William H. Menear (1866-1889?), the son of Andrew B. Menear of Kingwood. Married on April 4, 1888 in Preston County, to Helen Puriton, when she was age 21, and he 22. They had a son, Bernard Purinton Menear, born in April 1889 in Kingwood, Preston County.
At some point in time, although the exact years are not known, Helen worked in the newspaper offices of both newspapers in Kingwood.
William was a promising young house painter in Kingwood, and his future looked promising. In June 1889, he became a charter member of a Knights of Pythias lodge organized at nearby Fairmont, Marion County. He was among 22 Preston County men to join the lodge initially -- including his wife's cousin Capt. James Eyster Murdock Sr. -- and its new name was the Mountain City Lodge No. 48, reported the Preston County Journal. He was elected to the Inner Guard of the lodge. He also was a member of the Good Templars.
Also in the early summer of 1889, William purchased a town lot in Kingwood from Prosecuting Attorney Fortney, and began making plans to "soon begin building his dwelling-house on the lot," said the Journal. "In his eagerness to build himself a home he worked this season late and early at his trade."

But fate cruelly intervened in early July of that year. His wife's sister Jessie Purinton, living in Newburg, Preston County, became "dangerously ill" with typhoid fever, most likely caused by impure water. William and Helen received the news by telegraph and William traveled to and from Newburg the same day to bring her to Kingwood for treatment and rest. By late July, William himself came down with fever, and added to fatigue from overwork on his house, and the long-term effects of inhaling and ingesting lead from paint scraping and sanding, "the poison of the paints took fatal hold upon him."
He suffered for about about five weeks, and "up to a short time before his death, there were good hopes of his recovery," the Journal said. Attended by Drs. Taylor Powell and Martin, "His treatment was of the best, and he was most carefully nursed. But the powerful poison could not be overcome." Helen's father traveled from Wheeling, WV, and sister Martha "Mattie" Purinton from Indiana, to be with the family.
William gave up the fight and succumbed on Sept. 5, 1889, at the age of 23.
William's "unusually solemn" funeral was held at their home, led by Rev.'s Orwen and Wallace. Among the mourners traveling from out of town to attend were Helen's father Thomas Lagee Purinton from Wheeling; Mattie Purinton from Indiana; Eugene and Jennie (Hanshaw) Huggins and daughter Pauline from Newburg; Charles and Della (Menefee) Frazier from Newburg; Alvin Van Zandt from Newburg; Dr. and Mrs. Taylor Powell from Tunnelton, Preston County; and step-cousins John and Sarah (Menefee) Gibson of Tunnelton. His tired remains were laid to eternal rest at Maplewood Cemetery in Kingwood, with the hymn "Rock of Ages" sung to complete the ceremony.
In a long obituary, the Journal said thus:
It is sad to think of one so full of hope and ambition, with a young wife and a sweet babe, with a lot bought and a part of the material on the ground to build himself a dwelling-house, lying down to die in his young manhood. Born in Kingwood, he was well known, and in his effort to make something of himself, he had the sympathy and encouragement of all our people, who greatly deplore his untimely end. Will was a good boy; he was honest and upright... he was very industrious; indeed to overwork may be ascribed his fatal sickness... His death was the first in the Kingwood lodge of Knights of Pythias, of which he was a member but a few weeks.