Edward
John Miner
(1910-1996)
Edward
John Miner was born on Nov. 15, 1910 in West Washington, Washington County, PA, the son of Harry
O. and Armena (Cain) Miner.
Ed was born about a month after the City of Washington
celebrated its centennial. A rare old postcard photograph showing Washington's
'Triumphal Arch' is seen at right. There are horses and carriages, as well
as automobiles, shown parked at the edges of the paved streets, giving a sense
of the times into which Ed was born.
On May 7, 1939, Ed married Elizabeth 'Anna' Beddow (1915-1990), daughter of John Alvin and Effie Pearl (Armstrong) Beddow of Washington.
The Miners had nine children - Nancy, John Edward, Anna Margaret, Juanita "Moonean," Richard, Deborah, Barbara, Harry "Alvin" and Donald. Sadly, firstborn daughter Nancy died in infancy.
Anna was an early nurse in our family, graduating from the Washington Hospital School of Nursing in 1937.
The Washington Hospital
The Washington Observer-Reporter said
Anna once "formed a nursery school at the old Third United Presbyterian Church, and
was an active Girl Scout leader for many years."
Ed was a graduate of Washington High School, and as a young adult began working as a barber in Washington. He seemed to know everyone in town and everything that was happening. Among his customers was local entrepreneur and cousin, John 'Wiley' Birch.
During World War II, Ed served in the US Army, stationed at Fort Knox, KY, but because of stomach ulcer problems, was not sent overseas. Later, in 1959, he had two-thirds of his stomach surgically removed.
Ed worked for 37 years at Jessop Steel Company in Washington, retiring in 1976. He and Anna were members of the Third United Presbyterian Church of Washington, where he was a longtime treasurer of the Sunday School program.
Ed
and Anna enjoyed attending reunions of the Miner family, and they are seen here
(seated at far right)
at a get-together at the home of his brother Odger
in Hopewell, near Aliquippa, Beaver County, PA, in the late 1930s. Others pictured, left to
right: Lynn and Grace (Miner) White, Ben
and Armena (Cain) (Miner) Marshall, Odger Miner (front), Orlan
Miner (rear), Monalea (Ullom) Miner, Helen (Proctor) Miner and Jessie
(Miner) Schultz.
In
his spare time, Ed loved to sing in barbershop quartets. At one time he was lead
with "The Miner Chords," which performed locally. (The group is seen
here, with Ed 2nd from left.) Later, he was president and
secretary/treasurer of the group "Presidents of Harmony," and a member
of the Washington chapter of the SPEBSQSA
(Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing
in America).
In May 1989, Ed and Anna celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a reception at their church. The Washington Observer-Reporter printed an article about their special event.
Anna died suddenly at home on Feb. 26, 1990, while watching TV with Ed. She was buried in Washington Cemetery, in the Beddow family plot.
Newspaper coverage of Ed and Anna's golden anniversary
Ed survived Anna by six years, and kept busy with his barbershop
group. In March 1993, he received an award from the Presidents of Harmony, at an
emotional ceremony at the American Legion in Washington, for his many years of
service. He received a beautiful plaque, seen here.
Ed's eldest son John, who formerly operated the Valley Skating Center in Donora, PA, held Miner Reunions at the rink in the early 1990s for offspring of Ed and his brothers and sisters. John's daughter Kylie Miner now manages the rink.
Over the years, Ed played a key role in what has become the
national Minerd-Miner-Minor research and reunion, and, ultimately, to the
creation of this website. In 1983, his grand-nephew, Mark A. Miner, came to
visit seeking family information. With an incredible memory for details, Ed
provided important information and insights about the Miner history. He also
took his visitor to see the house on Fayette Street where he had been born. Over
time, they traveled throughout Washington County visiting distant cousins of the
Birch, Bedillion
and Farabee branches. They also went
on day-trips to visit cousins in Ohio, West Virginia and Maryland.
In the fall of 1991, Ed was photographed standing at the long-forgotten grave marker of his great-grandparents, Henry and Polly (Younkin) Minerd, in an overgrown farmer's field near New Freeport, Greene County, PA. The marker had been placed there circa 1946 by Ed's uncle, William Allen Miner ("Uncle Will').
On Feb. 10, 1996, after a gradual decline in health, Ed died quietly in his sleep.
He was buried beside Anna on Valentine's Day.
Over the years, their youngest son Donald often has sent letters to the editor which have been published in the Washington Observer-Reporter. In about 2005, Donald also has opened a new restaurant on Chestnut Street (Route 40) in Washington, named "Miner's Original Loafers," across the street from Eat N Park. A photo of the storefront is seen here.
This page is in loving tribute to Ed and Anna Miner by an ever-grateful grand-nephew.
Copyright © 2001-2004, 2006 Mark A. Miner