Bio-Miner, John Ross

John Ross Miner
(1858-1935)

John Ross Miner was born on New Year's Eve 1858 near Humbert, Somerset County, PA, the son of Henry A. and Matilda (Rose) Miner. As a young boy, he moved with his parents to the booming coal and coke center of Connellsville, Fayette County, PA.

On July 24, 1881, at the age of 23, John married 19-year-old Mary Melissa Moody (1862-1922), the daughter of James J. and Nancy (Ritenour) Moody Sr. The ceremony was held at the Dravo Coke Works, in the presence of his brother Silas Miner and Cal Harcum, and was performed by M.G. Marple, a minister. John's new father in law was politically active and was elected constable of Lower Tyrone Township in Fayette County in 1881.

John worked as a coke drawer and coal mine laborer for 45 years. His primary place of employment was in Connellsville at the Davidson Coke Works of the H.C. Frick Coke Co., which was a subsidiary of United States Steel Corporation.

The Miners had 14 children -- but tragically, all but four died before the age of 18. Their family Bible, viewed by the founder of this website in the early 1990s, contains the handwritten listings of all the children's deaths, one after another:

"Genuine Connellsville Coke" poster advertising the growing empire of the H.C. Frick Coke Co., John's longtime employer

The children all were buried at the Mennonite Cemetery near Pennsville, but in a twist of fate, none of the graves is marked. They are remembered on this page.

Perhaps the most shocking and tragic deaths was daughter Elizabeth's, on Sept. 25, 1907. The 18-year-old accidentally was struck by a moving railroad car at the Davidson Coke Works where she was visiting her father at his place of employment. A rare old postcard view of the Davidson Works is seen at right.

The four children to survive this cruel shadow of death were Mary Lavida Miner, Elmer Ellsworth Miner, Nancy Stillwagon Kuhns and Charles Dewey "Red" Minor.

John and Mary lived for many years at Dawson and at No. 32 Davidson Hill in Connellsville.

Scandal would have rocked the family in 1912, when John's son Elmer had an affair with, and eloped with, John's sister in law, Fannie (Dublin) Miner (Enoch Miner's wife). Elmer's whereabouts were unknown circa 1935.

In 1929-1930, John was elected treasurer of the large McDowell-Miner Reunions held at Hillcrest Park in Connellsville. In 1920, he is believed to have attended the Minerd-Miner Reunion at Ohiopyle, Fayette County, and in 1927 he spoke at the clan's gathering in nearby Confluence, Somerset County.

Mary suffered from epileptic seizures. She was found dead in bed at age 60 on Aug. 19, 1922. The cause of death was believed to have been a stroke. She was laid to rest in the Mennonite Cemetery in Connellsville Twp.

John outlived Mary by 13 years, and retired from the Frick Company. He began receiving a pension, one of the earliest family members to have this type of company benefit.

At age 64, on March 28, 1923, John married Mary Ellen Ringer (1892-1970). She was just 31 years old, and the daughter of William and Caroline (Frickey) Ringer.

Pennsville's Mennonite Cemetery near Connellsville, where John, first wife Mary and many of their young children rest for eternity in unmarked graves

Sadly, daughter Mary died at age 36, apparently unmarried, on June 9, 1931. The cause of Mary's passing is unknown, and a search of the Connellsville Daily Courier failed to locate a newspaper obituary.

On Sept. 21, 1935, John died at home at age 76. Though devastated by the deaths of so many children, at his own passing he was survived by four children and 10 grandchildren. The funeral was conducted by John's distant cousin, Rev. David E. Minerd. The Daily Courier reported that a "quartet composed of Mrs. Walter Smith, Mrs. William E. Bisel, Edward Hiltabidel and Homer Davis, sang. Miss Lulu Bailey was accompanist." Pallbearers were his nephews Clyde Miner (son of Grant), Frank Miner (son of Silas), Noah Miner (son of Enoch) and William Miner (son of William) and George and William Richter (sons of Mary Anna Richter).

John was buried with his first wife and children in the Mennonite Cemetery at Pennsville. Their graves today are not marked.

After some years as a widow, Ellen married her second husband, Richard Kern. He brought five children to the marriage. Richard passed away in 1963. She resided with daughter Mabel and died on Sept. 6, 1970.

Son Elmer Ellsworth Miner ( ? -1952) eventually married Fannie (Dublin) Miner, the wife of his uncle Enoch Miner Sr. They moved to Pittsburgh.

Fannie passed away in 1923, and was buried by her husband in Connellsville's Hill Grove Cemetery. Her grave marker is seen here. After her untimely death, he later changed his last name to "Moody."

Elmer was married several other times, including once to "Josephine." A niece remembered that he was a "displaced person" for many years, and rode the rails from city to city. He was nicknamed "The Preacher" and was religious "at times," keeping a Bible in which he inscribed notations. He died circa 1952 in a rooming house in Sewickley, near Pittsburgh. His burial place is unknown.

Daughter Nancy Minor (1887- ? ) first married Oliver R. Stillwagon in 1903. After less than two years of marriage, Oliver deserted Nancy in August 1904, and "has not given her one cent since [then] and never did support her, it is alleged," said the Daily Courier. She moved back in with her father, but as he had "seven children to look after, [he] does not feel that he is able to support his married daughter." Oliver was jailed for non-support in August 1905.

Son Charles Dewey "Red" Minor (1899-1968) married a cousin, Frances Rose (1901-1986), daughter of John and Carrie (Eicher) Rose. They had six children. Their nuptials took place on May 25, 1918, when Red was age 19, and Frances 17.

Red registered for the World War I military draft in 1918, and stated his occupation as a laborer for the Soisson Fire Brick Company, spelling his own name "Minerd" at that time.

He "was a retired employee of the Edgar Thomson Works of U.S. Steel Corp at Braddock," said the Daily Courier, "and was a former coal miner. He was a member of the United Steelworkers of America."

Frances outlived her husband by nearly two decades. She died in 1986, and reposes with Red for eternity.

The Minors' son Raymond A. Minor (1919-1971) served in the US Navy before and during World War II. He was a sailor on the USS St. Louis, and survived the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. For a larger photo of Raymond in uniform, taken in Hawaii, view our "Photo of the Month" for June 2001. He married Virginia Lee ( Brooks) Bowers (1905-1985) (who had been married before to Eugene Bowers) and brought two children to the marriage -- Milford Bowers and Brenda Bowers. They had several children of their own. Sadly, their son Wes was killed in an automobile accident in 1961. Raymond never got over the shock of the Pearl Harbor tragedy, and died in 1971 while visiting at the home of his mother. He and Virginia are mentioned in the 1975 book, Brooks Family History.

Pearl Harbor survivor Raymond A. Minor, whose ship (USS St. Louis) was in drydock in the harbor the morning of the attack.

The Minors' daughter Carrie Elizabeth Minor married Donald C. Prinkey (1911-1985). Donald was a retired employee of U.S. Steel Edgar Thompson Works," said the Daily Courier. "He was a veteran of World War II, serving in the U.S. Army."

Daughter Mabel Miner (1926-1981) is seen here. At the age of four, her hand accidentally became caught in a grain cutter, and she underwent surgery to remove the middle finger on her left hand. She married George Kennick Jr. (1907-1988).

They resided in Dunbar (Juniata), Fayette County, where George was a carpenter with H.R. Mangus and Sons, and an employee of West Penn Railways. They were members of the St. Stephen's Byzantine Catholic Church in Leisenring.

"Genuine Connellsville Coke" poster courtesy of the Library of Congress American Memory Project.