MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The Monongalia County Commission is reflecting on the life of the longest-serving public official in the Mountain State.
Former Monongalia County Circuit Clerk Dorothy “Jean” Friend passed away at the age of 95, leaving an over-six-decade legacy of public service. Friend served as circuit clerk from 1962 to 2022, where she is remembered as a kind and generous person who greatly served the county and those she worked with at the Monongalia County Courthouse.
“It’s a very sad day for Monongalia County,” said Commissioner Tom Bloom. “When you think of the Monongalia County Courthouse, Jean Friend’s face and picture show up right away, she was a mainstay for Monongalia County,” he said.
Friend originally got involved with the Monongalia County Circuit Court back in 1959, where she served as a deputy clerk before she was elected as Monongalia County Circuit Court Clerk in 1962. During that time, she served on various boards and committees, both for Monongalia County and the State of West Virginia. Bloom, who worked with her in various capacities during his time on the Monongalia County Commission, reflects positively on Friend’s personality during her time at the county courthouse.
“She just had a way with her that the people liked to come down and not only do their business, but they liked to stop in and talk with her for a little bit,” said Bloom regarding Friend’s personality.
Aside from her work at the Monongalia County Courthouse, Friend worked with several dozen county officials and thousands of county residents in her over sixty-year career. This includes local attorneys with whom she grew relationships over six decades of public service, as well as judges, members of law enforcement, and assistant clerks who have later served in public official positions with the help of Friend’s guidance. Bloom added that Friend continued to find ways to interact with the public, even during the last years of her tenure.
“I think (I’ll remember Friend for) her mannerisms in dealing with the public,” said Bloom. “She liked to be out there, she liked to be seen, talk to people, know what they’re doing, it became a very personal business for her,” he said.
For Bloom and other members of the Monongalia County Commission, Friend will be remembered for not only her work as the County Circuit Clerk for 60 years, but also as a wife, a mother of two children, and the aunt of one niece and three nephews. She will also be remembered for being a strong, positive presence for the Monongalia County residents she came into contact with and for being willing to go above and beyond to help with a problem. While the Monongalia County community mourns the loss of Dorothy “Jean” Friend, her life and how she lived it are celebrated as well.
“She was giving more than just doing the clerk’s work, she was giving parts of herself,” said Bloom. “And I think that’s the thing that people need to remember about her,” he said.
No service or memorial was held per Friend’s request before she passed away. Anyone wishing to honor her life is encouraged to donate to WV Caring.