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GRANT COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA
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Submitted to the West Virginia Biographies Project by:
Elizabeth Burns
burns@asu.edu
January 1, 2000
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The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc.
Chicago and New York, Volume II,
pg. 216
Manassah S. Judy
When the citizens of Grant County elected Manassah S. Judy to the dual
office of circuit and county clerk in 1920 they placed in this
responsible position a representative of one of the oldest families
native to this region of West Virginia. He descends on both sides from
native parents of Grant County, and their fathers were likewise born in
Grant County, so that he can justly lay claim to being a genuine West
Virginian. In the discharge of his official duties he has displayed the
possession of marked efficiency and a conscientious desire to improve
the public service and give a good account of his stewardship.
Mr. Judy was born on a farm in Grant County, adjoining the town site of
Petersburg, September 23, 1891 and is a son of George F. and Mattie E.V.
(Sites) Judy. Manassah Judy, the grandfather of Manassah S. Judy was
born in Grant County where he passed his life as an agriculturist and
was greatly esteemed and respected. He married Sarah Dyer and they
became the parents of the following children: Jennie, who married
Andrew Trumbo and resides in Bedford County, Virginia; William A., a
resident of Petersburg; Fena who died as Mrs. W.H. Cola at Monterey,
Virginia; H. Seymour of Petersburg, a retired farmer; George Franklin,
the father of Manassah S; Edward D., a retired farmer of Petersburg;
Rebecca who is the wife of Jared A. Hiner of Doe Hill Virginia; and
Manassah Parren who is a farmer at North Manchester Indiana.
The maternal grandfather of Clerk Judy was Rev. Sampson G. Sites, a
Dunkard preacher who gave his life after middle age to active church
work and the farm. Reverend Sites was born and passed his life in Grant
County where he was widely known and universally esteemed for his
sterling excellencies of mind and heart. He was the father of thirteen
children, of whom eleven grew to maturity: Mattie E.V. who became the
wife of George F. Judy and died Decmeber7, 1907; James, who died at
Idaville Indiana; B. Harvey, one of the prosperous and extensive farmers
and stockmen of the vicinity of Hoopeston Illinois; George E., a well
known citizen and prosperous agriculturist of Monticello Indiana;
Charles, a railroad man of Salem Illinois; Mrs. M.P. Judy of North
Manchester, Indiana; Mrs. M.A. Judy also of that city; Sampson G. Jr. of
Monticello Indiana; I. William, a farmer operating the old Sites
homestead near Petersburg; D. Eston, a traveling salesman of Kansas City
Missouri; and Edgar C., a student of medicine at the University of
Indiana.
George Franklin Judy was reared on his father's farm in Grant County and
received the usual country school education of his day. When he
attained years of maturity he chose farming for his life work, and for
some years carried on agricultural operations near Petersburg, a
community in which he had an excellent reputation for integrity in
business affairs and as a public spirited citizen. He died in 1896 at
Petersburg West Virginia. He and Mrs. Judy were the parents of the
following children: Edna R., who married W.H. Judy of Peru, West
Virginia; Manassah Sampson, of this review, named for both of his
grandfathers; and Sarah Elizabeth who married Clyde Ours and resides at
Fisher, Hardy County, West Virginia.
The first fifteen years of the life of Manassah Sampson Judy were passed
in his home neighborhood near Petersburg, where he attended the public
school, following which he entered Bridgewater College, at Bridgewater,
Virginia. After spending one year at that institution in the fall of
1908 he went to Indiana and attended North Manchester College until
1912, where for three terms he taught penmanship and assisted in the
commercial department. He also supervised penmanship in the public
schools during these years. During the summers of 1910, 1911 and 1912
he was a student at the Zanerian Art College, Columbus, Ohio. In the
fall of 1912 he became principal of the commercial department of the
high school at Cambridge, Ohio and in the spring of 1913 returned to
West Virginia, locating at Petersburg, where he was engaged in the stock
business on the old home farm. While thus engaged Mr. Judy became
interested in politics, and eventually was persuaded by his friends to
make the race for the office of county and circuit clerk of Grant
County. In the primaries of 1920 he became a candidate for this office
against one of the ablest clerks of West Virginia and one of the
ancients among the state officials, and won the nomination as a
republican. He defeated his opponent in the primary election by 355
votes and in the general election defeated his opponent by 2,200 or 200
votes ahead of the ticket. When he took office, succeeding the veteran
D.P. Hendrickson, whom everybody delights to honor, he became the third
clerk Grant County has ever had. In his official position Mr. Judy has
"made good" and has lived up to his pre-election promises. He has
entrenched himself firmly in the confidence of the people of the
community who have recognized and appreciated his efforts in their
behalf. Mr. Judy was one of the organizers of the Potomac Valley Bank
of Petersburg, in which he is a member of the Board of Directors and its
secretary. He belongs to the Blue Lodge and Chapter of Masonry, and is
a past master of Petersburg Lodge No. 145 in addition to which he holds
membership in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His religious
affiliation is with the Presbyterian Church in the work of which he is
active, being a teacher in the Sunday School.
On June 9, 1912 at Bowers, Montgomery County Indiana, Mr. Judy was
united in marriage with Miss Lillian E. Dunbar, who was born in
Montgomery County Indiana, as were her father and paternal grandfather
both of whom were agriculturists. She is a daughter of E.P. and Emma
(Parker) Dunbar, the latter being a native of the State of Delaware. To
Mr. and Mrs. Dunbar there were born eight children: May, who is the wife
of L.V. Halliday of Bellfontaine Ohio; Lillian E., now Mrs. Judy who was
born February 23, 1891; Joseph E. of Colfax Indiana; Austin, a farmer
near that place; Harvey M. of Bowers Indiana; Willard P., who is
attending high school at Kokomo Indiana and Roscoe and Theodore who are
students at Blue Ridge College, New Windsor Maryland. Mr. and Mrs. Judy
have no children.
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