Bio-Miner, GraceWhite

Grace Olive (Miner) White
(1901-1970)

Grace Olive (Miner) White was born on Jan. 7, 1901, in the Meadowlands area of Washington, Washington County, PA, the eldest of seven children of Harry O. and Armena V. (Cain) Miner.

Grace is seen at right as a young girl of about age five, with her elbows resting on a round table. This is one of several images taken of Grace during her growing-up years, posed by herself, with her siblings and beloved aunt aunt Emma (Miner) White, who later became Grace's sister in law. (They married brothers, who were many years apart in age.)

When her father died unexpectedly in 1919, when Grace was 18, she quit high school and went to work making wicker carriages in a local factory in Washington. In 1921, Grace traveled by train to Indiana with her youngest sister Anna to visit their elderly grandmother Mary Louise (Johnston) Miner, who was dying in Upland, IN.

On Aug. 22, 1923, when she was age 22, Grace married Lynn Forrest White (1899-1966) at her mother’s home on Fayette Street in Washington. He was the son of Homer C. and Mary J. (Rodgers) White of Wolfdale, Washington County. Lynn’s brother, Rev. Lester Allen White, who also was Grace's uncle by marriage, performed the ceremony. A Washington newspaper reported that the "bridal party entered the parlor to the strains of the Mendelssohn wedding march…. The bride was beautifully attired in white georgette and carried white roses." Grace’s brother Odger Miner served as best man.

Left: standing in back, with beaming sister Ollie and beloved aunt Emma. Middle: in the back center, with sister Ollie at left, new brother Orlan (center) and brother Odger. Right: standing in back right, with new brother Ed in the mix.

They went on to have five children – Harry E. White, Marjorie "Marge" Morris, Ruth Lois Patterson Redman, Ronald L. White and Phyllis Arlene White. Sadly, Phyllis died as a baby, and was buried in Washington Cemetery. Grace and Lynn are seen at left with Marge, Harry and Ruth, circa 1935.

At the time of marriage, Grace was a clerk, and Lynn was a truck driver for the Washington Grain and Feed Company. Within a few years, they moved to New Alexandria, Westmoreland County, PA, where their eldest son was born. They then moved back to Washington, where they lived in a house along Route 40 (the National Highway).

Lynn spent his entire working career as a truck driver. In 1947, he joined the Coen Oil Company of Washington, and “drove truck” there until his retirement on New Year’s Day 1965. Grace was said to be high strung, and to have had close to 25 strokes in her lifetime.

The Whites enjoyed attending Miner family gatherings. In the photo seen at right, of a family dinner in 1952,. Grace is second from right, with, from left to right, her sisters Anna and Jessie, and their mother Armena.

Grace and Lynn were longtime members of the West Washington Methodist Church, following in the footsteps of her parents, uncles, aunts and many cousins. Lynn was a member of the church board for several years, and Grace and her mother were members of the Sunday School class.

In August 1963, Grace and Lynn celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary with a family dinner at the Mansion House in Washington.

They are pictured at left, posed with beautiful pink and white blossoms that Grace is thought to have cultivated. The image was taken in 1965 by Grace's widowed brother Orlan Lloyd Miner, who had returned to Pennsylvania from California for a visit following the passing of his wife.

Grace outlived him by four years. Her strokes left her unable to walk, and she thus was forced to use a wheelchair. She and her mother were honored over the weekend of June 1-2, 1968, when the West Washington Methodist Church paid tribute to quite a number of its congregation who had been members for at least half a century. In addition to being identified by name at the Sunday morning worship service, the honorees posed as a group for a photograph, with Grace and Armena sitting in the center of the front row. Rev. Ferd B. Park sent each individual a print of the photo, and in an accompanying letter, he wrote:

I personally thought we had a wonderful weekend on Saturday and Sunday... We thought you would want a souvenir of that memorable occasion in which you were able to participate. Please accept the enclosed picture, compliments of the William O. Ruschel Studio, as a memento of our weekend honoring and recognizing the 50-year members of our church. I have a copy and I will always treasure it and the wonderful occasion it brings to mind. I was so very pleased you could be with us for that occasion.

Grace spent her final days at the Ullom Nursing Home in Washington. She passed away there of the lingering effects of a stroke on Nov. 11, 1970, at the age of 69. (The founder of this website remembers attending her viewing at the funeral home.) She was laid to rest beside her husband at Washington Cemetery.

In 1968, the West Washington Methodist Church honored Grace (green dot) and her mother Armena (blue) among its 50-year members.

Son Harry E. White (1927-2000), seen here, was married at least three times. He wed his first wife, Mary, in 1948, and she was the mother of their children Charles M. "Chuck" White and Evelyn Bails. At right, he holds his young son Chuck at the funeral of step-grandfather Benjamin Franklin Marshall in 1950. Reported the Warren (OH) Tribune-Chronicle, he "was a self-employed truck driver for 30 years, before retiring, had worked for four years as a realtor with Jim Ryan Real Estate, and served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He was a member of Tri-State Country Music Association, Trumbull County Alert and enjoyed camping, fishing, and was an avid CB radio operator with the handle 'White Stallion'." In 1956, Harry wed his second wife, Mabel P. Loomis. Circa 1970, Harry resided in Conneaut, Ashtabula County, OH. After Mabel's passing, he married for a third time, to LoVerna E. "Pepper" Reed, on Dec. 15, 1973. They relocated from Ashtabula, Ashtabula County, OH to Bristolville, Trumbull County, in 1975. Later, they made their home in Kinsman, Trumbull County. Harry and LoVerna attended one or more reunions of the Miner family held at the Valley Skating Center roller rink owned by a cousin in Donora, Washington County, PA in the early 1990s. Sadly, LoVerna died on Dec. 3, 1992, following 19 years of marriage. Harry remained in Kinsman for the remaining eight years of his life. He passed away at the age of 73 on Jan. 23, 2000. His cremated remains were laid in repose at Meadowbrook Memorial Park in Champion, Trumbull County.

Daughter Ruth Lois White (1929-2003) is seen here in May 1950, posed in between her sister in law Mary White (left) and sister Marge Morris. Ruth was married twice. After graduation from Trinity High School in Washington, she married her first husband, James D. Patterson Sr. They had five children -- James D. Patterson Jr., Barbara Spise, Kenneth Patterson, Wayne Patterson and Jeffrey Patterson. The family made their home in Bentleyville, and Ruth was employed by Bobbie Brooks Garment Factory for 18 years, said the Washington Observer-Reporter. Later, sometime after 1970, she moved from Washington to Mercer, Mercer County, PA. Ruth married her second husband, Frank A. Redman, in Winchester, VA on Nov. 14, 1964. The Redmans relocated to Florida, settling in Davenport, Polk County, and were members of the Davenport Methodist Church. Ruth died at age 74 on Sept. 6, 2003, in the Bishop Gray Nursing Home in Davenport.

Daughter Marjorie "Marge" White (1931-2000) married Ralph Morris. They are seen here in 1950. The Morrises had four children -- Bill L. Morris, Larry A. Morris, Rick D. Morris and Beverly A. Ivy. They resided in Washington and later moved to Winter Haven, FL in 1962. Marge was employed as a nurse at Winter Haven Hospital, and they were members of the First Baptist Church. Marge passed away at the age of 69 on Nov. 25, 2000, at Winter Haven Hospital. At the time she and Ralph had produced nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.