U.S. Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ -- USGenNet Inc. -- Please read the U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on the following page: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Summerfield, Charles R. (1860-1942) ------------------------------------------------------------------- Men of West Virginia, Volume II Biographical Publishing Company George Richmond, Pres.: C. R. Arnold, Sec'y and Treas. Chicago, Illinois, 1903 Pages 637-638 C. R. SUMMERFIELD, attorney-at-law, a member of the legal firm of St. Clair, Walker & Summerfield, of Fayetteville, Fayette County, West Virginia, is a prominent and representative citizen. He was born at Oak Hill, Fayette County, West Virginia, October 10, 1861, and is a son of Benjamin and E. A. H. (Ellison) Summerfield, both families being of old Virginia stock. Benjamin L. Summerfield, our subject's grandfather, was born and reared in Virginia, later locating in Raleigh County, about 1855, and two years later removing to Fayette County. By trade he was a carpenter and during his last years he operated a mill near Fayetteville. He died in 1887, aged 88 years. The grandmother of our subject was a member of the old Means family of Virginia. She lived to be 80 years of age. Benjamin Summerfield. the father of our subject, was born at Blacksburg, Montgomery County, Virginia, and was a carpenter for a number of years. He and his wife reside on their fine farm near Gatewood, Fayette County, West Virginia. Mrs. Summerfield is a daughter of Matthew Ellison, one of the pioneer preachers of that section of West Virginia, a power in the Baptist Church. Rev. Mr. Ellison married Elizabeth Love, who was born February 2, 1806, in Cabell, and died in 1902. Rev. Mr. Ellison labored chiefly in Raleigh County. His death took place at Anderson, while on a ministerial mission, at the age of 79 years. Ten children were born to Benjamin and E. A. H. (Ellison) Summerfield, as follows: Mary Etta, deceased; W. W., a resident of Gatewood; C. R., of this sketch; J. E., a lawyer at Beckley; M. A., a jeweler at Montgomery; R. B., a stenographer at Beckley; Bertha and Blanche, twins; and Benjamin, an infant, deceased. Our subject was educated in the public schools and the Normal School at Athens, West Virginia, then called Concord, in Mercer County. He left this educational institution in his senior year and engaged in clerking at Concord for about one year, when he accepted a position as chief clerk and buyer with the Crown Hill Coal Company in Kanawha County. He remained with this company for nearly three years, and then entered the State University at Morgantown and was graduated there in 1891, with the degree of LL. B. Mr. Summerfield then entered upon the practice of his profession, soon associating with him W. R. Thomson. In January. 1899. he became a member of the firm of St. Clair, Walker & Summerfield, which devotes its attention largely to corporation practice. In politics he is a Democrat and was from 1894 to 1896 chairman of the Democratic County Executive Committee. In 1896 he was his party's candidate for prosecuting attorney. In 1898 he was nominated for judge of the Criminal Court, but was defeated by the Republican nominee, J. H. Dunbar, now deceased, on account of the county being normally Republican by a majority of more than 1,800, but he succeeded in reducing his opponent's majority to 224. He is recognized as one of the ablest of the young attorneys and is building up and establishing for himself upon a sure foundation a reputation as a lawyer, which seems to be his heart's desire. Fraternally he is a Knight of Pythias. ------------------------------------------------------------------- DEATH CERTIFICATE, Fayette County WV, #7440 FULL-NAME: Charles Reese Summerfield BIRTH-DATE: October 10, 1860 BIRTH-PLACE: Oak Hill, Fayette, W.Va. DEATH-DATE: May 18, 1942 AGE-AT-DEATH:81y-7m-8d DEATH-PLACE: Fayetteville, Fayette County, WV MARITAL-STATUS: Widowed (Ethel Summerfield) OCCUPATION: Attorney FATHER: Benjamin Summerfield (born in Montgomery, W.Va.) MOTHER: E. A. H. Ellison (born in Union, Monroe Co., W.Va.) CAUSE-OF-DEATH: Pneumonia INFORMANT: E. S. Summerfield (of Kessler Field, Miss) BURIAL: Fayetteville, W.Va. ------------------------------------------------------------------- If you've reached this file through a SEARCH, you can access other biographies for Fayette County, WV by going to the following URL: http://www.us-data.org/wv/fayette/bios.html -------------------------------------------------------------------