Franklin
Miner
(1893-1956)
Franklin
Miner was born on Jan. 17, 1893 at Wilmerding, Allegheny County, PA, the son
of William Henry ‘Squire’ and Sara
Jane (Basinger) Minerd. He was a carpenter and a longtime employee at Fallingwater®, the house over a waterfall designed by Frank Lloyd Wright that is
considered America’s “most famous modern house.”
As a young man, Frank and his family moved back to Mill Run, Fayette County, PA, in the vicinity of where his father had grown up. Frank played a bass drum in the Mill Run Concert Band, and is mentioned and pictured in the 1970 book, A History of Mill Run.
During World
War I, Frank served in the U.S. Army.
On Christmas Day 1919, Frank married his first wife, Ida B. Grimm (1900-1971), the daughter of Henry Grimm. Frank and Ida are seen together at right.
They had eight children: Harold Henry Miner, Hilda Cole, Howard K. Miner, Homer Miner, Eleanor Provance, Carroll ‘Wayne’ Miner, Arla Borghi and Warren Miner. Sadly, Warren died at age 3 months, passing away at Connellsville State Hospital on July 25, 1941.
The Miners lived in Mill Run, Normalville and Indian Head.
Frank and Ida later divorced. She married Orville W. Imel (1904- ? ), the son of Charles Grant and Ida (Whipkey) Imel. Ida and Orville resided in Normalville, Fayette County.
Frank's
second wife was Bertha Basinger (1902-1963). They are seen together at left.
Frank and Bertha had five children -- Donnie Franklin Miner, Betty Lou Rugg, Ruth Shawley, Lenora Blanchard-Reese-Cox and Marvin Miner.
Frank was employed at Fallingwater by the owners, Edgar J. and Liliane Kaufmann, from the 1930s until his untimely death in 1956. His brothers Lester and Ralph also worked at Fallingwater for many years. The projects Frank was involved in are described in papers found in the Fallingwater archives during research in 2004. Among the projects were were:
... Steps at Fallingwater, painting the swimming pool pipe, working on driveways and the dam, and tearing down the Watson house (Sept. 12, 1955); a pipeline from the greenhouse to the garden (Nov. 8, 1955); working at the barn near Ethel Clinton Appel's house (Jan. 23, 1956); sanding floors and removing a door of the Merle Taylor house (April 17, 1956).
In 1954, Frank’s large family gathered for the first official reunion, held at the home of son Harold in Point Marion, PA. The reunions continue to be held today, still drawing large crowds of family.
First reunion of the Frank Miner family, 1954, Point Marion, PA
During World
War II, sons Harold, Homer and Howard served in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Sadly, Frank passed away suddenly on June 4, 1956, after working a full day. He was shopping for a new television at a store in Normalville when he collapsed and died of a stroke.
He was laid to rest in the Normalville Cemetery. His obituary in the Connellsville Daily Courier noted that Frank “died suddenly at 6 o’clock Monday evening in a Normalville store after suffering a stroke… He had been employed at the E.J. Kaufman estate, and was a veteran of World War One.”
In her report
to Mr. Kaufmann of June 4, Mrs. Appel wrote: “We were all shocked and saddened to learn of the
sudden death of Ralph Miner’s brother Frank, one of our workmen…
Flowers were sent [from] Mr. Kaufmann.” Two men were hired to replace Frank.
Bertha outlived her husband by seven years. She died in 1963, and was laid to rest beside Frank at the Normalville Cemetery.
Former wife Ida passed away on Oct. 2, 1971, in Connellsville.
In June 2004, Frank’s family gathered for their 50th annual reunion at the Indian Creek Community Center. A special booklet with photos was published by loving granddaughters as a handout.
June 2004 reunion of
Frank's descendants in Fayette County
Just a few weeks later, on July 10-11, 2004, Frank was honored among several of his brothers and cousins, for their longtime work at Fallingwater, at the national Minerd-Miner-Minor Reunion in Kingwood and Mill Run, PA. Click here to view our special reunion booklet. The event received statewide news media coverage by the Associated Press.
Son Harold
(1920-2007) was a machinist with the U.S. Navy during World War II. On
Aug. 29, 1944, he married Emma E. Blosser. They
resided in Point Marion, Greene County, PA, where they raised their seven
children -- Sharon Hawthorne, Judy Sandor, Joyce Miner, Keith Miner, Nita
Rhodes, Don Miner and Carol Kezmarsky. Harold worked for Houze Glass Corporation of Point Marion. On Aug. 28, 1994, they
celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Seen at left, an article and photograph
about their celebration were published in the Uniontown Herald-Standard. Harold
was "an electrician by trade [and] retired from the now former Houze Glass
Corporation in Point Marion after over 30 years employment and was a member of
the American Flint Glass Workers Union Local 547," said the Herald-Standard.
Harold and Emma were married for 62 years, and both passed away in 2007. She
died on Jan. 30, 2007, and he only survived her by three and a half months,
passing on May 4, 2007. They rest for eternity at Jacobs Lutheran Cemetery in
Masontown, Fayette County.
Daughter Hilda (1922-1981) moved in about 1941 to Monaca, Beaver County, PA. She married Charles Cole and had four children, and was a member of the United Methodist Church in Freedom and of the American Croatian Club in Monaca, said the Beaver County Times.
Son Howard
married Ruth E. Bryner on April 8, 1943. He was employed by Lenox in Mount Pleasant, Westmoreland
County, PA. They had three children. On April 8, 1993, they celebrated their golden wedding
anniversary with a reception at the Indian Creek Valley Community Church in
Indian Head, with 200 well-wishers in attendance. An article about the
anniversary celebration, seen at right, was printed in the Daily
Courier.
Their son Howard Jr., of the Pittsburgh suburb of Monroeville, and daughter
Joyce A. Miner passed away at young ages.
Son Homer
(1925-2004) served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. On
Sept. 1, 1947, he
married Emma Workman, and they had two children. The Daily Courier said
that Homer "was a self-employed painter for many years, and also worked
for many years as a custodian for the Connellsville Area School District. After
retirement, he continued his work as a painter for family and friends.” In
1997, the Miners celebrated their golden anniversary in 1997, with a reception
in the Poplar Run area of Normalville, and with their photograph (then and
now, seen at left) appearing in the Daily Courier. Their
son Robert D. Miner, an announcer for the WCVI and WPQR radio stations in Uniontown, Fayette
County, died at age 31 in 1981.
During World War II, military updates about Harold, Howard and Homer were published in a hometown newsletter, The Messenger, edited by a distant cousin, Ferne (Minerd) Work. A Messenger article in October 1944 disclosed that "On a furlough several weeks ago Harold Miner of the Navy was married to a girl from Point Marion. Congratulations and wish you happiness." In February 1946, the Messenger said that "Howard Miner was expecting to leave Europe the first of the year, but at this time have heard nothing else from him." In March 1946, the newsletter reported that:
Since the last publication more boys have been discharged. They include, ... Howard Miner... Homer Miner thinks he will be a civilian about this month. Boys we really hope it won't be long until you will all be back and going about in your usual way.
Daughter Eleanor (1927-1991) moved to Monaca, Beaver County, PA, in about 1951, where she married Howard Provance and had one daughter. She was “a retired manager of the snack bar at The Medical Center, Beaver, [and] a member of Freedom United Methodist Church,” said the Beaver County Times.
Grandson Chris Miner and his wife were pictured in the Greensburg (PA) Tribune Review in 1991, following his return from U.S. Navy duty during the Persian Gulf War.
Grandson
Ross Miner, who resides in the Mill Run area, has served as Supervisor of
Springfield Township during the 2000s.
Great-grandson Ted Cole starred for the Monaca (PA) High School basketball team during a championship season in 1995, often pictured and mentioned in newspapers in Pittsburgh and Beaver County.
Ida and Orville Imel are mentioned in the 1975 book, Immel and Imel Families in America, authored by Velma (Byrum) Keller. Ida's children are mentioned in the book, but mistakenly are named "Imel" rather than "Miner."
Copyright © 2004-2007 Mark A. Miner