Bio-Miner, Wesley

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Wesley Miner
(1902-1976)

Wesley Miner was born on March 20, 1902 in Mill Run, Fayette County, PA, the son of William Henry ‘Squire’ and Sara Jane (Basinger) Minerd.

On April 4, 1923, Wesley married Susie Roslosnik (1902-1965).

As a schoolgirl, Susie resided in Mill Run and befriended Lela (Rowan) Jordan, the young daughter of Marshall E. and Jennie (Steyer) Rowan. A postcard dated June 1918 from Susie to Lela is seen at right.

The Miners had nine children – Mary Ann Donnadio, Donald W. Miner, Dolores W. Miner, Hughey Miner, Shirley Childress, Connie Miner, Regis D. Miner, Carolyn Lou "Cookie" Means and Brenda Ryan.

Sadly, son Donald died of diphtheria at age five, and was buried in the Indian Creek Baptist Church Cemetery in Mill Run.

Wesley was a coal miner his entire adult life. He was employed at mines in West Virginia and also in Pennsylvania, including at the Phillips Mine, Leisenring No. 1 and 2 Mines, and later at Leisenring No. 3 Mine (seen here) from where he retired in 1966.

In about 1945, the Miners moved from Mill Run to nearby Connellsville, Fayette County.

They suffered through the untimely deaths of three of their children – young son Donald in 1930; the lingering illness and eventual passing of their son Regis at the age of 16 on Aug. 4, 1957; and married daughter Mary Ann, wife of Frank Donnadio, at age 31 in 1955.

Susie passed away on Dec. 3, 1965. She was laid to rest at the Indian Creek Baptist Cemetery.

Wesley outlived his wife by more than a decade. He is seen here seated in a favorite chair with a birthday cake.

Wesley died at age 73 on Leap Day, Feb. 29, 1976, and is buried beside Susie.

In 1999, Wesley was honored among hundreds of cousins at our national family reunion for their longtime work in the coal, coke and steel industries. He also was pictured in our 1999 reunion booklet, Coal, Coke & Steel.

Daughter Dolores W. Miner (1928-2010) never married. She worked at the Anchor Hocking glass plant in Connellsville, "where she was employed as a selector for more than 40 years, working on the D crew," said the Connellsville Daily Courier. She enjoyed pets and had a special dog, Winston. She passed away at the age of 81 on March 13, 2010. She was laid to rest in the Indian Creek Baptist Cemetery in Mill Run.