John Joshua HETZEL^[1]

1849 - 1914

• Born	1 Feb 1849	New Yok, New York
  Gender	Male
  Died	23 Aug 1914	Martinsburg, West Virginia
  Person ID	I1825	Johnson Hindin Tree
  Last Modified	24 Dec 2013

  
  

  Family 1	Naomi Hovermale
  Married	14 Jul 1914	Berkeley Springs, Berkeley Co., West Virginia
  Family ID	F5422	Group Sheet

  
  

  Family 2	Anna BARNDOLLAR,   b. Abt 1850,   d. 2 Jul 1912
  Married	1871
  Children	1. George P. HETZEL,   b. 21 Dec 1871,   d. 13 Jan 1872   2. Charles W. HETZEL,   b. 4 May 1874,   d. 7 Jan 1875   3. Mary B. HETZEL,   b. 1876,   d. Oct 1952, Binghamton, Broome Co. New York   4. Guy HETZEL,   b. 4 Sep 1878, Paw Paw, Morgan, Co., West Virginia ,   d. 28 Jul 1933, Ohio Co., West Virginia   5. Frederick Garfield HETZEL,   b. 16 Jun 1880, Paw Paw, West Virginia ,   d. 20 Mar 1907, Romney, Hampshire Co., Virginia   6. Margaretha HETZEL,   b. 19 Jul 1882, Martinsburg, West Virginia ,   d. Abt 1958, Princeton, New Jersey   7. Amelia Ashcom HETZEL,   b. 20 Mar 1884, Paw Paw, West Virginia ,   d. Yes, date unknown   8. Anna Lowery HETZEL   9. John Joshua HETZEL, Jr.   10. Ruth HETZEL,   d. 23 Nov 1890
  Family ID	F640	Group Sheet

  
  

• Notes

  The following biography was taken from "West Virginia and its People", vol. 3, (1913): John Joshua, son of Joshua Phillip and Margaret (Yaus) Hetzel, was born in New York City, February 1, 1849, probably only a short time after his parents landed in the United States. When a young boy he moved with his parents to Cumberland, Maryland, and there received his preparatory education at the German Lutheran parochial school. He afterward matriculated at the Allegheny Male and Female Seminary at Rainsburg, Pennsylvania. After completing his education he was engaged as a clerk in a general country store at Bloody Run, Pennsylvania, now Everett, Pennsylvania. He remained in this position until he became a member of the firm. In July of 1875 he engaged in the leather business with the firm of J. B. Hoyt & Company, at that time the largest leather manufacturers, not only in New York, but the United States. He served them in the capacity of auditor for several years, and later was promoted to the position as general manager of their fourteen tanneries. His connection with this firm ran over twenty-five years, during which time he had the confidence and high esteem of the company. In 1901 he retired from this line of business, and moved from New York to Martinsburg, West Virginia. He purchased the wholesale grocery concern of Evans, Schafer Grocery Company, of Martinsburg, reorganized it under the name of the National Commercial Company, became its president and is its largest stockholder. Under his direction it has grown by leaps and bounds, and is one of the most progressive commercial enterprises in Martinsburg. He has associated with him his two sons, Guy and John J. In 1902 he organized the bank of Martinsburg, was elected its president and has remained so until the present time. In 1903 he organized the Bank of Morgan County, located at Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, and is its president and largest stockholder. He built the Berkeley Springs Telephone system in 1904, is its largest stockholder and has been its president from the beginning. He organized the Romney Wholesale Grocery House, of Romney, West Virginia, of which he is president and managing director. He is a Republican in politics, but cast his vote for Wilson and Marshall in 1912. In 1882-83, while he was living at Paw Paw, West Virginia, he represented Morgan County, West Virginia, in the state legislature. His great popularity was evidenced by his receiving one hundred and eighty-seven votes of the one hundred and ninety cast at the home precinct of Paw Paw. He is a member of the Martinsburg Methodist Episcopal Church, and also of the Young Men's Christian Association, in which he takes great interest and of which he is a director, and an indefatigable worker for the same. He has been prominent in Good Templar work, has been a total abstainer and an ardent advocate of prohibition since his early manhood, though never a member of the Prohibition party. He took great and active interest in the Prohibition Amendment. He had charge of eight counties in the eastern part of West Virginia, and through his direction as chairman seven of them gave decided majorities, the eighth going anti by two hundred majority. Mr. Hetzel is always found on the side of those who are working for the uplift and betterment of the communities in which he has been and is now living and stands for civic righteousness. He has been Grand Chief Templar of West Virginia and a representative to the Grand Lodge of the World. He is a Mason, and a member of the Blue Lodge. While residing in New York, from 1894 to 1901, he was a member of the Hide and Leather Club, of New York. He married, in 1871, at Danville, Pennsylvania, Anna, daughter of George and Amelia (Ashcom) Barndollar, of Woodbury, Pennsylvania. Her father was a miller and general merchant, and in stock. Mrs. Hetzel is one of six children, the others are Mary, Margaret, George, Frank, Henry. Children of John Joshua and Anna (Barndollar) Hetzel: George, deceased; Charles P., deceased; Mary B., married a Mr. Garges, of Baltimore, Maryland; Guy, in business with his father; Frederick G., deceased; Margaretta, married Dr. C. W. Link; Amelia, married a Mr. Carmichael, of Lexington, Virginia; John J. Jr., in business with his father; Ruth, deceased. ************ The following wedding announcement wastranscribed from a newspaper in Berkeley County, West Virginia with theabbreviation "WP", and was available on www.wvgenweb.org in 2013: HETZEL, John J., of Martinsburg, and Miss Naomi HOVERMALE, daughter of the late Jefferson HOVERMALE, were married July 14 in Berkeley Springs by the Rev. J.H. BRUNK of the United Brethren Church. Mr. HETZEL, a widower, is a well-known banker, wholesale merchant, and independent telephone line owner, and Miss HOVERMALE was an operator in the exchange of the telephone company, which is where their acquaintance began — WP 19 Jul 1914. The following obituary was obtained from Carroll in 2006: John J. Hetzel, a prominent citizen of Martinsburg, died at the Martinsburg City Hospital suffering from acute Stomache trouble. He was 65 years old. Until a few days ago he was visiting with his wife, a bride of but a few weeks, at Mountain Lake Park, Md where he was taken ill. He suffered a complete nervous breakdown. The body will be sent to Everett, PA. where interment will be made, beside his first wife. Mr Hetzel, while leading a retired life for the past few months, was connected with many West Virginia institutions. He was president of the Bank of Morgan County, at Berkeley Springs, W.VA and head of a wholesale grocery at Martinsburg. He was prominent in West Virginia politics, being a Republican. He was born in New York City in 1849, and received his early education at the public schools of that city and at Rainsburg, Pa. Seminary. After leaving school he was connected for a number of years with the Barndollar, Hetzel Company, at Everett, PA. In about 1870 he came to Cumberland to live. He remained there for ten years as a general superintendent of the Union Tanning Company. Leaving that city he went to Martinsburg, where he has been identified with several large industries. He was interested in coal lands in this state also in large farm lands. He was married twice. Six weeks ago he married Miss Naomi Hovermale, 23 years old, of Berkeley Springs. His first wife, who was Miss Barndollar of Everett, PA died four years ago. He is survived by two sons and four daughters.

  
  

• Sources

  [S351] According to History of West Virginia and Its Peop.