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BARBOUR COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA
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Submitted to the West Virginia Biographies Project by:
Valerie & Tommy Crook
vfcrook@trellis.net
November 8, 1999
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The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc.,
Chicago and New York, Volume III,
pg. 297
Barbour
LUTHER CLEARFIELD STEVENS. There has hardly been any
time since he was ten years of age when Luther Clearfield
Stevens has not been engaged in some work of practical
usefulness to himself or others. For over twenty years he
has been a resident of Philippi, and has built up a lead-
ing service in Barbour County as an undertaker and funeral
director.
He was born not far from Grantsville in Calhoun County,
West Virginia, June 4, 1871. His parents were David E.
and Jane (Goff) Stevens, the former a native of Fleming-
ton and the latter of Clemtown in Barbour County. David
E. Stevens was a small boy when his father died, and he
grew up an aid to his widowed mother and acquired only
a common school education. He was the only child to
survive his father's death. His step-father was Johnson
Kelley, and he had a half-brother, Luther Kelley. David
E. Stevens was a carpenter by trade, and in 1869, after
his marriage, moved to Galhoun County, where he became
a farmer. Later he returned to Flemington and resumed
the work of his trade, and was employed about the mines
until he retired. He is a veteran Union soldier, having
served as a private in the Fourth West Virginia Cavalry.
L. Clearfield Stevens spent the first five years of his
life at his parents home on Sycamore Creek in Calhoun
County. His parents then returned to Taylor County, and
he grew to manhood at Flemington. He had only a com-
mon school education, and about the time he entered his
teens he left home and began earning his own way. For
two years he worked for a farmer, earning about 50 cents
a day, and for four years drove team for Dilworth & Poling,
merchants. His next employment was in a saw-mill, and
while his industrious habits gave him instant employment
at this and other occupations he saved little from his wages.
After about six years with the saw-mill he operated a
threshing machine around Flemington for two years. He
then worked as a housebuilder for a year at Mountain
Lake Park. In 1896 Mr. Stevens acquired a saw-mill in
Barbour County, and conducted this with a fair degree
of profit until 1901, when he sold the mill and, having
since 1898 been located at Philippi, he took up the livery
business in the county seat. He was in the livery busi-
ness four years, and since then has been an undertaker
and funeral director. He was attracted as a young man to
this profession, but the idea was usually discouraged by
his friends. It was only after he was able to command
some capital of his own that he put his long cherished
purpose into practice, providing himself with some equip-
ment and establishing an office on Main Street at Philippi
in 1905. The first call for his services was made in March
of that year. In May the State Board of Embalmers
licensed him after a correspondence course and demonstra-
tion work with H. S. F. Echols of Philadelphia. In the
passing years Mr. Stevens has steadily added to his equip-
ment until he has every facility of the modern funeral
director, including motor hearse and office building pro-
vided with funeral chapel.
Mr. Stevens served for three years as deputy sheriff of
Barbour County under Sheriff E. R. Dyer. He is a repub-
lican, and is affiliated with the Lodge and Encampment of
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Rebekahs, is a
member of the Knights of Pythias, the D. O. K. K. and
the Maccabees.
At Philippi November 14, 1902, he married Miss Daisy
Mann, who was born in Barbour County, in November, 1875,
daughter of John C. and Sallie (Johnson) Mann. The
other children of her parents were Willie, O. J., J. Rush,
Basil and Mrs. Annie Stomp. Mr. and Mrs. Stevens have
two sons, Edgar and Hayward Kemper. The latter is a
student in Broaddus College.
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