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KANAWHA COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA - BIOS: COPEN, Vinton Z.
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Submitted to the West Virginia Biographies Project by:
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. 379
VINTON Z. COPEN, a retired farmer residing in Elk District, Kanawha County,
W. Va., and the only surviving ex-sheriff, occupies his comfortable,
newly-erected residence on his fine estate of 200 acres. He was born in Elk
District on Elk River, July 3, 1822, and is a son of John and Rebecca (Cobb)
Copen.
John Copen was a farmer all his life, the greater part of which was spent in
Elk District, where he died in 1877, at the age of eighty-five years. He
married Rebecca Cobb, who belonged to one of the pioneer families of Big
Sandy District. Of their large family there are two survivors: Vin-ton Z.
and Nancy, who is the wife of William Moles, a resident also of Elk District.
Vincent Z. Copen had but meager educa-tional opportunities in his youth, the
coun-try being comparatively unsettled near his fatber's home and
school-houses far apart. When eleven years old he became useful as a helper
in clearing up the place and in farming and subsequently worked at lumbering.
When he reached manhood he purchased his present farm. It was known as the
''old King homestead,'' its original owner having been the first settler in
Elk District, and the log cabin remained for many years the oldest landmark
of ci.vilization in this region. Mr. Copen occupied it for many years and
finally assisted in tearing it down and on the site erected his com-fortable
modern residence. During his active years he carried on farming and stock
raising. There was a period of many years during which Mr. Copen was one of
the prominent politicians of the county, an ac-tive Republican, and holding
many offices of responsibility. He was one of the early sheriffs and
performed his public duties in that position when only a brave and unusually
resourceful man could have success-fully coped with conditions then existing.
Mr. Copen married Miss Sarah Ann Sands, and the following children were born
to them: Perry, who is a farmer on the home land, married Mary Tully, and
they have four children and one grandchild; Henry, who is a farmer in Elk
District, married Agnes Miller and they have eight children and three
grandchildren; Nancy, who is deceased, was the wife of C. King, and they had
eight children; Martha, who married E. O'Daniell, a farmer on 2-Mile Creek,
and they have five children; Alice, who is the wife of M. Haines, a farmer on
2-Mile Creek; Ida May, who is the wife of B. Edens, a farmer on Elk River;
Frances, who lives at home; Rachel, who is the wife of L. Edens, a farmer on
Cooper's Creek; and Camos, who resides on the home farm, and married Lula
Marion. Mr. Copen has never identified himself with any fraternal
organization.
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