 School yearbook, 1935 |
Remember...Jacob Cecil Phares
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Jacob Cecil Phares was born at Onego in Pendleton County, West Virginia, on December 16, 1917. His parents were Emerson and Luella Smith Phares. He was the grandson of Isaac and Carrie Phares, who operated the grist mill on Roaring Creek in Onego. The farm and residence surrounding the grist mill were a hub of activity, not only because local people visited the mill to have their grains milled but because the large, extended families related to the Phareses lived nearby. Emerson was one of 12 children and he, in turn, had 12 children of his own. Jacob's siblings included Lindsey, Isaac (known by his middle name, Creed), Edsel, Mildred, Emerson (known as June, a shortened version of Junior), Helen, Elizabeth, and Jean. The family called Jacob by the nickname Jake, and Emerson and Louella were known as Uncle Em and Aunt Lou to relatives.
At the time of Jake Phares's birth, Mr. Phares was a schoolteacher. The 1920 Federal Census taker found the family living in Tucker County, where Mr. Phares was a farmer and owned his own farm. The 1930 census records indicate that they were living in Randolph County, where Mr. Phares was again a schoolteacher. Mrs. Phares and he lived in the New Interest District with seven children. In 1940, Mr. Phares was still a teacher and three of the sons were working as laborers on farms, including Jacob. Phares family members supplied the information that Emerson also served as the mayor of Elkins.
Jacob Phares is shown in a 1935 Elkins High School yearbook. He was 16. Attributes were written about each of the students pictured. About Jacob was written, "Silently he goes about his work with a willing attitude, always striving to gain new knowledge. We don't know how he does it, but so far he has escaped the wiles of pretty girls."
In 1941, Jacob and his brother, Creed, were pictured in the Davis and Elkins yearbook. Both were shown among the group of seniors and both are shown with a designation for Bachelor of Arts.
In May 1941, Jacob Phares married Mary Ann Ingram in Tucker County, her home county. In July of that year, Jacob enlisted in the Navy.
Muster rolls for the Navy provide a few facts about Jacob Phares's time in the Navy. He enlisted in Washington, D. C., on July 7, 1941, and was stationed at Anacostia Naval Air Station for a time. He reported to elimination flight training in Anacostia and apparently passed the elimination round. In September, he travelled to Jacksonville, Florida, and back to Anacostia. By October 1941, he was in Atlanta at the Naval Reserve Aviation Base and traveled to Jacksonville to the Naval Air Station there. The record ends in 1941, but in 1943, Jacob Phares had been promoted from seaman second class to lieutenant (junior grade) and was in Beaufort, South Carolina, where a Naval Air Station for advanced pilot training was commissioned in June 1943. On November 28, 1943, a plane with Jacob Phares on board crashed. All aboard died. A death certificate was issued in Beaufort County, South Carolina. His home address was given as Oakland, Maryland. The name of his wife was recorded as Patricia, but Patricia was his daughter's name. He was a few days away from his 26th birthday. He died of multiple wounds as a result of the plane crash.
The news of his death was announced in Elkins newspapers. The Elkins Inter-Mountain ("Phares Rites Will Be Held on Thursday," 1 December 1943) reported that the Lt. (jg) Phares was killed in a plane crash and his body was on the way to Elkins. The article reported that the family was advised by the commander of the base that the accident had occurred at 5:30 a.m. on the previous Sunday and the plane did not clear the ground. All six aboard died. Mr. John Phares, a cousin to Jacob, said that they were told that the flight was for training.
Survivors were reported to be Jacob's parents, his wife, his daughter, and brothers and sisters. His brother Lindsay Phares was an ensign in the U.S. Navy, stationed in the Solomon Islands. Cadet Edsel Phares was stationed in Edmond, Oklahoma. Sister Helen was living Baltimore, and Junior and Jean were living at home.
The family's place in West Virginia history rests with their service and sacrifice, and with the ultimate fate of the mill at Onego. This mill was deconstructed and part of it integrated with the parts other West Virginia grist mills to create the famous Glade Creek Mill in Babcock State Park in 1976. ("What You May [or May Not] Know about Glade Creek Grist Mill," Visit Southern West Virginia, 23 August 2010, accessed 26 January 2021, https://visitwv.com/babcock-grist-mill/.)
| The author thanks the relatives of Jacob Phares who assisted with this biography, including Rose Ann Maine and Shirley and John Phares, whose memories of the family at Onego are treasures. |  Headstone for Lt. Jacob C. Phares in Elkins Memorial Gardens (also known as Elkins I.O.O.F. Cemetery). Courtesy Cynthia Mullens |
Article prepared by Cynthia Mullens
January 2021
West Virginia Archives and History welcomes any additional information that can be provided about these veterans, including photographs, family names, letters and other relevant personal history.
