Bio-Minerd, Caroline-Halfpenny

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Caroline (Minerd) Halfpenny
(1848-1935)

Caroline (Minerd) Halfpenny was born in September 1848, presumably in Wharton Township, Fayette County, PA, the daughter of William and Elizabeth (Rankin) Minerd. Other sources give her birthplace as "Virginia" or "West Virginia."

In 1869, at the age of 21, Caroline married 35-year-old Calvin Halfpenny (1833-1904). Calvin, born in Pennsylvania on Aug. 23, 1833, was the son of an English father and a Pennsylvania-born mother.

They had 10 children, of whom eight are known -- Alice Halfpenny, Ira Halfpenny, Anna Schreiner (or "Schriner"), Margaret H. Nagle, Emma I. Miller, Warren Halfpenny, Harriet C. Brior and Myra Halfpenny. More of the children's names will be added here when learned.

The year after marriage, when the federal census was taken, the Halfpennys resided in or near Connellsville, Fayette County, with Calvin employed as a "laborer." Also listed in the household in the 1870 census were four-month-old daughter Alice, and laborer Edward Dillon, an immigrant from England. Residing two houses away was Caroline's eight-year-old cousin, Charles McKnight, who was motherless and residing with Andrew and Mary Hiles.

Sometime between 1870 and 1900, but most likely in about 1871, the Halfpennys migrated to northeastern Pennsylvania, to the northeast of the state capitol city of Harrisburg. They established their new residence in Orange Township near Bloomsburg, Columbia County, where they rented a farm for many years.

After the move, Caroline would not see her five-year-old sister Mary Belle Dean, some 19 years younger in age, for another 48 years.

Bloomsburg's Main Street, looking east

How or why they made the moved to this unusual location is lost to history. However, a family of English-born Halfpennys is known to have operated a woolen mill in Bloomsburg, founded in 1882, and likely were Calvin's relatives.

When the federal census was taken in 1900, the Halfpennys had been married for 31 years. Calvin was shown as a "farmer," with their 10-year-old son Warren noted as a day farm laborer. Living in their house that year were their four youngest children -- Margaret (born June 1881), Emma (born March 1885), Warren (born July 1889) and Myra (born August 1894). The census-taker noted that of the Halfpennys' 10 children, only eight were living as of that year. He also marked that Calvin and Caroline both could read and write.

Calvin suffered a series of strokes of paralysis in the early 1900s, and went to live in Beaver Meadows, Carbon County, PA. After his third such attack, he died at the age of 71 on Nov. 7, 1904, at the home of their married daughter Margaret Nagle, in Greenwood, Columbia County. He was laid to rest at the Rohsburg Cemetery in Rohrsburg, north of Orangeville. An obituary was printed in the Bloomsburg Democratic Sentinel (Nov. 11, 1904), but in print his first name was misspelled "Alvin."

In 1910, the widowed, 62-year-old Caroline resided with her married son Ira in Greenwood Township, Columbia County. Oddly, unlike in all other censuses in which she is named, Caroline's birthplace was given as "West Virginia." (In the same 1910 census, but in a separate entry, daughter Emma reported that Caroline's place of birth was "Virginia.") This may suggest that Caroline may have lived in childhood in West Virginia, or otherwise told her children and grandchildren stories of being there as a child in some way.

At Thanksgiving in 1919, when Caroline was age 72, she was re-united after a separation of 48 years with her sister Mary Belle Dean, age 53. The reunion was held at a holiday dinner arranged at the home of D.L. Miller in Orangeville. By that time, Mary Belle was widowed, having lost her husband in a coal mining accident a few years before, and lived in the old Minerd home region of Uniontown, Fayette County, PA. The story was published in the local newspaper, and in turn was printed in the Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper. The article erred in stating that the sisters lived only 60 miles apart, when in reality the distance was closer to 243 driving miles.

The census of 1920 shows Caroline as one of three residents in the house of her widowed son in law, 36-year-old farmer Delbert M. Miller (1884- ? ), and her 16-year-old granddaughter Carrie Nagle, listed as a housekeeper. Caroline's age in this census record is given as 65, when in reality it was 72. According to a website of the Quick family, Delbert had married Emma Halfpenny, but after Emma died childless, he then married Emma's niece Carrie.

Caroline is mentioned in the 1921 newspaper obituary of her sister Mary Belle Dean, and was residing in Bloomsburg at the time. In 1923, she was named in the obituary of her brother, James Valentine Minerd, and was reported to be living in nearby Hazleton, Luzerne County, PA. By 1930, the 81-year-old Caroline made her home with her married son and daughter in law, Warren and Marion Halfpenny, in Centre Township, Columbia County.

Caroline died at the age of 87 in her son Warren's home in New Columbus, Columbia County in February 1935, after an illness of three weeks. Her newspaper obituary was published in the Feb. 7, 1935 edition of the Benton Argus, which noted that she "was formerly a resident of Plymouth." At the time, she was survived by 30 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. She was laid to rest in the Rohrsburg Cemetery.

~ Son Ira Halfpenny ~

Son Ira Halfpenny (1877-1924) was born in 1877. He grew up on his parents' farm in Columbia County, PA.

At the age of 21, on April 25, 1898, Ira married 16-year-old Myrtle Redline (1882-1973?). The wedding, led by Rev. W.R. Mather, was held at Rohrsburg, Columbia County. On her marriage license, she fibbed that her age was "18," but her father provided his consent.

They had at least 11 known children -- Benjamin F. Halfpenny, Anna M. Halfpenny, Laura I. Halfpenny, Lena A. Halfpenny, Hazel Halfpenny, Bernice Halfpenny, Audrey M. Halfpenny, Margaret E. Halfpenny, Guy R. Halfpenny, Ruth K. Halfpenny and Glenn I. Halfpenny.

Sadly, daughter Lena died at the age of 15 months on Dec. 28, 1909, caused by "bowel congestion." She is buried in Rohrsburg Cemetery, with an obituary printed in the Democratic Sentinel (issues of Dec. 31, 1909 and Jan. 4, 1910).

For many years, the Halfpennys resided on a farm in Greenwood Township, Columbia County. When the federal census was taken in 1920, Ira held employment in "street work."

Ira died of cancer and kidney failure at the age of 48 in August 1924. His obituary was printed in the Aug. 11, 1924 edition of the Bloomsburg Morning Press and in the Aug. 14, 1924 edition of the Benton Argus. His remains were laid to rest in the Rohrsburg Cemetery.

Myrtle died on Sept. 15, 1973, at the age of 91, and is buried in Rohrsburg Cemetery.

Son Benjamin F. Halfpenny (1902- ? ) was born on July 25, 1902.

Daughter Anna M. Halfpenny (1904- ? ) was born on July 10, 1904.

Daughter Laura I. Halfpenny (1906- ? ) was born on March 13, 1906.

Daughter Hazel Halfpenny (1907- ? ) was born on April 5, 1907.

Daughter Bernice Halfpenny (1910- ? ) was born on March 11, 1910.

Daughter Audrey M. Halfpenny (1912- ? ) was born on Jan. 27, 1912.

Daughter Margaret E. Halfpenny (1916- ? ) was born on Nov. 23, 1916.

Son Guy R. Halfpenny (1919- ? ) was born on March 19, 1919.

Daughter Ruth K. Halfpenny (1921- ? ) was born on May 17, 1921.

Son Glenn I. Halfpenny (1924- ? ) was born on June 29, 1924.

~ Daughter Harriet C. (Halfpenny) Brior ~

Daughter Harriet C. Halfpenny (1878- ? ) was born in 1878.

She did not marry until the age of 42, in about 1922, when she wed Adolph G. Brior (1882- ? ), who was four years younger than she.

They had a foster daughter, June E. Girton, born in 1919. The federal census of 1930 shows the Briors making their home in Lime Ridge, Centre Township, Columbia County. That year, Adolph labored as a steam engineer at the local lime quarry.

~ Daughter Anna (Halfpenny) Schreiner ~

Daughter Anna Halfpenny (1879- ? ) was born on March 10, 1879 in Rohrsburg, Columbia County. At the age of 21, she married Henry Schreiner (1879- ? ), a native of Hazelton, on Dec. 17, 1900. Henry was a moulder at the time of marriage. His parents were natives of Germany, and their name also has been spelled "Schriner."

Their six known children were Merle Schreiner, Adam Schreiner, Caroline Schreiner, Marie Schreiner, Helen Schreiner and Kenneth Schreiner.

In 1910, when the census was taken, the Schreiners made their home on a farm in Greenwood Township, Columbia County. Anna's 21-year-old unmarried brother Warren Halfpenny boarded in their dwelling that year.

By 1930, the family had migrated to Chester, Delaware County, PA, residing on Kerlin Street. Henry, age 54, secured employment there as a moulder in a steel foundry.

Daughter Merle Schreiner (1905- ? )

Son Adam Schreiner (1906- ? ) is believed to have married Mildred A. Schluster in Delaware County, PA on March 26, 1932.

Daughter Caroline Schreiner (1909- ? ) may have wed Thomas J. McCabe in Delaware County on Sept. 20, 1934.

Daughter Marie Schreiner (1916- ? )

Daughter Helen Schreiner (1917- ? )

Son Kenneth Schreiner (1925- ? )

~ Daughter Margaret (Halfpenny) Nagle ~

Daughter Margaret Halfpenny (1880- ? ) was born in 1880 in Columbia County. She married Clyde B. Nagle (1879- ? ).

They had 10 known children -- Cecil C. Nagle, Caroline R. Nagle, Lelon E. Nagle, Earl J. Nagle, Ira D. Nagle, Irene Nagle, Clara Nagle, Harriet Nagle, Jay Nagle and Clayton Nagle.

Margaret's aged father, having suffered a series of three debilitating strokes, died in their home in Greenwood on Nov. 7, 1904. Circa 1910, the census shows the Nagles living in Center Township, Columbia County.

By 1920, they relocated to a farm in Briar Creek Township, Columbia County, where they remained in 1930.

Nothing more is known.

Son Earl Nagle (1910- ? ) was born in 1910.

Son Ira D. Nagle (1911- ? ) was born in 1911.

Daughter Clara Nagle (1915- ? ) was born in 1915.

Daughter Harriet Nagle (1917- ? ) was born in 1917.

Son Jay Nagle (1919- ? ) was born in 1919.

Son Clayton Nagle (1922- ? ) was born in 1922.

~ Daughter Emma (Halfpenny) Miller ~

Daughter Emma Halfpenny (1885- ? ) was born in 1885 in Columbia County. At the age of 23, in 1910, she was employed as a servant in the home of farmers Clarence E. and Minnie Drumm in Columbia County.

Emma married Delbert Miller (1884- ? ).

The Quick family website shows that he was a farmer near Greenwood, PA, and that he eventually died of a brain hemorrhage or of heart disease.

~ Son Warren Halfpenny ~

Son Warren Halfpenny (1889-1955) was born in 1889 in Columbia County. Circa 1910, when he was age 21 and single, he resided with his married sister and brother in law, Anna and Henry Schreiner, on a farm in Greenwood Township, Columbia County.

He married Marion (?) (1902-1974). They had one known daughter, Phyllis J. Halfpenny.

When the federal census was taken in 1930, the Halfpennys lived in Centre Township, Columbia County, with Warren's widowed mother making her home there. Warren made his living that year as a bus driver.

Warren passed away in 1955, at the age of 66, and is buried in Rohrsburg Cemetery in Columbia County.

Marion outlived her husband by 19 years. She joined him in death in August 1974, at the age of 72.

Daughter Phyllis J. Halfpenny (1926- ? ) was born in about 1926. Nothing more is known.