Doddridge County Roots


A West Virginia Genealogy

First Name Last Name
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Willard Blair "Bill" SHAFER

Willard Blair "Bill" SHAFER

Male 1909 - 1996  (87 years)


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  • Name Willard Blair "Bill" SHAFER  [1]
    Birth 27 Jan 1909  Avon, Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  [2, 3] 
    • Birth record gives birthplace as New Milton, while obituary states "Avon community, near New Milton." The community of Market has also been cited, and death record states Avon, both also in Doddridge Co. Last name spelled "Shafer" for all family members throughout wife's obituary, but spelled "Shaffer" in Social Security Death Index entries for both Willard and wife Mamie. The "Shafer" spelling is found in his birth record, marriage record, and the birth record of his daughter, as well as in his obituary, but his death record has it "Shaffer." Person identified as providing information for the death record was Patricia Ann Britton, his daughter.
    Gender Male
    Census 1920  New Milton District, Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Census 1930, 1940  Southwest District, Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Occupation automobile mechanic  [4] 
    • He had been a mechanic for the former Kiger Motors, Bridge Chevrolet of West Union, and the former Superior Dairy of Smithburg. He was a foster grandparent for the Doddridge County school system for 17 years, and he had 28 foster children for the Doddridge County Human Services. He was a life member of the West Union Volunteer Fire Department and the Doddridge County Emergency Squad.
    Residence Morgans Run (West Union), Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  [5] 
    Death 31 May 1996  Clarksburg, Harrison Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  [3, 6] 
    Burial Masonic Memorial Park Cemetery, Crystal Lake (West Union), WV Find all individuals with events at this location  [4, 7] 
    Person ID I17691  Doddridge County Roots
    Last Modified 12 Oct 2012

    Father James A. Garfield SHAFER,   b. 20 Dec 1880   d. 13 Jul 1951, Parkersburg, Wood Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 70 years)
    Mother Alva Dovie NICHOLSON,   b. 29 Sep 1890, Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 21 Jul 1958 (Age 67 years)
    Family ID F6513  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Mamie Virginia KNIGHT,   b. 7 Apr 1916, Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 17 Mar 1986, West Union, Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 69 years)
    Marriage 10 May 1935  Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  [8, 9] 
    Children 
    +1. Patricia Ann "Patty" SHAFER,   b. 21 Feb 1936, Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 26 Jul 2005, Arnolds Creek (West Union), Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 69 years)
    +2. Betty Sue SHAFER,   b. 17 Dec 1937, Blandville, Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 2 Jan 2021, Parkersburg, Wood Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 83 years)
    >3. Roy Blair "Tom" SHAEFER,   b. 1940, West Union, Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 28 Jan 2006, Tucson, Pima Co, AZ Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 66 years)
    +4. Living
    Family ID F6427  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Sources 
    1. [S1564] Obituary of daughter.

    2. [S1553] Doddridge County Birth Records, West Union, WV, BR Bk 4, p. 156.
      Original entry had his name as William Shafer and did not give mother's maiden name. Corrections were made on Sep 8 1964 based on affidavit by a cousin, not named.

    3. [S15] Social Security Death Index.

    4. [S12] Doddridge County Court House, West Union, WV, DR Outside County Bk 2, p. 552.

    5. [S14] Obituary.

    6. [S1563] Doddridge County Death Records, West Union, WV, DR Outside County Bk 2, p. 552.

    7. [S1793] West Union WV Cemeteries (Doddridge County), (Wes Cochran, 2515 10th Ave, Parkersburg, WV 26101 (July 1990)).

    8. [S1554] Doddridge County Marriage Records, West Union, WV, MR Bk 13, p. 283.

    9. [S692] Obituary of wife.