Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 4.djvu/636

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VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

ment, and being driven home by its able head.

A valuable aid to the farmer is the system of bulletins sent out from the department. These are carefully prepared, and cover the ])oints especially helpful from time to time, and are accepted by the farmers as author- ities on the subjects covered. These bul- letins have won high praise from other states than his own and have added new zest to agriculture in all parts of the state, for they are sent broadcast. Virginia as a state is most prosperous, and to the new vigor and interest instilled through Mr. Koiner's work as head of the department of agriculture, much of this prosperity is necessarily due. There is another valuable feature connected with the work of the de- partment. It is inducing immigration. Western farmers are looking for balmier climates, and the ofifice is often filled with seekers for good lands and prices in a less trying climate, from New England, the north and northwest. Through Mr. Koiner's in- fluence many desirable men have settled in \ irginia and are contributing to the general jirosperity.

.A public lienefactor is said to be he who causes two blades of grass to grow where but one formerly grew. By this standard Mr. Koiner is a 1>enefactor, raised to such a power as only a mathematician can deter- mine, for all over the state fields are pro- ducing more boimtifully. abandoned areas are cultivated, orchards yield more plenti- fully and in higher quality, stock raising is more profitable, and the farmer of Virginia is learning the market value of his name on case, barrel or package shipi)ed. This is the work done by no Aladdin, but by George W. Koiner. farmer, and friend of the farmer through apjjlied intelligence.

I'ndcr the new constitution of V^irginia the office of Commissioner of Agriculture was made elective. The Democratic conven- tion nominated Mr. Koiner for the office. and ho has been the only man to hold it under the constitution, lie is a member of the Business Men's Club of Richmond, the Hermitage Golf Club, a trustee of his alma mater, Roanoke College, and in religion is a communicant of the Presbyterian church.

Mr. Koiner married, near Salem. X'irginia. in 1872. Augusta Virginia Farrow, born in Kingsport. Tennessee. February 24, 1857, aaughter of Cyrus and Agnes (Johnston)

Farrow, her father a merchant who died in i860. Children : Hattie May, married Ewen Davidson ; Kate Lewis, married T. L. West ; Mary Coalter. married J. S. Jones; Lynda McClanahan ; Arthur Wellington, now an electrical engineer.

Edward Hobday Claude, M. D. The medi- cal profession, more than any other, de- mands intellect of a high standard combined with a number of other traits not so essen- tial in other walks of life. This profession has been selected by many men for the op- portunities it affords to better the condition of their fellow beings and for advancing the cause of science in a notable and beneficial manner. For these and other reasons it was chosen as his life work by Dr. Edward Hob- day Claude, of Portsmouth, and the results he has achieved have proven the wisdom of his choice.

Jesse Cornelius Claude, his father, was a farmer in Southampton county, V^ir- ginia, and died in 191 1. He married Made- line Lesles, who is still living. They had children: i. Bettie Reese, married (first) Walter M. Kelley, and had: Bettie Peete. born August 14. 1885; she married (second) December 3. 1903. John Benson Bain, and had: Dorothy Lester, born August 23, 1904; John Fj. Jr.. born March 31, 1906; Eliza- beth, born May 6, 1912. 2. Joseph Gillette, married and had three children. 3. Maud. 4. Mark Peete, born August 10, 1864; is en- gaged in the real estate business in Ports- mouth ; he married, June 23, 1893, -Mamie E. (3w^ens, a daughter of Rev. Austin E. Owens, of Powhatan county, Virginia ; chil- dren : Jessie Ow^ens, born August 5, 1894, died December 8, 1912; Lester Reese, born in March, 1896; Eldridge F., born in Octo- ber, 1898; Hugh M.. born May 22, 1901 ; Mark Peete, Jr., born in August, 1904, died in May. 1906. 5. .\ddie. died in infancy.

6. William Thomas, born February 14. 1869; is a farmer and an improver and developer of real estate ; he married (first) in 1893,

Fannie E., born in 1873. and they had

one child. William F>ancis, born February I. 1895, died in 1896; he married (second) m March. 1902. Elsie E. Pierce, and they had children : Lois X'irginia, born Novem- ber 10, 1907; Shirley Pierce, born Febru- ary I, 1909; Philip Lester, born May 8, 1913.

7. Tenie. 8. Edward Hobday.

Dr. Edward Hobdav Claude was born in