King, William Michael

Passed: 1954-10-22

Age: 89

Source:

Death Notice: 1954-10-27

Obituary Date:

Information: An 89-year old long time resident of Evans, who was the last survivor of one of Jackson county's pioneer families, died at a Huntington hospital on Friday after a long illness.  He was William Michael King, who had long been a leading farmer and churchman of the county.  The funeral service was held at the Otterbein church on Sunday afternoon with Rev. Roy McCuskey officiating and the burial with the Casto morticians in charge was in the Otterbein cemetery.  The body remained at the funeral home until it was taken to the church.  Mr. King was a son of Francis and Ruth Baremore King and was born on Cow Run near Cottageville on May 27, 1865.  He was the last survivor of a family of nine children, the others being, Elizabeth King, Samuel King, Mrs. Oscar Sayre, Mrs. Stephen A. Hartley, George M. King, Mrs. Alonzo Stewart and Jonathan F. King. On August 22, 1886, he married Sallie Crum and of this union two children, Miss Nellie King and Rev. Harry Francis King, were born.  Nellie lives at Beaver, Pa.  Harry is the pastor of the Beverly Hills Methodist church in Huntington.  One child died in infancy.  Mrs. King died June 2, 1911 and on January 4, 1914, he was again married, this time to Nellie Sayre who also preceded him in death.  They had one child, Donald Dale, who died in June 1927 at the age of 11 years.  Mr. King was for many years a member of the Methodist church, but later his wife became a member of the Evangelical United Brethren church at Otterbein.  During his lifetime he served as Sunday School Superintendent at Antioch, Cherry Grove, Evans and Otterbein and was always actively identified with church work.  He had been a member of the Cottageville I.O.O.F. Lodge for many years.  Although more widely known in the county as a farmer, he had in an earlier day operated a blacksmith shop at the farm near Cottageville and about the year 1900, he and his brother, Samuel, established a mercantile establishment at Angerona, which was known as King Brothers Store.  In 1911 he purchased the George Harpold store in Cottageville and operated it for two years.  He was also a traveling salesman for the C. C. Martin Grocery Company and serviced stores in Jackson and Roane counties for the wholesale firm.  In 1917 he moved to Evans and continued to live there until about two years ago.  In addition to the two children named above who survive, he also has two grandchildren, William John King of Huntington and Mrs. C. J. Creveling of Washington, D. C. and also numerous nieces and nephews.