U.S. Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ -- USGenNet Inc. -- Please read the U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on the following page: --------------------------------------------------------------------- Feather, John H. (1842-1894) --------------------------------------------------------------------- A History of Preston County West Virginia Biographical Department, Supplied by J. R. Cole Kingwood, W. Va., The Journal Publishing Company, 1914 by H. S. Whetsell Pages 835-836, JOHN H. FEATHER. The family of the Feathers have become very numerous and considerably diffused. They are of German descent, from James Feather, who come to America as a redemptioner about 1775. He served seven years in the Continental army. In 1790 he came to Preston county and settled on the Martin farm, north of Guseman, but afterwards moved to the Jacob B. Feather place, near Lenox. His wife survived him until 1860. Their seven sons lived in the same neighborhood. Joseph B., Charles E. and Dana S. are Methodist preachers. Joseph, son of Jacob, father of John H. Feather, the well-known county superintendent of schools, was born September 14, 1816. He lived at Crab Orchard, then at Valley Point, and finally at Bruceton Mills, where he died in 1894. He married Lydia Hartman. She was born May 20, 1819. Their children were: Mary Jane, Sarah, John H., Margaret, Wesley and Michael, all of whom were reared at Crab Orchard. John H. Feather, one of the most prominent men in the county, was born April 15, 1842. He was raised on the farm and received his primary education in the district schools. He was a great student and a self-made man. He was an agriculturist, in an educated sense of that term, as well as a practical farmer. At eighteen years of age he began teaching school, and continued to teach for eighteen years. His last school was in Bruceton. In the meantime he was a soldier in the War of the Rebellion and was adjutant of David Gibson Post. He was then elected county superintendent of schools and filled that office successfully for six years. He was many times a member and secretary of the Board of Education. He was also a deputy sheriff one term. He was justice of the peace of Grant district for a time and held other positions of honor and trust in the county until his death, September 10, 1894. August 25, 1867, John H. Feather was married to Rebecca Browning, daughter of James. She was born December 21, 1843. Their children were: (1) Venitia Blanche, born August 25, 1869, married to Rev. W. H. Berry, September 20, 1893, at Bruceton Mills. (2) Isminnie Idesie, born June 19, 1876. She married Walton Davis, a postal clerk on the B. & O. Railroad, July 29, 1903. John H. Feather was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church thirty-five years. Rev. Mr. Berry was educated at Roanoke College and took his theological course in the seminary at Gettysburg. He has had charge of the Lutheran Church at Aurora for nine years. --------------------------------------------------------------------- From Register of Deaths, Preston County, WV (Page 14, Line No. 15) FULL-NAME: John H. Feather DEATH-DATE: September 10, 1894 at age 52-years DEATH-PLACE: Bruceton MARITAL-STATUS: Married OCCUPATION: Farmer FATHER: Jos. Feather MOTHER: Lydia Feather CAUSE-OF-DEATH: Typhoid Fever --------------------------------------------------------------------- If you've reached this file through a SEARCH, you can access other biographies for Preston County, WV by going to the following URL: http://www.us-data.org/wv/preston/bios.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------