo,
Japan, of Missionary parents. Lived in Japan until 12 years old.
Educated: Otterbein College; United Theological Seminary New York
University; Ohio State University. Degrees: A.B., B.D., M.A.;
honorary degrees, D.D., LL.D. Ordained as a minister in 1925. Offices
held: National Director of Young People’s Work, U.B. Church, 1927-40;
Editor, Church School Publications, U.B. Church, 1940-45; President,
Otterbein College, Westerville, Ohio, 1945-57; Bishop, East Central
Area, The EUB Church, from 1957. Various responsibilities: Past president, Ohio Council of Churches; Past
president, Ohio-West Virginia Area of YMCA; Vice-president, National Council of YMCA, 1957; Chairman,
Interracial Commission of National Council of YMCA, 1954-1961; Past president, Ohio Foundation of
Independent Colleges; Member of denominational and interdenominational boards and agencies. Publications:
When Youth Worship; Christian Beliefs for Christian Youth; The Successful Sunday School; A Catechism for
Youth; God’s Will Be Done in the Home (editor); Christianity Encounters Communism (editor). The picture on
55 In [Funkhouser 1921], Jacob B. Houck is mentioned for the first time (1839) just after the last mention of Jacob C.
Houck; the relationship of the two names (or people?) is unclear—the Editor. [Lycoming 2013] suggests they may be
the same person and identical to Jacob M. Houk (also, Hauk, Haux).
Biographical Sketches 79
HOUCK: Jacob C. Houck55 became a member of Conference in 1831 and was appointed (with John Zahn,
Noah Woodyard, John Haney) to the Staunton and Woodstock Circuits. He was ordained in 1833 (with J. J.
Glossbrenner). He served Staunton, 1835-36 (along with P. Whitesel); Winchester Circuit, 1836-37; and
Woodstock, 1837-39. [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 247-248]
HOUK: Harmon (Herrman) Houk became a member of Conference in 1830 and was then licensed to
preach; ordained 1834. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 139; see also pp. 242-245]
HOUK: Jacob M. Houk became a member of Conference in 1830; ordained in 1833; lived near Melrose;
and married Barbara Rhodes, the woman who reared him and who was probably 40 years older. He served
Staunton and Woodstock Circuits, 1831-32; and Staunton Circuit, 1835-36. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 139]
HOUK: Jonah Houk was licensed and joined the Conference in 1825, when he was licensed to preach.
[Funkhouser 1921, p. 139; see also 237-238, 244, 302] and [Glovier 1965, p. 304]
HOVERMALE: Mrs. U. P. Hovermale, formerly Viola Thompson, widow of Dr. U. P.
Hovermale, was living in Sarasota, Fla. Mrs. Hovermale was a local elder with membership in
the Va. Conf. She graduated from Shenandoah College in 1918. It is not known whether she
was a student at Bonebrake Seminary, with her husband, 1921-24 (see below). She, with her
husband, was ordained at the Oct. 1-5, 1924, Annual Conference held at Keyser, W.Va., by
Bishop William M. Bell, assisted by Dr. J. H. Brunk and Dr. W. F. Gruver. [Glovier 1965,
p. 289, which provided the picture; see also pp. 136, 257, 259, 317]
HOVERMALE: Ulsie Perkins Hovermale—Conference
Superintendent during 1931-1937, and 1942-43—was
born Aug. 15, 1893, near Berkeley Springs, W.Va. He
attended Shenandoah Institute (Class of 1913), Otterbein
College, and earned the Divinity degree from Bonebrake
Theological Seminary in 1924. In 1918 he married Jennie
Viola Thompson, and they had two daughters, Ann
Jeanette and Ruth Lenore. He joined Va. Conf. in 1921—
the living in Dayton, Ohio, as a student at Bonebrake
Seminary—and with Mrs. Hovermale was ordained in 1924. He was elected secretary of the Conference that
year and served until elected Superintendent, 1930-37, 1942-43, and 1948-49. Prior to this, he served
Roanoke, 1924-26, and Dayton, 1926-30. He was also interim supply pastor at First Church, Martinsburg, for
four months, in addition to his duties as Superintendent. In 1937, Lebanon Valley College conferred on him
the Doctor of Divinity degree, and in 1938 a similar honor was bestowed by Otterbein College. He succeeded
Dr. Weidler as General Secretary of the Department of Home Missions and Church Erection. At the uniting
General Conference in 1946, he was elected first Executive Secretary of the newly-formed Division of Home
Missions and Church Extension, which official relationship he sustained until his death in 1960 in Sarasota,
Florida. He was buried there in Manasota Memorial Park. His memoir is provided in Section II.A (below). The
two center pictures are from [Holdcraft, 1938, pp. 390, 418, respectively]. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 310; see
also pp. 129, 309, 311] and [Glovier 1965, p. 136; see also pp. 64, 79, 80, 91, 97, 125, 144, 206, 232, 289,
298]
HOWARD: Bishop John Gordon Howard—who presided over the
EUB Va. Conf. during 1957-1968—was born Dec. 3, 1899, in Tokyo,
Japan, of Missionary parents. Lived in Japan until 12 years old.
Educated: Otterbein College; United Theological Seminary New York
University; Ohio State University. Degrees: A.B., B.D., M.A.;
honorary degrees, D.D., LL.D. Ordained as a minister in 1925. Offices
held: National Director of Young People’s Work, U.B. Church, 1927-40;
Editor, Church School Publications, U.B. Church, 1940-45; President,
Otterbein College, Westerville, Ohio, 1945-57; Bishop, East Central
Area, The EUB Church, from 1957. Various responsibilities: Past president, Ohio Council of Churches; Past
president, Ohio-West Virginia Area of YMCA; Vice-president, National Council of YMCA, 1957; Chairman,
Interracial Commission of National Council of YMCA, 1954-1961; Past president, Ohio Foundation of
Independent Colleges; Member of denominational and interdenominational boards and agencies. Publications:
When Youth Worship; Christian Beliefs for Christian Youth; The Successful Sunday School; A Catechism for
Youth; God’s Will Be Done in the Home (editor); Christianity Encounters Communism (editor). The picture on
55 In [Funkhouser 1921], Jacob B. Houck is mentioned for the first time (1839) just after the last mention of Jacob C.
Houck; the relationship of the two names (or people?) is unclear—the Editor. [Lycoming 2013] suggests they may be
the same person and identical to Jacob M. Houk (also, Hauk, Haux).
Biographical Sketches 79
