Ben Stern
BEN STERN, president and manager of the Stern Sales & Supply Company at Wheeling, grew up at Cleveland, learned the electrical trade there and was in the electrical supply business for a number of years before moving to Wheeling.
He was born at Cleveland, Ohio, January 23, 1882, son of Frank and Celia (Rosenfelt) Stern. His parents were born in Austria, of Jewish stock, and on coming to American settled at Cleveland when young people. His father was a cigar merchant in this city until 1920, when he retired.
Ben Stern was reared and educated in Cleveland, attending the Central Institute of that city. After leaving school he took up electrical work, was made night wire chief of the Cleveland Telephone Company, and after examination entered the City Civil Service, serving one year as an electrical inspector. He resigned this position to engage in the electrical construction business, and for twelve years enjoyed a growing and prosperous business at Cleveland.
Mr. Stern moved to Wheeling in 1924, purchasing the Banner-Mahoning Furnace Company. Since then he has conducted the business as the Stern Sales & Supply Company. The headquarters of the company are at 928 Market Street. The company handles an extensive line of ranges, furnaces and hot water heaters, does business as electrical contractors, also painting and decorating, and has facilities for complete home building service. The company supplies a general building service for the Ohio Valley Development Company, of which Mr. Stern is vice president and secretary.
Mr. Stern married, August 3, 1912, Miss Ethel A. Spears, daughter of John and Jennie Spears, her father a native of Canada and her mother of Holland. Her father died in 1898 and her mother resides at Cleveland. The two children of Mr. and Mrs. Stern are Arthur Maurice, born August 17, 1914, and Dorothy Leah, born September 12, 1915. Mr. Stern is affiliated with the B.P.O. Elks, Civitan Club, and is a Republican.
From West Virginia in History, Life, Literature and Industry, The Lewis Publishing Company, 1928 - Volume IV