Data source is the 1990 book, "Moomaw-Mumma-Mumaw-Mumaugh Genealogy" compiled by Robert Austin Moomaw (deceased).
***** From the GOSPEL MESSENGER ***********
1900
MOOMAW, Benjamin F. VA 86 1900 771
At his home near Bonsacks/ Botetourt., VA., aged 86 years, 7 months and 7 days. Services at the house that Bro. Jonas Graybill and John B. Neff from Rev. 14: 13, selected by the deceased. Eld. Moomaw's house was especially given to hospitality. He was a man firm in his convictions of right and the burden of his soul and his last two years seemed to be that his church to be kept pure and not drift into the world. Until about six weeks ago he was a regular attendant at church. He was there about 10 days before his death. He did not seem to suffer, saying to the last that he was not sick. He leaves one daughter, four sons and many other relatives.
S.L. SHAVER
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From "The Brethren Encyclopedia", Vol 2, 1983, page 873. The Brethren Encyclopedia Inc, Elgin IL.
Moomaw, Benjamin Franklin (Church of the Brethren), 1814-1900, churchman. B. F. Moomaw was born March 30 in Botetourt County, VA, the third child of eight born to Christian and Catherine Snyder Moomaw. His educational opportunities were limited to the common, or elementary, schools of his day, and most of his education was received on the family farm. In 1837 he married Mary Ann Crouse of Rockingham County, VA. They had seven sons and three daughters. About 1840 he and his wife became Brethren. Within twenty years he had been called to the ministry and ordained an elder. His preaching was eagerly heard, and he helped to establish several churches in the counties of southern Virginia.
Moomaw was an active, aggressive leader. In the years prior to 1861 he was very much opposed to *slavery. For example, in 1843 he took the personal risk of escorting 'Samuel Weir to freedom in Ohio. He donated the inheritance from his slave-owning father to the African Colonization Society. Moomaw's major contribution to the church came during the 'Civil War, when he aggressively supported the nonresistant position of the Brethren both in his home community and in the halls of government in Richmond. His efforts helped to secure exemption for Brethren of conscription age.
Moomaw also actively supported the Brethren in a number of published debates, sermons, and treatises. He was involved in controversies in his home congregation and in a crisis at *Bridgewater College in 1888-92. He died Nov. 6 as a member of what became the Church of the Brethren, but his son, 'Daniel C., was active in the Brethren Church. RES
Virginia (1973) index; Some Who Led (1912) 90-93; B. F. Moomaw, Discussion on Trine Immersion (1867); New Nation (1976) index; R. E. Sappington, "D. P. Saylor," BL T 24 (1979) 169-80; S. F. Sanger and D. Hays, Olive Branch (1907) 120-24; E. S. Moyer, "Benjamin F. Moomaw," (unpubl. MS); C. E. May, Four Flags (1976) 510-17.
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http://www.ls.net/~newriver/vabio/bfmoomaw.htm
BENJAMIN F. MOOMAW. The first commercial fruit industry of Virginia was started in 1867, by the great pioneer of that business, John C. Moomaw. His was not only the first enterprise of the kind in Virginia, but one of the first in the United States. For over half a century the business has gone on and broadened under the management and direction of various members of the Moomaw family, one of whom is Benjamin F. Moomaw.
John C. Moomaw was born at Bonsacks, Virginia, in 1837, and died in 1886. He was a son of Benjamin F. and Mary (Crouse) Moomaw, the former born in the old family home at Daleville in Botetourt County. Mary Crouse was a native of Augusta County. While during his youth his educational opportunities were limited, John C. Moomaw had the sound mind and ambition for attainment that made possible the acquirement of a liberal education through reading and personal experience. He proved his courage and foresight by undertaking the growing and canning of fruit on a commercial scale when there were no other successful concerns as a precedent) and long before his death he saw the business established firmly. His home place was at Cloverdale. He was a large figure in the broader life and development of this section of the State. He assisted in securing the right of way for the Shenandoah Valley Railroad through Botetourt and other counties and had much to do with determining Big Lick (now Roanoke) as the southern terminal of the road. He also had much to do with the building of the Roanoke & Southern, and at the time of his death was vice president of this railroad. Both these lines served to promote the destiny of Roanoke as an important industrial city. The first engine to run over the Roanoke & Southern road bore his name under the cab window.
In spite of his heavy business responsibilities he found much time to devote to the cause of religion. For many years he was a minister of the Church of the Brethren or Dunkards, and also did much missionary work.
His first wife was Virginia Graybill, by whom he had two children, and after her death he married Honoria Elizabeth Bowman of Johnson City, Tennessee, who died June 11, 1900. By the second marriage there were six sons and four daughters. Two of the sons are Samuel .B. and Clarence W., who are partners in an extensive fruit export business, Clarence W. being located at New York City, and acting as shipper of American grown products, while his brother has charge of the selling in England and Continental Europe, where he has been located for fifteen years. Another son is Dr. W. C. Moomaw, a physician at Petersburg, Virginia. John C., Jr., is in the American consulor service at Montreal, Canada. J. I.. Moomaw was until his death in 1914 manager of John C. Moomaw Company, Incorporated.
John C. Moomaw at the time of his death owned a large estate of seven hundred acres at Cloverdale. Of these seven hundred acres, two hundred and fifty acres are now in orchard. It was after his death administered by his brother C. A. Moomaw, but in 1901 the property was incorporated as John C. Moomaw Company, with J. A. Jamison of Roanoke, as president, S. B. Moomaw, secretary, and J. L. Moomaw, manager. The products of this company, canned vegetables and fruits, were sold under the Cloverdale brand in a number of states.
Benjamin F. Moomaw, son of the late John C. Moomaw, was born at Cloverdale, attended local schools there, Daleville College, was a student at Juniata College, Huntington, Pennsylvania, for a time, and began work leading to a career as an electrical engineer at the University of Virginia. His plans for a career in this profession were abandoned. After leaving College he accepted a position with a wholesale grocery firm in Roanoke, and then became junior partner in the firm of J. A. Jamison & Company, merchandise brokers. Since 1902 he has been interested in the sale and distribution of orchard and cannery products throughout the middle Western and Southern States.
In 1903 he became president of the John C. Moomaw Company; serving in that capacity until 1914, and since then as its treasurer and general manager. Recently he effected the sale of the old home place at a consideration of over one hundred thousand dollars.
May 11, 1905, Mr. Moomaw married Miss Harriet Simmons, daughter of Judge and Mrs. W. B. Simmons of Fincastle, Virginia. They have four children, B. F., Jr., Sue Graybill, Harriett Simmons and Kathaline Kline.
Like his father Mr. Moomaw is a prominent leader in church affairs. He was a deacon of the Enon Baptist Church, and is chairman of the executive committee of the Valley Baptist Association, and a member of the Baptist State Mission Board. For eight years he was superintendent of the First Baptist Sunday school at Roanoke. He is a Master Mason, a member of the Rotary Club, the United Commercial Travelers, the Roanoke Chamber of Commerce.
His individual success and his activities as a horticulturist and fruit packer have brought him many responsibilities in a national way. He was the first president of the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation. He served for many years as a director of the Virginia Canning Association and of the National Canners Association. For two years he was president of the Virginia State Horticultural Society and one of the organizers and a director of the Federated Fruit .and Vegetable Growers, Incorporated.
After discontinuing the fruit and canning business Mr. Moomaw was appointed secretary of the Chamber of Comerce of Roanoke.
Gospel Messenger Offering - 1885
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The Reunion.
It may not be uninteresting to the patrons of the MESSENGER to read an
account of a family meeting at the residence of our father and mother, Benj.
F. and Mary A. Moomaw, on April 16. They are living alone in the same house
that they have occupied for thirty-four years. Bro. Samuel Crumpacker, who
married our only living sister, lives in the yard. Their youngest child,
Carey, left home about fourteen years ago. There are seven children living,
and three, two sisters and a brother, infants, are sleeping. Father is
seventy-one years old and mother is sixty-nine. They were married in 1837.
The seven children are all living within two hours' ride of the old
homestead.
Two years ago we, the children, agreed to have a family reunion every year,
at the time of the anniversary of the birth of father or mother, and thus
keep enkindled the embers of filial and fraternal love, to rehearse the
incidents, the trials, and troubles, and pleasures of our past history, and
to talk of the prospects and hopes of the future.
On the occasion of the last meeting we had the great pleasure of having Bro.
D. Emmert, of the Orphans' Home, Hagerstown, with us. What were the topics
of conversation? All being farmers by occupation, we discussed the various
phases of the first commandment, "Dress the garden and keep it." All being
Christians (but one) by profession, and members of the same church, and five
of us ministers (including father) and two deacons, we devoted most of the
time talking about matters pertaining to the best methods of church
government, and theological subjects, such, for instance, as the relation of
faith and works; the right interpretation of the anointing with oil in the
name of the Lord, etc. Our discussions were lively and spirited at times,
illustrating the adage, "When Greek meets Greek, then come the tug of war."
Just before dinner the company all assembled in the old sitting-room, where
vespers have been sung for over a third of a century. Father read a
chapter, and Bro. Emmert was called on for an address. He responded in a
very feeling speech of ten minutes, referring to the signal favors of
Providence in permitting the parents to Rye so long and happily together,
and to have their children settled in life so near them, as to make such
reunions possible, and to have inclined them to seek their spiritual
interests so early in life. He referred pathetically to his great
misfortune in the breaking up of his parental home many years ago. These
remarks were followed by a short address from father, who spoke of our
obligations to love and obey our Father in heaven, and warmly exhorted us
all to faithfully discharge our Christian duties, especially our youngest
brother, who is the only member of the family out of the church. He
feelingly alluded to the great pleasure we would all realize in the next
world if our reunion there could be as complete as it was here.
Another member of the family spoke on the behalf of the children, pressing
the thought of God's great mercy in sparing our parents so long, and
preserving their health to bless us with their frequent and loving visits,
and mature and unselfish counsels, while so many children are orphaned so
early in life. We were reminded by the speaker of our duty to do all we
could to fill the evening time of their life with sunshine and joy. While
father and mother lives there will always be two hearts filled with love for
us, and ready to shield us from the cold and bitter storms of the world. A
season of prayer followed, led by Bro. Emmert, and closed by father.
Refreshments were next in order, and were duly and becomingly appreciated.
We prepare all the bodily refreshments for the company at our homes, so that
mother has nothing to do but to participate in the mental and and spiritual
elements of the meeting.
After miscellaneous employments, the company were all invited into the
parlor to witness the presentation of our annual gift to father and mother.
In 1883 our gift was a buggy and harness, in 1884, a pair of red plush
rockers, and this year it was an elegant copy of the Bible. Bro. B. C. M.,
of Rockbridge county, made the presentation speech in a most felicitous and
happy style; a synopsis I would like to give, were my letter not already too
long. Father and mother both responded with an appropriate and affectionate
tender of their appreciation and thanks.
The company soon dissolved and went on their way homeward, all, no doubt,
thanking God in their hearts for the joys of the day, and wondering whether
the family would ever meet again as it had met that day. Whether such
should be our lot or not, it is of greater consequence that we so live that
our future and final reunion be complete and eternal. So may it be. D. C.
Moomaw.