Bio-Minerd, Bess-Lemon

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Bessie (Minerd) Lemon
(1888-1966)

Bessie Ray (Minerd) Lemon was born at Dunbar, Fayette County, PA, the daughter of Rev. David E. and Catherine (Williams) Minerd. She was an active public official of Youngwood, Westmoreland County, PA.

In 1906, at the age of 18, Bess married 31-year-old Edward J. Lemon (1875-1937). There was a 13-year age difference between the bride and groom.

The Lemons had one son, Harold Boydell "Skip" Lemon, born in 1910.

At some point, the Lemons moved to Westmoreland County, PA. Edward was a longtime employee of the Pennsylvania Railroad, based at Youngwood, and a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, an early union-type organization. (Other cousins known to have been employed at Youngwood by the Pennsy were George B. Miner and Warren W. Miner.)

They made their home in Hempfield Township, Westmoreland County, in 1910, at the time they were enumerated for the federal census. He was marked as an engineer for a locomotive company.

During the decade of the 1910s, the Lemons moved into the town of Youngwood. The federal census of 1920 shows the family living as next door neighbors to Bessie's sister and brother in law, Edna and Johnston Wagner. Edward's employment was marked again as a railroad engineer, while brother in law Johnston Wagner worked as a passenger agent for the railroad.

In 1937, Edward passed away suddenly at the age of 62. A newspaper in Uniontown, PA reported that he died when he "was stricken ... after he had finished his run to Altoona and had eaten dinner." At the time, he had worked for the Pennsy for 38 years. He was laid to rest at Hill Grove Cemetery in Connellsville, Fayette County.

The Pennsylvania Railroad Yards at Youngwood

Active in the community, Bess lived in Youngwood for 50 years. She was a postmistress of Youngwood for more than a decade, from 1942 to 1953. She also was an investigator for the Westmoreland County Institution District, and a member of the Civil Defense Class during World War II. She is pictured twice in the book, Our Town in Picture and Story: Youngwood, Pennsylvania 1899-1974.

Bess was a member of the First Evangelical United Brethren Church of Youngwood, its Royal Circle Class and Woman's Society of Christian Service. She also belonged to the Dames of Malta, the Ladies Auxiliary to the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Ladies Auxiliary to the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers.

After nearly three decades as a widow, Bess passed away on Jan. 31, 1966, at the age of 77. She is buried with her husband at Hill Grove Cemetery, Connellsville. Their granite grave marker is seen here.

Son Harold Boydell "Skip" Lemon is pictured in Our Town in Picture and Story and Way Back When: Youngwood, The Railroad Town, as a member of the Youngwood High School football team.