Ninth Generation

16531. William Arthur Davis was born on 10 July 1918 in Amherst Co., VA. William died on 1 April 2011 at the age of 92 at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, District of Columbia and was buried at Green Hill Cemetery in Buena Vista, Independent City, VA on 9 April 2011 .^42793,42794

Obituary, The News-Gazette, Lexington, VA, Apr. 20, 2011, Page 4, Section A

William Arthur Davis, 92, of Mullins, W.Va., died Friday, April 1, 2011, at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C., following a brief illness.

He was born July 10, 1918, in Amherst County, a son of Mina Coffey Davis Gibson and Thompson Massie Davis. He was a graduate of Parry McCluer High School and the Danville Business School. He had a long career with The Peoples Bank of Mullins, serving as president, chief executive officer and chairman of the board of directors. He was also a U.S. Army veteran of World War II.

After completing his formal education, he moved to Mullins in 1937 and began his career with The Peoples Bank. He joined the Army in 1942, attending the Army Finance School. He served in the European Theater as part of George S. Patton’s Third Army until 1946.

After the war, he returned to Mullens and resumed his career with The Peoples Bank. In 1952, he became the CEO and a member of the board of directors, serving in this capacity until 1966, when he was named chairman of the board and president. In 2003, he retired as president. He continued to serve as chairman of the board until his death.

He was a former president of the West Virginia Bankers Association, a member of the West Virginia Board of Banking and Financial institutions and the Advisory Commission to the West Virginia legislature, a director of the state division of the American Bankers Association, and a Class A director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.

He was a member of the Mullens United Methodist Church for almost 74 years, served as president of the Mullens Chamber of Commerce, the Mullens Lions Club and the Mullens Rotary Club. He was a member of the Masons and the American Legion and served for 20 years as treasurer for the city of Mullens.

He was married for 63 years to the former Maxine Shumate, whom he met in Mullens, until her death in 2006.

He is survived by a son, William A. Davis II, M.D.; a daughter, Barbara Davis Pauley; a sister, Mina Fay Gibson Riegert; six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

The funeral was conducted Saturday, April 9, at the Mullens United Methodist Church by the Rev. Jody Carroll. Burial followed at Green Hill Cemetery in Buena Vista. By the Rev. John Choi. Arrangements were handled by Tankersley Funeral Home in Mullens.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Mullens United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 245, Mullens, WV 25882.

William Arthur Davis and Maxine Shumate were married circa 1948 in Virginia. Maxine Shumate was born on 19 July 1918 in Mullens, Wyoming Co., WV. Maxine died in 2006. Maxine died in Washington, D.C. on 26 November 2006 and was buried at Green Hill Cemetery in Buena Vista, Independent City, VA on 27 November 2006 .⁴²⁷⁹⁵