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KANAWHA COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA - BIOS: HARLESS, Judge Leroy
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Submitted to the West Virginia Biographies Project by:
Sandy Spradling
SSpradling@AOL.com
September 25, 1999
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History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and Representative
Citizens
W.S. Laidley
Richmond Arnold Publishing Co., Chicago, ILL.
1911
p. 394-395
JUDGE LEROY HARLESS, now superintendent of the Kanawha County Infirmary,
located eight miles west of Charleston, W. Va., was born in what is now Boone
county, W. Va., August 23, 1842, and is a son of James H. and Spicey (Barker)
Harless.
James H. Harless was born in Giles countty, Va., where he was educated. At
the time and some time after his marriage, he lived in that part of Kanawha
county that now makes up Boone county, W. Va., where he owned about 300 acres
of land, which has passed into the possession of his heirs. His death
occurred when he was seventy years of age. He married in Kanawba county and
his widow survived him some years, passing away in her eightieth year. Ten
children were born to them, namely: Martha, Silas B., James B., Le-roy,
Rachel, Mary, Nancy, Willa, William and Virginia. The survivors are: James
B., Leroy, Rachel, Willa, William and Virginia. The parents of the above
family were members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Tn early man-hood the
father was a Whig and later became a Republican and on the ticket of that
party was elected to a number of district offices.
Leroy Harless was scarcely through school before he joined a volunteer
military company, becoming a member of Co. B, 8th Va. Vol. Inf., recruited
for the Union Army. After the termination of his first period of enlistment,
he reenlisted in the 7th W. Va. Cav., with which he remained connected until
the close of the war. He saw much hard fighting and bravely faced danger on a
hundred occasions or more, but fortunately escaped all serious injury and
when the war ended gladly resumed a life of peace. He came back to Kanawba
county and for a number of years was engaged in a mercantile business on Coal
river, near Fort Peytona. After this he went into the number and timber
husiness which he continued until 1892, when he was elected deputy sheriff on
the Republican ticket. He served in this capacity for four years under
Sheriff Silman, and four years under Sheriff Copenhaver, and two more years
under Sheriff John Jarrett. He was then elected a county commissioner in
Kanawba county, and after serving six years returned to private life for two
years, when he was appointed to his present responsible office, in 1910. He
has always been a Republican and a strong party man. He has a beautiful
residence at No. 1001 Bigley avenue, Charleston, which is the family home,
but six days in the week he is found at the Infirmary, where all the duties
pertaining to this institution are faithfully and efficiently considered,
both as to the best interests of the county charges and of the tax payers.
He owns a farm of 153 acres, situated in Washington district, - Kanawha
county, on which his son-in-law lives as a tenant.
Mr. Harless was married first on February 25, 1869, to Miss Lethia Keeney, a
daughter of Foster and Eliza Keeney, of this county. She died February 7,
1907, and her burial was on Allen Creek in Kanawba county. She is survived
by five children: Elmer E., Cora Ollie, Carrie 0., Gertrude and Wesley. Mr.
Harless was married second, December 24, 1909, to Mrs. Rufiny (Foster)
McLane, a daughter of James Foster, of Kanawha county. Mrs. Harless married
first Charles Hanna, and they had one child, Minnie. No children were born
to her second marriage to Charles McLane. Mr. Harless and wife attend the
Bowman Metho-dist Episcopal church. He belongs to Blundon Post, G. A. R., at
Charleston, and also to tl)e Odd Fellows.
Sandy Spradling
SSpradling@AOL.com
State Contact for WV GenExchange
http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm
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