Family
Qualities and Quirks
Click
here to see summaries of our published reunion studies:
Coal,
Coke & Steel A Sense of Wonder
Our Military Heroes
“Culture is the name for what people are interested in, their thoughts, their models, the books they read and the speeches they hear, their table-talk, gossip, controversies, historical sense and scientific training, the values they appreciate, the quality of life they admire.” Walter Lippmann, A Preface to Politics (1914)
Research shows that most of our 15,000 known (and 40,000 estimated) cousins have added to the culture of our nation by doing fascinating things with their lives and careers. Yet they often don’t realize that they are a part of Americana, and that their story adds a thread to the entire fabric. This page seeks to identify some of the primary areas where the family has made a mark.
Public Service and Political Leadership
A
number of our cousins have served the public through elected political
leadership and other government service. In Western Pennsylvania
alone, our cousins have served as: Fayette County (PA) Poor Director in the early 1920s;
Mayors of Connellsville and West Mayfield, PA; Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer
of Fayette County;
Postmasters of Dunbar, Vanderbilt and Youngwood, PA; as Fayette County (PA) Detective in the late
1930s; and Connellsville City Planning Commissioner.
In more recent years, cousins have served as Prothonotary of Armstrong County,
PA; as Councilman of Youngwood, PA; and as Tax Collector of
Youngwood.
Wartime Military Service
Hundreds
of cousins have served in the United States Armed Forces
during wartime, in every known major conflict from the American Revolution to
the Gulf War. At least 19 lost their lives in the service, the supreme
sacrifice, so that we all can enjoy our uniquely American freedoms. We
currently are trying to tally the number of cousins who fought
in
the Civil War.
Western Pioneers
Scores of our cousins of the 1800s
had the "wanderlust" and pushed beyond Pennsylvania into many western
states. They ventured westward, often with
their spouses and children, forging into the unknown. In the process, they
became pioneers, facing cruel hardships, hopelessness, sickness and even death. By
persevering, they helped transform vast empty spaces into thriving towns and
communities. To
see our tribute, click here.
Minerd Funeral Home
The
Minerd Funeral Home of Uniontown, PA, is perhaps the best known family landmark in
Western Pennsylvania. Founded in
1921 by Edward E. Minerd, the home
handled funerals for hundreds of families over the ensuing decades. The
facility was sold in 1978 to James D. Barnett, and it's still in operation
today.
Nurturing Souls
Scores
of our cousins have entered the clergy over the years. Among them, one founded two churches in Fayette County, PA, still in use
today as places of worship -- the Calvary Methodist Church in Uniontown (1894)
and the Greenwood United Methodist Church, seen at left, in Connellsville (1921). Others have planted churches, expanded existing
congregations and improved the physical plant of worship facilities. We hope to explore the extent of
this great impact on nurturing souls in the future.
A 60-Year Romance with Fallingwater
For
more than 60 years, our family has had a very special relationship with
Fallingwater, the house designed for the Kaufmann family by famed architect
Frank Lloyd Wright. Built over a waterfall in Mill Run, Fayette County,
Fallingwater is acknowledged by experts as the most famous modern house in
America. Since the mid-1930s, our cousins have had significant involvement with
the care, conservation and now interpretation of this world-renowned landmark.
Scientific Discovery and Outer Space Exploration
At
least four of our cousins have played key roles related to the US space program since the 1960s
-- one as an Army nurse on the splashdown recovery stations for astronauts in the Mercury
program; one as an Apollo rocket engine navigation systems engineer, who
received a commendation letter signed by the astronauts in the program;
one as an astro-physicist in Italy who researched gamma ray bursts in deep
space; and one a physicist with Switzerland-based CERN,
the European Organization for Nuclear Research (the world's largest particle
physics center), who analyzed data collected from space shuttle flights.
Popular Culture - National Basis
Cousins have entertained millions of Americans as Hollywood film actors, directors of entertainment at major amusement parks, as singers and songwriters, and as writers. One cousin was in the film Demolition Man starring Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes, and The Arrival starring Charley Sheen. Another has his own music label, Minerd Music Works, and formerly was director of entertainment at Busch Gardens-Williamsburg. Yet another has had his fiction published in the prestigious North American Review.
Professional Sports
Only one of our known cousins has played professional sports -- a pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers in the early 1970s. We are researching whether place-kicker Tom Miner of the Pittsburgh Steelers (1960) and pitcher Blas Minor Jr. of the Pittsburgh Pirates (1990s) are related.
Spelling Variations of the Family Name
While our name originally was the German "Meinert" or "Meinhard," over the years it became Americanized. It was not a conscious decision, likely, but was more of a gradual evolution. Today the most common variations are Minerd, Minard, Miner and Minor. We've also seen isolated situations with the spellings of Meinder, Minord and Minarde. The earliest known evidence that different versions of the name were commonly intermingled is found in a lawsuit, of all things, from the year 1841. That year, Henry Minerd sued Christian Seneff in the Court of Common Pleas of Fayette County, PA, in a dispute over money. (We suspect this was the same Henry Minerd who married Hester Sisler.) In the lawsuit, the court clerk wrote the name of the case, including 2 versions of the name, as: "Christian Seneff ads. Henry Minor (or Minard)."
The 99% Factor
In the 1900, a large majority of our cousins carried some form of the name Minerd, Minard, Miner or Minor. However, a century later, in 2000, on average, less than 1% carry the name, with the remaining 99% having some other name. This is the result of women marrying and taking their husbands' names. Because so many cousins have so many other names, most do not even know they belong to our family.
Kissin' Cousin Marriages
In the years before the laws of genetics were known, it was common for cousins to marry each other at all levels of American society. In fact, more than 20 such marriages occurred within our clan. It may be surprising to know that President Thomas Jefferson encouraged his daughters to marry within their own family, and they did. The Minerds were particularly intimate with the Younkins -- click here to learn more!
Lack of Written History
Our family knowledge has always been obscured by a lack of written history. Cousin Allen E. Harbaugh, who penned the 1913 landmark Sketch of Minerd Families – Historical and Traditional, said this was due to illiteracy and to “Burning of cabins, destroying records, if any were made.” The result of this huge void is that the stories of our extended cousins’ lives largely reside in thousands of memories, attics, libraries, courthouses and cemeteries, all across the nation.
Photo of space shuttle courtesy of NASA. Copyright © 2000-2002 Mark A. Miner.