Jacob
Miner
(1801-1885)
Jacob Miner was born on Feb. 11, 1801, probably near the mountainous border of Fayette/ Somerset County, PA, the son of Daniel and Mary Minor Sr. As a boy, he moved with his parents to Sego, Perry County, OH, where they were pioneer settlers.
With his parents, Jacob was a member of the Hopewell Church Sunday School class in 1812-1813.
On Dec. 22, 1824, Jacob married Mary Ferguson (1804-1881) in Perry County. The ceremony was performed by the hand of Jacob Meyers, a minister of the Gospel.
Jacob and Mary had eight children -- Joel Miner, Isabel Johnston, Rebecca Miner, James S. Minor, Daniel L. Minor, Nancy Miner, Elizabeth Johnston and Emily Holmes. The fates of Joel, Rebecca and Nancy are unknown.
A bird's-eye view of Somerset
The Miners lived at Somerset, Perry County. Later, they moved to nearby Brownsville, Licking County, OH.
During
their years in Somerset, the Miners no doubt took opportunities to enjoy the
natural beauty in the surrounding countryside. Seen here is a rare
photograph of Lidey's Rocks, a massive outcropping and overhang of rocks near
Somerset, a popular destination for tourists. Note the people perched on the
rocks at the lower right hand corner of the image.
In the 1830s, Jacob acquired a family Bible, in which he handwrote the births of his eldest six children. On another page of the Bible were written the births of the youngest three children, but by 1907 the latter page was lost. As an old man, son Daniel L. Minor used the old Bible records to prove his age, when applying for a Civil War veteran's pension from the federal government. The information is now in file in the National Archives in Washington, DC, with a copy in the Minerd-Miner-Minor Archives.
When his father died in 1854, Jacob inherited a full share of the estate, and signed papers which today are on file at the courthouse of Morrow County, OH.
At the age of 77, Mary died on April 6, 1881. The cause of her passing is not known, but will be reported here when learned. She was laid to rest in Brownsville.
Some four years later, Jacob died on Dec. 4, 1885 at the home of daughter Emily in Brownsville. He was age 84. The Newark Weekly American noted that "He was born in Pennsylvania in the year 1801. He was a quiet, inoffensive, honest, christian man, universally respected."
The Miners' graves at Cedar Hill
Jacob and Mary are buried together at the Cedar Hill Cemetery in
Brownsville. The arched sign at the cemetery entrance is seen at right,
circa 1995.
The Miners both are mentioned in the 1883 book, History of Fairfield and Perry Counties, Ohio, compiled by A.A. Graham, in a biography of their son Daniel.
One of their daughters, either Rebecca or Nancy, however, married John Bell, and was living in Nebraska in 1909. Nothing more about them is known. This is being researched in detail, and will be reported here when more precise specifics are uncovered.
Copyright © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 Mark A. Miner