Nethers, William Clifton
1877 - 1944 (66 years)-
Name Nethers, William Clifton [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7] Birth 5 May 1877 Virginia 
[3, 8] Gender Male Name Tip Nethers Death 10 Apr 1944 Burial Etlan, Madison, Virginia Person ID I1109 European Descendants Last Modified 13 Apr 2026
Father Nethers, John Robert, b. 6 Mar 1848 d. Jun 1885 (Age 37 years) Mother Lillard, Sarah Ann, b. 1853 d. 7 May 1925 (Age 72 years) Marriage 16 Feb 1875 Family ID F383 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family 
Brown, Inez Pilet, b. 15 Jul 1877 d. 24 Apr 1949 (Age 71 years) Marriage 25 Jan 1899 Children 1. Nethers, George Robert, b. 5 Jan 1900, Virginia d. 23 Nov 1976 (Age 76 years)2. Nethers, Ethel, b. 7 Oct 1901, Virginia d. 20 Oct 1975 (Age 74 years)3. Nethers, Russell Thorton, b. 20 Jul 1904, Virginia d. 11 Jun 1921 (Age 16 years)4. Nethers, William Archie, b. 30 Jan 1907 d. 20 Aug 1915 (Age 8 years) 5. Nethers, Lucy Ann, b. 28 Sep 1911, Madison, Virginia d. 13 Jan 1996, Warrenton, Fauquier, Virginia (Age 84 years)6. Nethers, Nelson Arnold, b. 17 Apr 1914, Nethers, Madison, Virginia d. 24 May 2001, Culpeper, Virginia (Age 87 years)7. Nethers, Clifton James, b. 2 Nov 1917, Nethers, Madison, Virginia d. 21 Oct 2004, Amissville, Rappahannock, Virginia (Age 86 years)8. Nethers, Ray Brown, b. 17 Jun 1924, Nethers, Madison, Virginia d. 17 Aug 2012, Charlotte Hall, St. Mary's, Maryland (Age 88 years)Family ID F525 Group Sheet | Family Chart Last Modified 22 Jul 2012
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Event Map 
Burial - - Etlan, Madison, Virginia 
= Link to Google Earth
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Photos 
Nethers, William Clifton
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Notes - William Clifton Nethers, known affectionately as "Tip," was a central figure in the mountain community of Nethers, Virginia. Located on the Hughes River at the base of Old Rag Mountain, the village of Nethers served as a vital hub for families in the surrounding Blue Ridge hollows.
Tip carried on a family legacy, operating the Nethers Mill and general store— a property his great-grandfather, Arnold Nethers, who aquired it from his father-in-law, John H. Huffman in 1858. Previously known as Huffman's Mill, the site's history dates back to at least 1794, when surveys by developer Benjamin Lillard convinced Rowland Yowell that the location was ideal for a mill. Arnold Nethers, who had previously worked for Huffman, eventually received the deed for the grist mill, the family residence, and eighty surrounding acres, which also included a sawmill.
By all accounts, the life of a miller suited Tip well, just as it had his grandfather and his great-grandfather before him. He was well-respected in the community, and his slow-ground cornmeal was renowned for its superior taste. Beyond processing grain, the mill and store functioned as the community's primary social center; it was frequented by the residents of Weakley Hollow, Corbin Hollow, and Nicholson Hollow, who often arrived on foot. Neighbors gathered here to pitch horseshoes, play marbles, and cast their votes on election days. The store also provided essential hardware and groceries hauled in from Culpeper and Charlottesville, and housed the local post office.
Tip managed the mill until his death in 1944, and the facility closed shortly thereafter. Today, there is no post office, no store, and no town at Nethers. It serves only as a gateway for hikers ascending Old Rag Mountain, but the old mill building still stands— a quiet, enduring reminder of a vanished mountain way of life.
- William Clifton Nethers, known affectionately as "Tip," was a central figure in the mountain community of Nethers, Virginia. Located on the Hughes River at the base of Old Rag Mountain, the village of Nethers served as a vital hub for families in the surrounding Blue Ridge hollows.
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Sources - [S589] Reverend Patricia Ann Murphy, Minister, The North Madison Charge, The United Methodist Church, (Name: Name: Unpublished Directory. 1991.;;).
- [S484] Mary Nethers Noyes and Thelma Yowell Coppedge, Line of Arnold Nethers & Ellen Hoffman, Sarah Nethers & Walker Jenkins, Lucy Ann Nethers & Silas Jackson Monroe, Rebecca Nethers & Pascal Jenkins, (Oshkosh, Wisconsin. 1980;).
- [S635] World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 (Reliability: 3).
Ancestry.com. World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-18 [database online] Provo, UT: Ancestry.com, 2002. National Archives and Records Administration. World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. M1509, 4,277 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. Roll 1984810, DraftBoard 0. - [S25] 1900 United States Federal Census (Reliability: 3).
Ancestry.com. 1900 U.S. Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT: MyFamily.com, Inc., 2004. Original data: United States. 1900 United States Federal Census. T623, 1854 rolls. National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C. Madison, Virginia, ED 39, roll T623 1717, page 20B. - [S36] 1910 United States Federal Census (Reliability: 3).
Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT: MyFamily.com, Inc., 2004. Indexed by ProQuest from microfilmed schedules of the 1910 U.S. Federal Decennial Census. Data imaged from National Archives and Records Administration. 1910 Federal Population Census. T624, 1,784 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. Robertson, Madison, Virginia, ED 48, roll 1635, part 1, page 220A. - [S686] 1920 United States Federal Census, Virginia, Madison, Robertson, District 62, page 9B (Reliability: 3).
Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT: Ancestry.com, 2005. Indexed by Ancestry.com from microfilmed schedules of the 1920 U.S. Federal Decennial Census. Data imaged from National Archives and Records Administration.1920 Federal Population Census. T625, 2,076 rolls. National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C. For details on the contents of the film numbers, visit the following NARA web page: NARA. Note: Enumeration Districts 819-839 on roll 323 (Chicago City, Cook County, Illinois) are missing, even though the NARA catalog lists them as being there. The Family History Library catalog also lists them as missing. Robertson, Madison, Virginia, ED , roll , page , image 163. - [S14] 1880 United States Federal Census (Reliability: 3).
1880 U.S. Census Index provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints © Copyright 1999 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. All use is subject to the limited use license and other terms and conditions applicable to this site. Piedmont, Rappahannock, Virginia, ED 130, roll T9_1386, page 332.1000, image . - [S686] 1920 United States Federal Census.
- [S589] Reverend Patricia Ann Murphy, Minister, The North Madison Charge, The United Methodist Church, (Name: Name: Unpublished Directory. 1991.;;).