William
G. Miner
(1864-1932)
William
G. Miner was born on June 26, 1864 near Humbert, Somerset County, PA, the son of Henry
A. and Matilda (Rose) Miner. He was a longtime coal miner who met a tragic
fate in a streetcar accident.
As a teenager, William migrated with his parents to Connellsville, Fayette County, PA, where his father found work in the booming coal and coke industry.
On Feb. 23, 1887, William married his first wife, Alice Kuhns (Koonce), the daughter of Peter and Sarah E. Kuhns, and a native of Allegheny County, PA. The ceremony was performed by justice of the peace Thomas R. Torrance.
The Miners had five children -- William H. Miner, Meda Buttermore, Minnie M. Parker, Lillian "Lillie" Belle McDowell-Walters and Espey Miner.
Over the years, the family lived in a variety of places, following available coal mine jobs. These include Westmoreland County, PA (1887), Connellsville (1900), Allison, Fayette County (1916) and Morgantown, Monongalia County, WV(1920s-30s). William is known to have been a fireman in the Allison Mine in 1916, and also to have worked as a railroad brakeman at one time.
Typical coke ovens in Connellsville of William's era
Heartache
rocked the family in November 1910, when Alice, only age 42, died at their home
in Swaugertown, near Connellsville. The Connellsville Daily Courier said
she "was well and favorably known in and around Swaugertown." Alice's
grave marker is inscribed with a year of death as "1911" when in
reality it should be "1910."
After Alice's death, William married Rosie Rogers ( ? - ? ) who had previously been married, and who brought six children to the marriage -- Edna Brothers, Minnie Stump, Ruby Gribble, Harry Rogers, Samuel Rogers and Roy Rogers.
In about 1927,
William and Rosie moved to
Morgantown, WV for the last time. A rare old bird's eye postcard view of
Morgantown, hard by the Monongahela River, is seen here.
Though they were residing in Morgantown at the time, William and his large family attended the McDowell-Miner-Ritenour family reunions in the Connellsville area in 1928-29-30. At the 1928 affair, at Hillcrest Park, William and his brother Grant, along with son-in-law Arthur McDowell, Emerson Ritenour, formed the planning committee. Son in law George Buttermore was elected chairman, daughter Lillie Belle secretary, and John Miner treasurer.
A local newspaper published a lengthy account of the McDowell-Miner 1928 reunion, and listed the following other immediate family members in attendance: Arthur and Lillie Belle's children Dorothy, Gladious, Mildred, Joseph, Thelma, Lillian and Zora, of Uniontown; John Ross and Mary Ellen (Ringer) Miner and daughter Mabel of Swaugertown Road, Connellsville; brother Grant and Drusilla (Fike) Miner and their grandchildren Wilma, Dorothy, Thomas and Robert Miner of Hillcrest Park, Connellsville; sisters Jennie (Miner) Paolone-Stevenson and Mary Ann (Miner) Richter of Connellsville; son in law and daughter George and Meda (Miner) Buttermore and their children Alice, Sarah and Esther of Mt. Braddock; granddaughter Lillie (Buttermore) and her husband Raymond Uncapher and children Florence and Junior of South Connellsville; and cousin Charles H. Rose of Normalville, PA.
William's gnarled hands from a lifetime of hard work
The
1929 McDowell-Miner reunion was held at daughter Lillie Bell's home in
Haddenville, Fayette County. "There was no set program, the older folks
spending the time talking over old times while the younger folks played games
and romped in the orchard," said a newspaper article, seen at right.
"At noon dinner was served on picnic tables under the grape arbor, covers
being laid for forty persons." Attending this reunion were William's
brother Grant and wife Drusilla Miner and their grandchildren Wilma and Dorothy
Miner; and William's son William H. and wife Louise Miner with their sons
William, Charles and Harold.
The following year, the McDowell-Miner Reunion was held at Hillcrest Park in Connellsville, and William served on the program committee along with son in law George Buttermore (president), brother John R. Miner (treasurer), granddaughter Dorothy McDowell and brother Grant U. Miner (program committee). Reported a local newspaper:
It was an all-day affair, with about 100 in attendance. After dinner there was a religious service, led by George Buttermore. Races followed. The fat women's race, run by Mrs. Charles Buttermore and Mrs. Charles Sargent of Brownsville, the former winning. The girls' 50-yard dash, ages 12 to 20 years, was won by Miss Lurleine Upton of Summit. Mrs. Ewing Hager was the oldest person to attend. She is past 81. There were several others of ripe age.
Tragedy
struck in the summer of 1932 when William was age 57, working as a janitor in
the Price business block in Morgantown, and
residing with Rosie at 921 Charles Avenue. On Saturday, Aug. 6, he boarded a
streetcar bound for Sabraton about 5 p.m. After being seated, he may have
suffered a partial stroke, although he got off the car at Charles and Richwood
avenues without assistance. Reported the Morgantown Dominion News,
William "apparently slipped from the platform and under the car, his left
leg protruding inside the rail... The car was started [again], but Miner's cries
quickly brought a stop." The newspaper added that "Some said he had
reached up to pat a little child leaning from a car window when the car started
and that he slipped and lost his balance, the car pinning his leg between the
platform and trucks. Others said one wheel ran over the leg below the
knee."
He was rushed to the Monongalia County hospital, where his leg was amputated below the knee. Said the Dominion News, "a nurse said Miner was suffering from extreme shock and loss of blood." When relatives arrived, he told them, "I don't remember what happened." The Dominion News kept readers informed for several days. One article said that he "rallied Sunday and hopes were entertained for his recovery though from the time he was admitted at the hospital it was said he was in critical condition." Sadly, though, he could not overcome the devastating blow. He passed away on Monday, Aug. 8, 1932, two days after his fall and injury.
William's body was shipped to Connellsville, where the funeral was held at the home of brother Grant in Hillcrest Park. His mangled remains were laid to rest beside his first wife Alice at Hill Grove Cemetery in Connellsville.
Daughter Lillie Belle Miner (1893-1987) was first married to Nelson A. Miles Nicholson ( ? - ? ), a native of Granite City, IL, on June 10, 1916. Later, she married Arthur McDowell ( ? - ? ). They lived in Connellsville, and had eight children -- Dorothy Fisher, Joseph McDowell, Leroy McDowell, Gladys Varndell, Martha Cook, Izora Miller, Lillian Solomon and Mildred Martin. After Arthur's death, Lillie Belle married Henry Walters. She resided for many years at Haddenville, Fayette County. Later in life, she moved to Akron, Summit County, OH. She died at Brecksville, OH at age 94 on Aug. 12, 1987, and was laid to rest at the Chalk Hill Lutheran Cemetery. Her obituary was published in the Somerset (PA) Daily American.
Son
William H. Miner (1889-1958) is described in Luther J. Grimm's typescript genealogy
report of the Grim and Grimm families
found at the Uniontown (PA) Public Library. He moved to Pittsburgh, where he was
residing when he married Louise Stauffer Balsley (1887-1963) at Moyer, Fayette County on
Dec. 28, 1912. They had three children -- William E. Miner, Charles Woodrow
Miner and Harold Donald Miner. William was a pall bearer at the funeral of his
uncle John Ross Miner in 1935. They
resided on McClellantown Road in the 1940s, and later at 64 Lenox. William
worked as an electrician, a sub station operator and a car operator. William
passed away on Jan. 25, 1958. Louise outlived him by five years. She died in
1963, and was laid to rest beside her husband at Mt. Olive Cemetery in Bullskin
Twp., near Connellsville.
Son Espy L. Miner (1904- ? ) resided in Uniontown circa 1928. He apparently was married, but his wife's name is not known. When the federal census was taken in 1930, he lived with his married sister Lilly Belle McDowell at Haddenville, Menallen Township, Fayette County. That year, he is shown to be a widower, and his employment as a road laborer. His whereabouts were unknown just two years later, in 1932. By 1958, he was living in Cleveland. His fate is lost to history, but will be reported here when learned.
Daughter Minnie Miner (1889- ? ) married Gilbert V. Parker (1886- ? ) in about 1905, when she was 16 and he was 21. They lived at Cass near Morgantown, Monongalia County, WV when the federal censuses were taken in 1920 and 1930. Gilbert was an electrician in a local coal mine. The Parkers had at least eight children -- Orten D. Parker, Justine R. Parker, Carlita V. Parker, Espy L. Parker, Velorian V. Parker, Lloyd F. Parker, Everett E. Parker and Evelyn V. Parker. In 1958, Minnie lived in Kingwood, Preston County, WV.
Daughter Meda Miner (1887- ? ) married George S. Buttermore (1879-1966), the son of Alex and Sarah (Stillwagon) Buttermore of Connellsville. They resided in Westmoreland County (1903), Connellsville (1903-1905), Indiana, Indiana County, PA (1907), Fayette City, Fayette County (1910), and New Castle, PA. George worked as a "literature evangelist" for the Seventh Day Adventist Church. They had seven children --Blanche Allen, Lilly Uncapher, Alice Martone, Esther Callahan, Sarah Snyder, Harry E. Buttermore and Grace Doutt.
Above, l-r: Lillie Belle McDowell (left) and Meade Buttermore (right)
with their uncle and aunt, Grant and
Drusilla (Fike) Miner
Grandson William E. Miner
( 1913- ? ) was an
optician in Pittsburgh circa 1959. He married Margaret Hightower ( ? -1971)
on Dec. 22, 1938, and had three children -- Linda Virginia Miner, Josephine
Miner and William C. Miner. The family resided at Hopwood, Fayette County circa
1924. In 1941, the family lived at Birmingham, AL. Later, they relocated to
Pittsburgh, residing at 160 Henderson Street and at 2520 Spring Garden Avenue on
the North Side. Margaret passed away in Pittsburgh on April 21, 1971, with her
obituary printed in the Pittsburgh Press. William died on March 6, 1986,
with his obituary also published in the Press.
Grandson Charles Woodrow Miner (1913-1976 ) married Mabel Kathryn Sickles ( ? - ? ) on July 31, 1931. They had one son, Charles William Miner. Charles Woodrow lived in New Jersey circa 1958. He passed away in 1976, and is buried beside his brother William in the Union Dale #3 Cemetery on Pittsburgh's North Side.
Graves of brothers Charles and William Miner at
Union Dale #3 Cemetery on Pittsburgh's North Side
Grandson
Harold Donald Miner Sr. (1924- ? ) is seen at left. He married Mary Lou
Perkins ( ? - ? ) on June 29. 1947. They had two sons -- Harold Donald Miner Jr. and
Douglas Alan Miner. Harold Sr. served in World War II, and was stationed in Rhineland, Ardennes
and Central America. He is pictured in the book, Heroes All, a service
album of soldiers from Uniontown and South Union Township. He lived in Lorain,
near Cleveland, OH circa 1958.
The Buttermores' daughter Blanche (1903-1982) married her first husband (?) Allen ( ? - ? ) and resided in New Castle circa 1966. She later married Elvin Fritz ( ? - ? ) and relocated to Santa Anna, CA, where she died circa 1982. Her remains were brought back to New Castle for burial.
The Buttermores' daughter Grace ( ? - ? ) married Eugene L. Doutt (1907-1991). He "retired in 1970 from Aetna-Standard where he worked as a welder," said the New Castle (PA) News. "He formerly worked at United Engineering in New Castle. During World War II, he served as a welding instructor."
The Buttermores' daughter Lilly (1905-2000) married Raymond Uncapher (1902-1976). She "worked as a practical nurse in the New Castle area," said the New Castle News. "She enjoyed music, singing, gardening, crocheting and knitting afghans." According to the News, Raymond "was retired from Martin Brothers Trucking Co. of Bessemer."
The Buttermores' son Harry (1907-1994) married Marjorie A. Gwin ( ?- 1989). Said the New Castle News, he "was a retired garage mechanic from Pennsylvania Power Co. He belonged to the Coachmen's Club." Marjorie "worked at the J.C. Penney and Troutman Department stores in New Castle."
The Buttermore's daughter Alice ( ? - ? ) married Theodore Martone ( ? - ? ) and lived in Chester, PA. Circa 1982, Alice resided in Cleveland, OH.
The Buttermores' daughter Sarah ( ? - ? ) married Ralph Snyder ( ? - ? ) and resided in Dallas, TX.
The Buttermores' daughter Esther (1926-1988) married James Callihan and lived in Columbus, OH. Circa 1982, Esther resided in Baltimore, MD. She is buried at the Baltimore National Cemetery with her son, Lee Scott Callihan (1957-1965). For more information on this line, contact Bev (Callihan) Knies.
Copyright © 2000, 2002, 2004-2008 Mark A. Miner