Logan County, West Virginia         Biography of THOMAS MAURICE FRY

This biography was submitted by Valerie Crook,
E-mail address:  <vfcrook@earthlink.net>

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The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc.,
Chicago and New York, Volume II,
pg. 553-554
Logan

THOMAS MAURICE FRY, president and manager of the
Farmers Supply Company at Princeton, judicial center of
Mercer County, and vice president of the Bank of Prince-
ton, was born on a farm in Loudoun County, Virginia, Sep-
tember 20, 1868. He is a son of Joseph and Sarah (Stone)
Pry, both likewise natives of the Old Dominion State, where
they passed their entire lives, the father having died in
1899, at the age of sixty-nine years, and the mother having
passed away in May, 1918, likewise at the age of sixty-nine.

Both were earnest communicants of the Lutheran Church.
The two surviving children are Thomas M., of this review,
and Mrs. Lena J. Cost, who still resides in the old home
county. Prior to the Civil war the Fry family had been
one of substantial prosperity, but the ravages of the -war
brought disaster to this as to many other families in Vir-
ginia. What remained of the old estate was sold by Thomas
M. Fry after the death of his father, whose entire active
career was marked by association with farm enterprise.

Thomas M. Fry gained his rudimentary education in an
old log schoolhouse that required yearly treatment with
mud, which was crowded between the logs to keep the wind
from entering too freely, the Civil war having so lowered
the prosperity of the community that no means were avail-
able for supplying a better school building. Later on Mr.
Fry attended high school in the City of Washington, D. C.,
for one year. In 1888 he went to St. Johns, Stafford
County, Kansas, where for three years he held a position
in the First National Bank, at a salary of $35 a month. In
1891 he went to Kansas City, Missouri, and after having
there been employed one year in the National Bank of Com-
merce he returned to his native county. After remaining
for a time on a farm he again went to Kansas, where he
held a position in a bank at Downs until the institution
failed. For a time thereafter he was clerk in a dry-goods
store, and in May, 1893, he went to Hudson, Michigan,
where for seven years he held a position in Thompson
Brothers Savings Bank. For two years thereafter he was
again on a farm in Loudoun County, Virginia, and he then
became cashier of the Purcellville National Bank at Pur-
cellville, that state. After retaining this executive office
four years he came to Princeton, West Virginia, where for
the ensuing eleven years he was cashier of the First Na-
tional Bank. Since that time he has been vice president
of the Bank of Princeton, and his has been a potent influ-
ence in the upbuilding of this substantial institution. In
1919 Mr. Fry organized the Farmers Supply Company, and
the Mercer Motor Company, handling Ford products, and
he has since continued president of both companies, the
business of which has become one of broad scope in the
handling of automobiles, motor-trucks, tractors and all
kinds of farm implements, machinery and general supplies.
Mr. Fry has been identified with banking enterprise for
more than a quarter of a century, and he reverts with
agreeable memories to his pioneer experience in Kansas,
especially in view of the fact that there, at St. Johns, was
solemnized in 1891 his marriage with Miss Neva Benford, a
native of Indiana. They have two children: Harry B.
graduated from Roanoke College, Virginia, and thereafter
attended the School of Finance & Commerce in New York
City, where he now resides and where he follows his pro-
fession as a certified public accountant; Dorothy is the wife
of Dr. W. C. Epling, who is engaged in the successful prac-
tice of dentistry at Prineeton. Mr. Fry is one of the liberal
and progressive citizens and representative business men of
Princeton, is a republican in politics, is affiliated with the
Knights of Pythias, and he and his wife are members of
the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, in their home city,
he being a member of its board of stewards.