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KANAWHA COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA - BIOS: FRUTH, Valentine
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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. 395-396
VALENTINE FRUTH, a representative business man of Charleston, W. Va.,
conducting a first class grocery at No.202 Kanawha Street, where he has been
established for twenty-two years, was born November 5, 1858, at Pomeroy, 0.,
and is a son of Abraham and Anna M. (Mees) Fruth.
Abraham Fruth was born in Bavaria, Germany, in 1832, and died in Mason
County, W. Va., May 20, 1885. He was seventeen years old when he came to the
United States and with his parents settled at Pomeroy, 0., where he became a
miller and millwright and carried on milling from 1845 until i860, afterward
conducting a general store. He moved to Ma-son County, W. Va., where he lived
retired for some years before his death. He was a strong Democrat but was in
sympathy with the Fed-eral Government during the Civil War. On May 2, i85i,
he was married at Pomeroy, 0., to Miss Anna M. Mees, who was born in Ger-many
in 1834, and was brought to the United States by her parents in 1836. They
settled at Pomeroy, 0., and later moved to Mason County, W. Va., where they
died in old age. They reared a large family. Abraham and Maria (Ohlinger)
Mees, maternal grandparents of Valentine Fruth, were worthy and re-spected
people and were members of the Lutheran church. To Abraham and Anna M. Fruth
the following children were born: Elizabeth, who died when aged nine years;
Henry, who died after marriage; Matilda, who also died after marriage;
Abraham, who is the junior member of the wholesale and retail meat firm of
Fisher & Fruth, at Charleston, married Elizabeth Fisher and they have one son
and three daughters: Valentine; Anna, who is the wife of George Fisher, of
the firm of Fisher & Fruth; Emma, who is the wife of Taylor Robinson, now
living in Mason Coun-ty, and has one son and one daughter.
Valentine Fruth attended the public schools of Pomeroy, 0., in boyhood, and
when sixteen years of age accompanied the family to Mason County, W. Va. He
started to work as a mule driver in a coal mine and continued mine work, in
various capacities, until he was experienced enough to be appointed a mine
boss. In i889 he caine to Charleston. He had worked hard all his previous
life but had been able to save little and had a very small amount of money to
invest when he started his grocery store, at his present stand. Close
attention, prudence and excellent judgment have contributed to Mr. Fruth's
business success and he now has one of the largest grocery stocks in the city
and is a very substantial citizen financially. He is a strong Democrat and
has frequently been tendered public offices and is a member of the school
board. He has served also in the city council where his advice on pub-ic
business was of great practical value.
Mr. Fruth was married at Pomeroy, 0., November 28, 1883, to Miss Emma M.
Joachim, who was born at Pomeroy, October 25, 1859, and is a daughter of
George and Elizabeth (Rasp) Joachim. Mr. Joachim was born in Obenheimer,
Germany, and came to America with his parents, and was reared and married at
Pomeroy, 0. In 1895 he came to Charleston and died February 4, 1911, at the
age of seventy-five years. His wife passed away June 12, 1899, when aged
sixty-three years. They were members of the Lutheran church. Three children
have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Fruth: Bertha E., Elbert A., and Clifford I.
Bertha E., born November II, i885, was edu-cated in the public schools of
Charleston. She married Clem R. Edgar, who is connected with the Baner Meat
and Fish Company. Elbert A., born January 24, i886, after graduating from the
Charleston High School, entered the University of Virginia and was graduated
as an electrical engineer in the class of 1907. He is connected with the
electrical Underwriters of Chicago Company at Milwaukee, Wis. Clifford J.
was born November 28, 1895, and is a student in the Charleston High School.
Mr. Fruth and family are members of the First German Evangelical Church of
Charleston.
Sandy Spradling
SSpradling@AOL.com
State Contact for WV GenExchange
http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm
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