Howard Gale Byrd, possessor of a famous Virginia name, was born at Spring Valley, Grayson County, Virginia, on December 12, 1893, the son of R. Dallas and Mattie (Vaughan) Byrd. His mother was a member of one of Grayson County's prominent and best known families. His father was long an efficient and highly respected member of the teaching profession.
At the age of 24 years, Howard decided to answer a convicting ministerial call and entered the Holston Conference at the I918 annual session presided over by Bishop F. M. Bristol in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He was ordained Elder at the 1925 session of the Holston Conference held in Newport, Tennessee by Bishop H. Lester Smith. From then until his retirement 19 active years later, he served pastoral charges as follows: Wise (Va.) Ct.; St. Charles (Va.) Ct.; Pennington Gap (Va.) Ct.; Dayton (Tn.) Ct; Boaz (Ala.) Station; Townsend, (Tn.) Station; Big Stone Gap (Va.) Ct; Baileyton (Tn.) Ct.; Clinch Valley (Va.) Ct.; Narrows (Va.) Ct.; Staffordsville (Va.) Ct.
The celebrated Scopes evolution trial held in Dayton, Tennessee in the summer of 1925, in which the famous "silver-tongued orator," William Jennings Bryan, and the era's noted defense lawyer, Clarence Darrow, matched wits as opposing counsel, occurred during Howard Byrd's Dayton pastorate. Therefore, the name, "Rev. Howard G. Byrd, " appeared in news dispatches throughout the United States in connection with his role as a witness in that famous legal battle.
While serving the Narrows and Staffordsville Circuits, he lived in Rich Creek, Giles County, Virginia where he had purchased a home. It was there after a lingering illness that he answered "the last roll call" and entered into rest on October 12, 1973. Funeral services were held at Riffe's Funeral Chapel in Narrows on October 16, being led by Rev. C. Virgil Anderson, pastor of the Rich Creek United Methodist Church, Rev. Robert Thornton, pastor of the Narrows Circuit, and Rev. Henry N. Horton, Tazewell District Superintendent. His body was taken to the vicinity of Fries, Virginia, not far from the place of his birth, and was tenderly laid to rest in the Mt. Hope United Methodist Church Cemetery.
Survivors include his widow, Mrs. Floy Gamble Byrd; three sons, John Howard of South Point, Ohio; Charlea Calvin, Mesilla Park. N. M.; and Thomas Edward, Rich Creek, Va.; two daughters Mrs. Lillian Fielder, Escondido. Calif.; and Mrs. Nancy Robinson, Bristol, Va.; a brother, Eugene Raymond, San Fernando, Calif.; two sisters, Mrs. R. Kyle (Nina l Wright, Chilhowie, Va., and Mrs. Hazel Shaffner, Susanville, Calif.; 9 grandchildren, and 2 great grandchildren.
Many good things have been said about this consecrated servant of the itinerant trail since his home-going, and his memory lives on among his friends and loved ones, and many whom he served during his ministerial career. As the late Rev. D. B. Cooper said in the 1942 Conference Memoir of his Holston friend, Rev. Jacob F. Reed, it may be said of our departed friend, Howard Gale Byrd, "We know where he is, for he was going in that direction all the while."
Written By: Munsey M. Poole - Holston Conference Journal – 1974 – pages: 172 - 173
At the age of 24 years, Howard decided to answer a convicting ministerial call and entered the Holston Conference at the I918 annual session presided over by Bishop F. M. Bristol in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He was ordained Elder at the 1925 session of the Holston Conference held in Newport, Tennessee by Bishop H. Lester Smith. From then until his retirement 19 active years later, he served pastoral charges as follows: Wise (Va.) Ct.; St. Charles (Va.) Ct.; Pennington Gap (Va.) Ct.; Dayton (Tn.) Ct; Boaz (Ala.) Station; Townsend, (Tn.) Station; Big Stone Gap (Va.) Ct; Baileyton (Tn.) Ct.; Clinch Valley (Va.) Ct.; Narrows (Va.) Ct.; Staffordsville (Va.) Ct.
The celebrated Scopes evolution trial held in Dayton, Tennessee in the summer of 1925, in which the famous "silver-tongued orator," William Jennings Bryan, and the era's noted defense lawyer, Clarence Darrow, matched wits as opposing counsel, occurred during Howard Byrd's Dayton pastorate. Therefore, the name, "Rev. Howard G. Byrd, " appeared in news dispatches throughout the United States in connection with his role as a witness in that famous legal battle.
While serving the Narrows and Staffordsville Circuits, he lived in Rich Creek, Giles County, Virginia where he had purchased a home. It was there after a lingering illness that he answered "the last roll call" and entered into rest on October 12, 1973. Funeral services were held at Riffe's Funeral Chapel in Narrows on October 16, being led by Rev. C. Virgil Anderson, pastor of the Rich Creek United Methodist Church, Rev. Robert Thornton, pastor of the Narrows Circuit, and Rev. Henry N. Horton, Tazewell District Superintendent. His body was taken to the vicinity of Fries, Virginia, not far from the place of his birth, and was tenderly laid to rest in the Mt. Hope United Methodist Church Cemetery.
Survivors include his widow, Mrs. Floy Gamble Byrd; three sons, John Howard of South Point, Ohio; Charlea Calvin, Mesilla Park. N. M.; and Thomas Edward, Rich Creek, Va.; two daughters Mrs. Lillian Fielder, Escondido. Calif.; and Mrs. Nancy Robinson, Bristol, Va.; a brother, Eugene Raymond, San Fernando, Calif.; two sisters, Mrs. R. Kyle (Nina l Wright, Chilhowie, Va., and Mrs. Hazel Shaffner, Susanville, Calif.; 9 grandchildren, and 2 great grandchildren.
Many good things have been said about this consecrated servant of the itinerant trail since his home-going, and his memory lives on among his friends and loved ones, and many whom he served during his ministerial career. As the late Rev. D. B. Cooper said in the 1942 Conference Memoir of his Holston friend, Rev. Jacob F. Reed, it may be said of our departed friend, Howard Gale Byrd, "We know where he is, for he was going in that direction all the while."
Written By: Munsey M. Poole - Holston Conference Journal – 1974 – pages: 172 - 173
Howard Gale Byrd, possessor of a famous Virginia name, was born at Spring Valley, Grayson County, Virginia, on December 12, 1893, the son of R. Dallas and Mattie (Vaughan) Byrd. His mother was a member of one of Grayson County's prominent and best known families. His father was long an efficient and highly respected member of the teaching profession.
At the age of 24 years, Howard decided to answer a convicting ministerial call and entered the Holston Conference at the I918 annual session presided over by Bishop F. M. Bristol in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He was ordained Elder at the 1925 session of the Holston Conference held in Newport, Tennessee by Bishop H. Lester Smith. From then until his retirement 19 active years later, he served pastoral charges as follows: Wise (Va.) Ct.; St. Charles (Va.) Ct.; Pennington Gap (Va.) Ct.; Dayton (Tn.) Ct; Boaz (Ala.) Station; Townsend, (Tn.) Station; Big Stone Gap (Va.) Ct; Baileyton (Tn.) Ct.; Clinch Valley (Va.) Ct.; Narrows (Va.) Ct.; Staffordsville (Va.) Ct.
The celebrated Scopes evolution trial held in Dayton, Tennessee in the summer of 1925, in which the famous "silver-tongued orator," William Jennings Bryan, and the era's noted defense lawyer, Clarence Darrow, matched wits as opposing counsel, occurred during Howard Byrd's Dayton pastorate. Therefore, the name, "Rev. Howard G. Byrd, " appeared in news dispatches throughout the United States in connection with his role as a witness in that famous legal battle.
While serving the Narrows and Staffordsville Circuits, he lived in Rich Creek, Giles County, Virginia where he had purchased a home. It was there after a lingering illness that he answered "the last roll call" and entered into rest on October 12, 1973. Funeral services were held at Riffe's Funeral Chapel in Narrows on October 16, being led by Rev. C. Virgil Anderson, pastor of the Rich Creek United Methodist Church, Rev. Robert Thornton, pastor of the Narrows Circuit, and Rev. Henry N. Horton, Tazewell District Superintendent. His body was taken to the vicinity of Fries, Virginia, not far from the place of his birth, and was tenderly laid to rest in the Mt. Hope United Methodist Church Cemetery.
Survivors include his widow, Mrs. Floy Gamble Byrd; three sons, John Howard of South Point, Ohio; Charlea Calvin, Mesilla Park. N. M.; and Thomas Edward, Rich Creek, Va.; two daughters Mrs. Lillian Fielder, Escondido. Calif.; and Mrs. Nancy Robinson, Bristol, Va.; a brother, Eugene Raymond, San Fernando, Calif.; two sisters, Mrs. R. Kyle (Nina l Wright, Chilhowie, Va., and Mrs. Hazel Shaffner, Susanville, Calif.; 9 grandchildren, and 2 great grandchildren.
Many good things have been said about this consecrated servant of the itinerant trail since his home-going, and his memory lives on among his friends and loved ones, and many whom he served during his ministerial career. As the late Rev. D. B. Cooper said in the 1942 Conference Memoir of his Holston friend, Rev. Jacob F. Reed, it may be said of our departed friend, Howard Gale Byrd, "We know where he is, for he was going in that direction all the while."
Written By: Munsey M. Poole - Holston Conference Journal – 1974 – pages: 172 - 173
At the age of 24 years, Howard decided to answer a convicting ministerial call and entered the Holston Conference at the I918 annual session presided over by Bishop F. M. Bristol in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He was ordained Elder at the 1925 session of the Holston Conference held in Newport, Tennessee by Bishop H. Lester Smith. From then until his retirement 19 active years later, he served pastoral charges as follows: Wise (Va.) Ct.; St. Charles (Va.) Ct.; Pennington Gap (Va.) Ct.; Dayton (Tn.) Ct; Boaz (Ala.) Station; Townsend, (Tn.) Station; Big Stone Gap (Va.) Ct; Baileyton (Tn.) Ct.; Clinch Valley (Va.) Ct.; Narrows (Va.) Ct.; Staffordsville (Va.) Ct.
The celebrated Scopes evolution trial held in Dayton, Tennessee in the summer of 1925, in which the famous "silver-tongued orator," William Jennings Bryan, and the era's noted defense lawyer, Clarence Darrow, matched wits as opposing counsel, occurred during Howard Byrd's Dayton pastorate. Therefore, the name, "Rev. Howard G. Byrd, " appeared in news dispatches throughout the United States in connection with his role as a witness in that famous legal battle.
While serving the Narrows and Staffordsville Circuits, he lived in Rich Creek, Giles County, Virginia where he had purchased a home. It was there after a lingering illness that he answered "the last roll call" and entered into rest on October 12, 1973. Funeral services were held at Riffe's Funeral Chapel in Narrows on October 16, being led by Rev. C. Virgil Anderson, pastor of the Rich Creek United Methodist Church, Rev. Robert Thornton, pastor of the Narrows Circuit, and Rev. Henry N. Horton, Tazewell District Superintendent. His body was taken to the vicinity of Fries, Virginia, not far from the place of his birth, and was tenderly laid to rest in the Mt. Hope United Methodist Church Cemetery.
Survivors include his widow, Mrs. Floy Gamble Byrd; three sons, John Howard of South Point, Ohio; Charlea Calvin, Mesilla Park. N. M.; and Thomas Edward, Rich Creek, Va.; two daughters Mrs. Lillian Fielder, Escondido. Calif.; and Mrs. Nancy Robinson, Bristol, Va.; a brother, Eugene Raymond, San Fernando, Calif.; two sisters, Mrs. R. Kyle (Nina l Wright, Chilhowie, Va., and Mrs. Hazel Shaffner, Susanville, Calif.; 9 grandchildren, and 2 great grandchildren.
Many good things have been said about this consecrated servant of the itinerant trail since his home-going, and his memory lives on among his friends and loved ones, and many whom he served during his ministerial career. As the late Rev. D. B. Cooper said in the 1942 Conference Memoir of his Holston friend, Rev. Jacob F. Reed, it may be said of our departed friend, Howard Gale Byrd, "We know where he is, for he was going in that direction all the while."
Written By: Munsey M. Poole - Holston Conference Journal – 1974 – pages: 172 - 173
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