Skip to content

Jerry A. McFaddin

JERRY A. McFADDIN, now mayor of the City of Honaker, was born near the Town of Hansonville, Virginia, on April 20, 1895, and is the son of Abel A. McFaddin, who resides at Alumwells, Washington County, Virginia. The father was born at Hansonville, Russell County, in 1860, and was there reared to maturity on a farm, where he became proficient in solving the evasive problems of successful agriculture. At the same time he carried on an extensive business of manufacturing and marketing timber, logs, lumber and posts. Both as a farmer of modern methods and a lumber manufacturer of noteworthy fame, he attained great distinction in this portion of the state. In 1897 he moved to Mendota, Washington County, and there conducted farming even on a more extensive scale, but in 1900 he located at Alumwells, where he now owns and operates a splendid farm of 700 acres of rich soil. Not only was he made of life an industrial success, but also has attained prominence and celebrity as a congenial neighbor, an illustrious citizen and a public spirited and generous philanthropist. he is a republican.

He wedded Miss Nannie E. Martin, who was born at Bolton, Russell County, in November, 1863. To this union the following, family of children were born: Charles N., who is engaged extensively in farming near Lebanon and is the owner of a part interest in the Russell Telephone Exchange; Homer C., who is a resident of Lebanon and owns a part interest in the above mentioned Telephone Exchange; Letty Ethel, who became the wife of Claude M. Fleenor, a farmer who resides at Alumwells; Aldn R., who married Lacy B. Todd, and he was an extensive farmer, but died some time ago and his widow lives at Lebanon; Jerry A., subject; Genora, who resides with her parents; William W., who died in Mendota at the age of three years; Nannie Leone, who died in Alumwells at the age of sixteen years; Ora Lame, who is a student in the college at Bluefield, West Virginia; Mary Lou, who is a student in the Honaker High School.

Jerry A. McFaddin was given the usual education in his youth, largely in the public. schools of Washington County, and was then graduated with distinction from the Craig Mills High School with the class of 1913. Soon after leaving this institution he, entered King College, Bristol, Tennessee, took a fall course and graduated with signal distinction in the class of 1918 with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. He was then prepared for the duties and responsibilities of life, no matter how exacting and discordant. And they at once became discordant.

On January 25, 1918, he volunteered in the World War, and was first sent to Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, where he remained connected with the Medical Corps for about five months. He was then transferred to Camp Sevier, Greenville, South Carolina, and remained there. attached to the Medical Corps for forty-five days. He was then ordered to Camp Upton, bong Island, New York, but about fifteen days later was embarked for overseas duty and landed at Brest, France, in July, 1918. There he became a member of Evacuation Hospital No. 22. Later he was stationed for thirty days at Alleray, France, and still later spent nine weeks on the terrible Argonne front. When the armistice was declared he was stationed for thirty days in Joinville, France, and was then sent to Coblenz, Germany, with Evacuation Nation Hospital No. 22, in the Army of Occupation, and there remained for seventy-five days. In April, 1919, he was promoted to the post of hospital sergeant, and then was ordered back home across the Atlantic, where he was honorably discharged at Camp Mills, Long Island, on June 15, 1919. He thus triumphantly and heroically passed through this bitter and discord cut war period.

He returned to Alumwells and remained on the home farm for six months, and then took up his residence at Honaker in February, 1920, and began operating a public garage. In February, 1923, he sold out and is now an automobile salesman and the agent for the Franklin and Buick cars in all of Russell County. He still owns a half interest in the large, modern brick garage on Main Street, Honaker. He is a republican, and as such was elected to the high office of mayor in September, 1922. He is a member of the Honaker Baptist Church, is a teacher in the Sunday school, is assistant, superintendent of the school, is a, member of Pruner Lodge No. 254, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons; of Castlewood Chapter No. 24, Royal Arch Masons; of Roanoke Consistory No. 4; a thirtysecond degree Mason of Kazim Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, Roanoke; of Bristol, Tennessee, Lodge No. 232, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and of Bluefield Post No. 9, American Legion, Bluefield, West Virginia. He is unmarried.

Jerry A. McFaddin, grandfather of Jerry A., and for whom the latter was named, was born in Hansonville, Virginia, and died at Mendota, Virginia, at the age of eighty-eight years. He was a successful farmer and spent the most of his life at Hansonville. He was a Confederate volunteer during the Civil war, and served in the cavalry until peace was declared. Late in life he moved to Mendota. He married Rachel Hendricks, who was born in Russell County, and died at Mendota. Her father was an agriculturist on a large scale and owned many slaves. He built the original Stonewall Jackson College at Abingdon, Virginia. The McFaddins are of Scotch-Trish origin, going first from Scotland to Ireland and then to Virginia.