BG William James Perry was born 20 Jan 1866 in Baltimore, Maryland. He was the 1st of 4 children born to the Reverend William James and Harriet Ruff (Martin) Perry. His father was a minister of the Baltimore conference of the Methodist Church (south) and moved the family to Staunton, Virginia as part of his work. However, Reverend Perry died at age 39 in 1878 after a protracted illness. William attended local public schools before attending Dunsmore Business College. He was a bookkeeper for Augusta National Bank in 1885 when he decided to leave banking for the insurance business. He saw opportunity in providing insurance for southerners who apparently wouldn't buy insurance from northern agents. Successful, he became the agent for the Maryland Life & Land Insurance Company. When the Spanish-American War began in 1898 he enlisted in the local militia unit and was soon a 1LT in K Company
2nd Virginia Regiment. After the war he was made CPT and commander of K Company. He began a general agency in West Virginia in 1900. He was also soon promoted to MAJ in the 2nd Regiment and then LTC by 1903 when he married Maude St. Clair Conrad of Richmond, Virginia. The couple would soon have 3 children, a son in 1904, a daughter in 1905 and another daughter in 1907. William continued to build his business, changing office locations as the business expanded. He was also active in local civic and business interests including real estate.
He participated in the Army maneuvers near Chicamauga, Tennessee in 1908. COL Perry deployed with his regiment to Brownsville, Texas in 1914 and was discharged when the unit returned in 1916. He returned to duty in 1917 when the unit was mobilized for the First World War and commanded the newly formed 116th Infantry Regiment at Camp McClellan, Alabama for a short time. William and Maude welcomed a 2nd son in 1916. William retired as BG Perry in 1920 and the next few years were devoted to his civilian life. However there were several tragedies. Son, James Martin Perry, died age 11 of pneumonia on 26 Oct 1926. Then daughter, Mary Frances Perry, died of pulmonary tuberculosis at age 20 on 24 Jun 1928. This must have had a toll on Maude and she died of pulmonary tuberculosis at the age of 56 on 31 Jul 1931.
BG Perry never remarried but lived in his home at 16 Washington Street in Staunton, Virginia until his death at age 77 on 20 Apr 1943. He was buried next to his wife in Thornrose Cemetery in Staunton.
Note: this memorial was published on the 50th anniversary of his passing.
