Bio-Minard, Clenon

As a young boy, Clenon and his parents and siblings moved to Goshen Twp., Tuscarawas County, OH.

On July 9, 1860, in Knox County, Clenon married widow Mary Ann (Kunkle) Ruby, the daughter of Samuel and Magdalena (Bulyer) Kunkle. The ceremony was performed by L.L. Larimore, a minister.

Mary Ann's first husband, John A. (or William) Ruby, had died in 1857, and she brought two children to the marriage, Bertha Ruby and John "Alfred" Ruby.

Sadly, son William died at age 21 months on Dec. 5, 1861. He is buried at the Cumberland Presbyterian "Mount Zion" Cemetery near Nunda. It is located on the east side of Swendal Road, and north side of Reed Road, about 3.5 miles west of Jelloway in Knox County. (Note -- a "Jacqueline Minard" -- age 3 years, and the daughter of "Rev. J.H. and S.E. Minard" -- is marked as being buried there as well. This will be investigated further since the relationship of Jacqueline and her parents to our Minards is not precisely known.)

Clenon and Mary Ann in the middle row, 3rd and 4th from left, at a family reunion sometime before the end of 1895

The Mansfield (OH) News once said that Clenon was "identified with the Methodist Protestant Church in various capacities and his efforts have always been for the uplifting of his fellow men."

The Minards resided on a 35-acre parcel of the farm once owned by Clenon's father near Jelloway in Brown Twp., about 15 miles northeast of the county seat of Mt. Vernon. He also owned a nearby 50-acre farm. Both tracts are noted in Clenon's name in Caldwell & Starr's 1871 book, Atlas of Knox County, Ohio.

Red arrows point to Clenon's farms southwest of the towns of Jelloway and Brownsville (at upper right) in an 1871 atlas

Sadly, Mary Ann suffered from tuberculosis. She died of its effects at age 63 on Aug. 10, 1899 in Knox County. She was buried at Bigelow Chapel Cemetery in Brown Twp., Knox County. Her obituary, seen here, was carried in the Loudonville (OH) Democrat.

Clenon later married Amanda Freehafer Kunkle (1847-1935), the daughter of Jonathan and Mary A. (Kramer) Freehafer. She had been married before, in 1862, and brought three grown children to the marriage -- Emerson Kunkle, John Kunkle and Alice Farst.

The Minards relocated to Butler, Richland County. A May 1903 article in the Butler Times reported that "C.C. Minard's barn is about completed and they will then begin the erection of a house for their own occupancy. They say with the assurance of an eternal home for those who love and obey the Lord, 'Blessed be the Lord from whom all blessings flow'."

Despite the fact that his brothers lived in midwestern and western states, Clenon must have stayed in touch. Evidence from photographs shows that his brother Nathan (of Kansas and Nebraska) returned to Mt. Vernon later in life, where he posed for photographic portraits. It's also clear that Clenon visited his older brother Andrew at some time in Iowa. Seen here, Clenon (left) poses with Andrew at Miller's photography studio in Anamosa, IA.

Clenon suffered from bladder problems and passed away from their effects on Sept. 1, 1912 in Knox County. He was buried with Mary Ann at Bigelow Cemetery.

Their tall, handsome grave marker is seen at left, as photographed in August 2005.

Clenon's will directed that his wife retain "full use and control" of 5 3/4 acres of the land where they resided. He also bequeathed 35 acres of the home farm to his daughter Arvilla Marshall and 50 acres to his son Frank Minard, and directed that cash payments be made to his motherless Armstrong grandchildren.

A sale of Clenon's estate was held. Among the assets sold were mare colts, a red heifer and spring calf, nearly 400 shocks of corn, as well as bushels of wheat and oats, and 3 1/2 tons of hay.

Amanda outlived her husband by 23 years. She died of uremic poisoning at age 88 on May 12, 1935, at the home of her daughter Alice. She was buried at Bunker Hill Cemetery. Her obituary said she "was a life-long resident of this vicinity and was a member of the Evangelical church."

Great-granddaughter Mary Jane (Armstrong) Henney has done a tremendous amount of research on this line. A retired teacher, she also has been a member of the board of directors of the Ohio Genealogical Society and Library in Mansfield, OH. Contact her for more information.

Clenon's stepson Alfred Ruby (1857-1924), born on a farm in Knox County, was a farmer who resided near North Liberty, OH for many years. In about 1922, he retired due to failing health and moved to Butler, OH. He was married and had six children -- Howard Ruby of Mansfield, OH; Perry Ruby of Keokuk, Iowa; Mrs. Elmer Hetler of Mansfield; Mrs. Floyd Frasher of Jelloway; Mrs. Lloyd Kline of Mt. Vernon; and Mrs. C. Cunningham of Butler. Alfred passed away on Oct. 8, 1924 of "a lingering illness with a complication of diseases," said a local newspaper. He was laid to rest in Four Corners Cemetery.