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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 10, 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. 303
Barbour
ODIE C. WILLIAMS has made a good accounting of the
forty years of his life. He began work early, did farm-
ing and public work, but for a number of years his chief
business interest has been a thriving general mercantile
business at Junior in Barbour County, in the same locality
where he grew to manhood.
He was born in Valley District of Barbour County, July
4, 1882. His father, Andrew J. Williams, was born in old
Virginia, but spent his active life on a farm in Barbour
County, where he died in 1901, at the age of seventy. He
married in Barbour County, Miss Julia Row, a native of
West Virginia and daughter of Benjamin Row. She died
before her husband, the mother of ten children: Mollie,
wife of Samuel Elbon, of Junior; Grant, who died in Bar-
bour County, leaving a family; James, who was a farmer
and died near Junior; Miss Laura V., deceased; Bird, who
married Warren Corley and died near Junior; Dow, de-
ceased; Dora, wife of Samuel Ball and living at Kings-
ville, West Virginia; W. J., a farmer above Junior; Hen-
rietta, who died in Barbour County, wife of Peter P. Ware;
and Odie Charles.
Odie Charles Williams grew up on a farm, gained his
education in the country schools, and learned farming as
a practical career while at home. He earned his first dol-
lar following the plow, and after his marriage he estab-
lished himself on a farm and was a grain and stock raiser,
and in the intervals was employed on public works. He
finally exchanged his farm for the mercantile business of
E. E. Swick in Junior, and has since supplied the retail
trade of this community from his stock of general mer-
chandise.
Mr. Williams is a member of the County Court, elected
in 1918 as the successor of E. A. Wall. He was chairman
of the court in 1920. His associates on the board are Ish-
mael Haddix and Delbert Boyles. Since he became a mem-
ber the court has in addition to its routine business accom-
plished a great deal of permanent road work. It has
handled the construction of about nine miles of class A
road and six miles of class B, and has constructed a num-
ber of concrete bridges in the several districts of the
county. Mr. Williams is a republican, having east his first
vote for Colonel Roosevelt. He is a member of the Inde-
pendent Order of Odd Fellows.
In Barbour County, December 25, 1899, he married Miss
Rosa J. Hymes. They grew up together as children in the
Junior community. Her parents, John C. and Phoebe
(Edmond) Hymes, had the following children: Mayor
Matthew E., of Buckhannon; Mrs. Williams, who was born
February 28, 1880; Monroe, who was accidentally killed
when a young man while cutting timber; Henry C. and
Sherman G., miners at Junior; Lloyd, who died, leaving a
son; and James B., of Junior.
The children of Mr. and Mrs. Williams are Hazel, Bus-
sell C., Buna E., Max Odie and Maxine. The daughter
Hazel is the wife of Fred Simmons, of Junior, and they
have three children, Mabel, Arlene and Russell.
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