William C. Myers
On the roster of Wayne county's solid and influential business men the name of William C. Myers stands out clear and prominent as the head of the largest insurance agencies of Wooster and one of the most successful in the state. He has achieved a wide and honorable reputation among the progressive men of his adopted county and no one commands a greater influence of stands higher in the esteem and confidence of the public.
The Myers family, which is of German origin and originally pronounced Moyer, came to the United States in a very early day and settled near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where in due time the name became identified with a number of important interests and figured for a number of years in local annals. Contemporaneous with this family were the Funcks, who also emigrated from Germany and were among the early corners to eastern Pennsylvania, where in the course of a few years their descendants became not only quite numerous but prominent in building up their respective communities and developing the resources of the country. From the most reliable data obtainable, the antecedents of the latter family in the country appear to have been one Bishop Henry Funck, who came from Germany some time in the seventeenth century and settled not far from Philadelphia, from whence his descendants, as above indicated, moved to other counties and localities, some of them in after years moving to Ohio and still farther west.
Capt. Ralph Funck, a native of Pennsylvania, moved in an early day to Wayne county, and here spent the remainder of his days, dying a number of years ago and leaving a family of several children, among whom was a daughter by the name of Cecelia Funck, whose birth occurred in Northampton county, Pennsylvania, February 27, 1832. On November 4, 1852, she became the wife of Isaac H. Myers, son of John O. and Elizabeth (Haldeman) Myers, of Bucks county, Pennsylvania, the marriage taking place in Wayne county, Ohio,where Mr. Myers had settled a short time previously.
For several years after their marriage, Isaac H. and Cecelia Myers lived in the town of Chester, but about 1859 moved to Seville, Medina county, where they continued to reside until 1864, when they changed their abode to Wooster, with the interests of which city the remainder of My Myers' life was identified. For some years he conducted a grocery store and built up a lucrative patronage. He then turned his attention to the insurance business, in which he met with signal success, establishing an agency which, under the joint management of himself and son, William C., in due time became the largest enterprise of the kind in the city and since passing into the hands of the latter has become one of the most successful in the state.
Isaac H. Myers took the road as special insurance agent in 1878, from which time until shortly before his death, on June 5, 1907, he traveled quite extensively in the interest of his companies and achieved honorable repute as a capable, far-seeing and thoroughly reliable business man. His wife, who suffered a stroke of paralysis in 1887, departed this life very suddenly on the 4th day of April, 1895, and was laid to rest in the cemetery at Wooster, where her husband now sleeps by her side awaiting the resurrection of the just The children of this estimable couple, three in number, are Isadore, born August 1, 1857, died January 25, 1882; Lura, whose birth occurred March 8, 1867, and who lives in Wooster, and William C., the subject of this sketch, who was born in Seville, Medina county, Ohio, on January 28, 1861.
William C. Myers was about four years old when his parents moved to Wooster, and since 1865 his life has been very closely interwoven with the growth and development of his adopted city. At the proper age he entered the public schools, where he pursued his studies until graduating from the high school, after which he assisted his father in the latter's insurance business, having been familiar with the duties of the office from his twelfth year. Engaging with his father on a salary, he soon acquired a practical knowledge of insurance and under his able and skillful management it was not long until the business took on new life and became the largest and most successful of the kind in the city.
The insurance agency of which Mr. Myers is now the head and which for some time has been known under the style of W. C. Myers & Company, was established in 1870 by the subject's father, who continued as its manager until accepting the position of special traveling agent in 1878, when William C. took charge of the business and has ever since conducted the same. On attaining his majority he became his father's partner, but within a short time thereafter succeeded to the business, which since the year 1878 he has practically controlled and which under his initiative and successful methods has grown so rapidly that he now leads all competition in his own city and county and occupies a commanding position among the leading insurance men of Ohio.
The career of Mr. Myers affords a notable example of the exercise of those qualities of mind which overcome obstacles and win success and his example is worthy of imitation by those who are dissatisfied with present attainments and who would aspire to higher positions of honor and trust. A business man in the broadest sense of the term, his integrity has ever been above suspicion, while his methods will bear the test of the severest criticism and among his fellow citizens his name has always been synonymous with fair and honorable dealing. While subordinating every other consideration to his business affairs, he has not been unmindful of his obligations as a citizen, as is indicated by the interest he manifests in the public welfare, nor is he negligent of those social ties which every well ordered community requires of those who constitute its mainstay and support. Aside from his insurance interests he is identified with various local enterprises, including among others the Citizens' National Bank of Wooster, of which he is a director and one of the largest stockholders. He is prominent in Odd Fellowship, being an influential worker in the lodge at Wooster, which he has the honor to represent in the sovereign grand lodge and to his efforts are largely due the growth and popularity of the brotherhood in the city of his residence.
The domestic chapter in the life history of Mr. Myers bears date of November 28, 1888, at which time was solemnized his marriage with Mary Haymaker, of Warren, Ohio, daughter of Jesse and Abbie P. Haymaker, of that city, and a niece of Ephraim Quinby, one of the early settlers and prominent residents of Wooster. Mr. and Mrs. Myers have no children of their own, but take great interest in the young people of the city to whom the doors of their beautiful home are ever open and among whom their bounty is freely and lavishly dispensed. Alive to every good work and in touch with all laudable measures and humanitarian projects, this excellent couple fill a large place in the public life of Wooster, and the high esteem in which they are held by the people of the city, irrespective of class or condition, bears eloquent testimony to their amiable qualities of head and heart.
From The History of Wayne County, Ohio, B. E. Bowen & Co., Indianapolis, 1910