Bio-Minerd, Bartholomew

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Bartholomew A. "Beth" Minerd
(1881-1962)

Bartholomew A. "Beth" Minerd was born on Sept. 25, 1881 in Dunbar, Fayette County, PA, the son of James Valentine and Nancy (Warman) Fuller Minerd. He was a longtime public official in Fayette County.

As a 24-year-old, Beth played baseball for the Dunbar Furnace team. In a July 1905 game against Mt. Braddock, he led off with a double, and scored on the next batter's triple.

On Oct. 4, 1906, at the age of 25, Beth married Mollie M. Holland (1883-1955), the daughter of Joseph and Mildred (Williams) Holland of Coolspring, Fayette County. The wedding took place at Otto, near Glassport, Allegheny County, PA.

The Minerds had at least four children -- James J. Minerd, Mina "Minnie" Markey, Gwendolyn Henshall and Ruth Renz..

At the time of marriage, Beth was employed as a coal miner. In 1910, they lived in Hempfield Township, Westmoreland County, PA, where he worked as a cutter in a coal mine.

In 1918, Beth registered for the World War I military draft, and stated his occupation as a miner for the H.C. Frick Coke Company at Brownfield. Mollie was a member of the Women's Christian Temperance Uniontown (WCTU) of Uniontown.

When the federal census was taken in 1920, the Minerds and their four children lived in the Frick company housing at the Brownfield coke works. Beth's occupation was listed as "miner - coal mine." By 1924, they had moved to Lemont Furnace, near Uniontown, and in January 1929 were in the coal mining patch town of Revere.

Beth provided a written testimonial in March 1929 for "Konjola" -- a medicine that cured a variety of ailments -- that was published in the Uniontown Daily News Standard. At the time, his address was Box 72, Uledi, west of Uniontown. In the statement, he said:

When I first heard about Konjola I was inclined to pay little attention, for in six years of unrelieved suffering from stomach and kidney troubles I had reached the conclusion that all medicines were of little value. No wonder I was in this frame of mind, for I had tried any number of medicines and treatments without the slightest benefit. My kidneys were so bad that I had to get up as many as fifteen times a night. I had terrible pains across my back and down my back and down my limbs. I was barely able to work, and kept hanging on hoping against hope that I might find the right medicine some time. Konjola certainly proved to be the right medicine; the one I should have had in the first place. My stomach was in such a condition that I could not eat solid food... The first bottle of this amazing compound was enough to let me know that I might begin to hope for recovery. I became much better as I was on the second bottle, and in four weeks Konjola had rid me of all my health troubles. That was five weeks ago, and I waited that long before reporting my case. I wanted to see if the recovery was merely temporary. I am the happiest man alive to tell you that the health that Konjola brought me seems to have come to stay. I am eating anything I like; sleeping all night through and feeling better than in years.

During the 1930s, the Minerds resided at Little Brownfield, Fayette County, where he was justice of the peace for 20 years.

Son James enlisted in the US Army circa July 1935, and was stationed for two years at Fort Sherman in Panama. Discharged as a corporal, James returned home to Little Brownfield, near Uniontown, in September 1937. He later served in England as a sergeant during World War II.

Uniontown far in the distance, seen from the summit of the mountains

Beth's one-room justice of the peace office burned to the ground on Feb. 28, 1933, when a fire swept through the nearby idle Revere coal mine and plant of the W.J. Rainey coal company. The Uniontown Herald-Genius said that "For a period of several hours a roaring inferno threatened to completely wipe out the mining town of several hundred houses." The company supply store, a chemical laboratory, and the Revere Post Office also were destroyed, and collective damages were estimated to be upwards of $30,000.

During the winter of 1938, Beth filed a lawsuit against the estate of the late Alonzo Childs, seeking to recover more than $2,000. According to the Connellsville Daily Courier, Beth alleged that in June 1932, he and Mollie "entered into a written agreement with Childs ... whereby they were to feed, clothe and care for the latter during his lifetime and, in return, as a consideration, were to receive a certain tract of land in South Union township. The agreement continued in effect until March 13, 1935, when, it is alleged, Childs left the farm and refused to accept the care and support proffered by the plaintiffs. Childs then demanded the possession of his property and on Dec. 17, 1935, the Minerds vacated the premises. Childs died Jan. 29, 1937."

Continuing his interest in politics, Beth threw his hat into the ring in 1939 as a candidate for the Democratic nomination for county sheriff, but withdrew in September of that year. The following year, he was a charter member of the Fayette County Minor Judiciary Association, formed in July 1940, and was named to its membership committee.

In 1947, the Minerds lived in Hopwood. Daughter Mina Markey, living in St. Petersburg, FL, is known to have spent a three-week vacation at their home in October 1947.

In the 1953-1957 era, the Minerds lived at Shady Grove, near Uniontown.

Mollie died in 1955. Afterward, Beth moved to Canton, Stark County, OH, to be near his son's family. In late 1961, at age 80, he moved into his son's home.

Just six months later, on May 6, 1962, said the Canton Repository, Beth passed away in mysterious circumstances. His "body was found ... in an old strip mine near the home of his son..." The coroner "ruled natural causes...," and Beth's remains were returned to Pennsylvania for burial.

Beth rests beside Mollie at Christ Lutheran Chapel near Chalk Hill, Fayette County. Their daughter Mina also is buried there.

~ Daughter Mina May (Minerd) Markey ~

Daughter Mina May "Minnie" Minerd (1908-1949) was born in Dunbar. In January 1924, she eloped to Cumberland, Allegany County, MD to marry David Milton Markey.

The Markeys had two daughters -- Evelyn Hyatt and Vernice Kelly.

Said the Connellsville (PA) Daily Courier, Minnie "was a member of the Brownfield Methodist Church... [She] had engaged in the dress making business at Uniontown for a number of years before her removal to Florida." The Markeys' home in St. Petersburg was at 1420 9th Street.

Minnie died in St. Petersburg, FL on Feb. 17, 1949, at the age of 41. Her remains were shipped to Uniontown for burial with her parents at Christ Lutheran Chapel. Local funeral arrangements were handled by the Minerd Funeral Home of Uniontown.

Daughter Evelyn Markey (1923- ? ) married (?) Hyatt. They made their home in Connellsville in 1949.

Daughter Vernice Markey wed (?) Kelly. They lived in St. Petersburg.

~ Son James J. Minerd ~

Son James J. Minerd (1911- ? ) was born on Aug. 11, 1911. He lived in Canton for many years after completing his service in World War II.

He married Lea Nycum ( ? - ? ).

He may also have married Ann Charlotte Davis (1911-2007).

James passed away in Canton in February 1972, at the age of 60.

~ Daughter Gwendolyn (Minerd) Henshall ~

Daughter Gwendolyn Minerd (1914-1967) wed J. Lee Henshall and they made their home for many years in Monessen, Washington County, PA. Their home was at 419 Indiana Avenue.

The Henshalls had two sons -- John B. Henshall and James Hugh Henshall.

Gwendolyn served on the card committee of the Fellowship Class of the First Methodist Church of Monessen circa 1965.

Sadly, at the age of 53, Gwendolyn died in the Charleroi-Monessen Hospital on May 7, 1967. Her obituary was published in the Valley Independent. Following a funeral led by Rev. Joseph C. Rial Jr., of Monessen's First Methodist Church, she was interred at the Howe Cemetery in Long Branch.

Several weeks after her death, her fellow church class members paused in tribute to her memory, following a short reading by class teacher Mrs. Raymond Scales. In a short article, the Independent said Gwendolyn had been "a faithful class member and officer."

~ Daughter Ruth (Minerd) Renz O'Connor ~

Daughter Ruth Evelyn Minerd (1916-1981 ) was born on Jan. 19, 1916. Her first husband was Harry Renz (1911?-1995?). They lived in Washington, Washington County, PA circa 1949 and in San Mateo, CA in 1962.

By 1967, Ruth had married again, to (?) O'Connor, and continued living in San Mateo.

Ruth passed away in San Mateo at the age of 65 on April 30, 1981.

Harry is thought to have passed away in Riverside, CA on Dec. 20, 1995, at the age of 84.