In 1870 Mr. Layden was united i?i
marriage with Mary Higgins, who was



734



MEN OF WEST VIRGINIA



born in Alleghany County, Virginia,
and ID children have been born to
them, nine of whom still survive. Mr.
Layden is widely known and most
highly esteemed. In politics he has al-
ways been a Democrat.
IRA CLAY HICKS. M. O.
JRA CLAY HICKS, M. D., a
prominent physician and surgeon of
Hurricane, Putnam County, West Vir-
ginia, was l)orn in that county in June,
1868, and is a son of B. D. and Selina
(Hanshaw) Hicks.
B. D. Hicks is a substantial farmer
now residing near Winfield, in Put-
nam County. In pc^litical belief he is
a RepubHcan. He has been a member
from earlv youth of the Methodist



Church, of which his^wife was also a
member. Mrs. Hicks passed away
January 9, 1895, aged 46 years. There
were 10 children lx)rn to the parents
of our subject, the nine survivors be-
ing: Dr. I. Clay; W. K.; Dr. W. D. ;
Irene; Dr. Charles F. ; James O., a
medical student; Oliver E. ; Marietta:
and I. R. L.
Dr. Ira Clay Hicks was educated
in the common and select schools of
Putnam County and in Marshall Col-
lege, and then was engaged in teach-
ing school for about six years. The
last teacher's certificate that he se-
cured was the I)est given in the county,
being based on the general average of
100 per cent, that he secured in the
teachers' examinations. He also acted
for a short time as lx>okkeeper and
postmaster at Lorraine, West \'ir-
ginia. He had, however, decided upon
a medical career and had prepared for
medical college by a year's reading un-
der the able instruction of Dr. A. M.
