PoliticalGraveyard.com

Politician Writers in West Virginia

Bob Henry Baber (b. 1950) — of Richwood, Nicholas County, W.Va.; Glenville, Gilmer County, W.Va. Born December 15, 1950. Poet; mayor of Richwood, W.Va., 2004-07; resigned 2007; Mountain candidate for Governor of West Virginia, 2011; Mountain candidate for U.S. Senator from West Virginia, 2012. Still living as of 2014.   See also Wikipedia article   John W. Bosworth (b. 1908) — of Elkins, Randolph County, W.Va. Born in Huttonsville, Randolph County, W.Va., August 3, 1908. Journalist; radio announcer; author; newspaper publisher; member of West Virginia state house of delegates from Randolph County, 1937-38. Member, Knights of Pythias. Burial location unknown.   Relatives: Son of Dr. J. L. Bosworth and Rachel (Hutton-Crouch) Bosworth.   Charles Hoadley Damron (b. 1944) — also known as Charles H. Damron — of Point Pleasant, Mason County, W.Va.; Fraziers Bottom, Putnam County, W.Va. Born in Mingo County, W.Va., March 18, 1944. Democrat. Lawyer; farmer; writer; member of West Virginia state house of delegates 10th District, 1975-78. Methodist. Member, Phi Alpha Delta; American Judicature Society; American Legion; Farm Bureau. Still living as of 1978.   Relatives: Son of George Hoadley Damron and Pauline (Mills) Damron; brother of Irvine Damron; married, September 10, 1966, to Sue Smith. Roy Lee Harmon (1900-1981) — of Beckley, Raleigh County, W.Va. Born in Boone County, W.Va., October 7, 1900. Democrat. Newspaper editor; radio commentator; writer; member of West Virginia state house of delegates from Raleigh County, 1947-48, 1951-54, 1957-61; resigned 1961. Baptist. Member, Moose. Poet Laureate of West Virginia. Died in April, 1981 (age 80 years, 0 days). Interment somewhere in Beckley, W.Va.   Relatives: Son of Albert Sidney Harmon and Nettie May (Lucas) Harmon; married, August 11, 1934, to Dorothy M. Ball.   Image source: West Virginia Blue Book 1951   Joseph Thatcher Hoke (b. 1835) — also known as Joseph T. Hoke — of Berkeley County, W.Va.; Keyser, Mineral County, W.Va.; Kingwood, Preston County, W.Va. Born in Berkeley County, Va. (now W.Va.), February 6, 1835. Republican. Lawyer; newspaper editor; poet; member of West Virginia state senate 11th District, 1867-69; delegate to Republican National Convention from West Virginia, 1868, 1872, 1880; circuit judge in West Virginia for the 5th Judicial Circuit, 1869-72; candidate for U.S. Representative from West Virginia 2nd District, 1880; member of West Virginia state house of delegates from Preston County, 1887-88; U.S. Consul in Windsor, 1897-1907. Member, Odd Fellows. Burial location unknown.   Relatives: Son of Jacob Hock and Abigail (Thatcher) Hock; married, January 16, 1868, to Rachel Wood; father of Laurence Hartman Hoke.   Robert Kelvin Holliday (b. 1933) — also known as Robert K. Holliday; Bob Holliday — of Oak Hill, Fayette County, W.Va.; Fayetteville, Fayette County, W.Va. Born in Logan, Logan County, W.Va., February 11, 1933. Democrat. Newspaper editor and publisher; television producer; author; member of West Virginia state house of delegates from Fayette County; elected 1962, 1964, 1966; member of West Virginia state senate 11th District, 1969-72, 1981-94; resigned 1972, 1994; defeated, 1996. Presbyterian. Member, Pi Sigma Alpha; Freemasons; Scottish Rite Masons; Shriners. Still living as of 2003.   Relatives: Son of J. Kelvin Holliday and Kathleen (Harris) Holliday; married, December 23, 1956, to Sylvia Lawson; father of Kelvin E. Holliday.   William Sidney Laidley (1839-1917) — also known as William S. Laidley — of Charleston, Kanawha County, W.Va. Born in Cabell County, Va. (now W.Va.), June 27, 1839. Lawyer; historian; member of West Virginia state house of delegates from Kanawha County, 1872-73. Died in 1917 (age about 78 years). Interment at Spring Hill Cemetery, Charleston, W.Va.   Relatives: Son of John Osborn Laidley; brother of Amacetta Laidley (who married George William Summers); uncle of John B. Laidley.   Political family: Laidley family of Cabell County, West Virginia.   Livia Simpson Poffenbarger (1861-1937) — also known as Olivia Nye Simpson; Mrs. George Poffenbarger — of Point Pleasant, Mason County, W.Va.; Charleston, Kanawha County, W.Va. Born in Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio, March 12, 1861. Republican. Newspaper editor; historian; candidate for Presidential Elector for West Virginia. Female. Presbyterian. Member, Colonial Dames; Daughters of the American Revolution. Died in Charleston, Kanawha County, W.Va., October 27, 1937 (age 76 years, 229 days). Interment at Sunset Memorial Park, South Charleston, W.Va.   Relatives: Daughter of George Perry Simpson and Phoebe Almeda (Kennedy) Simpson; married, May 10, 1894, to George Poffenbarger; mother of Nathan Simpson Poffenbarger and Perry Simpson Poffenbarger.   Political family: Dorsey-Poffenbarger family of Maryland (subset of the Four Thousand Related Politicians).   See also Wikipedia article — Find-A-Grave memorial   Charles Wells Russell (1856-1927) — also known as Charles W. Russell — of Washington, D.C. Born in Wheeling, Ohio County, Va. (now W.Va.), March 10, 1856. Lawyer; author; U.S. Minister to Persia, 1909-14. Died April 5, 1927 (age 71 years, 26 days). Burial location unknown.   Relatives: Son of Charles W. Russell and Margaret Wilson (Moore) Russell; married, February 19, 1879, to Lucy Floyd Mosby; married, October 1, 1885, to Lelia James Mosby.   See also U.S. State Dept career summary

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