Bio-Minerd, EmmaGreen

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Emma (Minerd) Green
(1882-1927)

Emma (Minerd) Green was born on June 17, 1882 at Lemont Furnace near Uniontown, Fayette County, PA, the eldest of 15 children of James C. and Suvina (Yauger) Minerd Sr.

In the family, it's been said that Emma's father never accepted her as a daughter, and that she was raised by a family friend.

Emma married Joseph Green (1877- ? ),a native of Ohio whose parents were born in Scotland. The marriage took place in about 1900, when Emma was age 18 and Joseph 23.

The Greens had a large family of 10 children -- Clarence Green, Joseph Green, Clyde Green, James C. Green, Elizabeth "Lizzie" Barr, Anna Morris, Dorothy Laria, Viola Harrison, Harold Green and John Green.

When the federal census was taken in 1910, the family lived in Perry Township, Fayette County. By 1920, the Greens had moved to a new home in Rostraver Township, Westmoreland County. Joseph's occupation during those years was as a miner in a coal mine, with sons Clarence (fireman with a steam shovel) and Joseph (coal mine laborer) also working circa 1920.

The Greens later resided in the town of Floreffe, Allegheny County, PA along the Monongahela River near Belle Vernon and Monessen. Circa 1927, their home was along the Belle Vernon-Webster road.

A local Belle Vernon landmark, the First National Bank, showing how steep the hillside was even in the business district of town.

Tragically, while pregnant again at age 44 in January 1927, and working at a cookstove, Emma's dress accidentally caught on fire. She was severely burned, and was confined to bed. During her recovery, she came down with a serious case of influenza, and died on Jan. 22, 1927 at Belle Vernon, at the age of 45. Following a funeral held at the Union Church at Pricedale, she was laid to rest in the Belle Vernon Cemetery.

Widowed with 10 children, Joseph kept his family together as best he could. The 1930 census shows him living Rostraver Township, with daughters Emma and Dorothy, and sons John and James, still in the household. Joseph had abandoned the coal mining work for a job as a highway laborer. Son Clarence was living next door, with his wife and young daughter, and working as a truck driver for a gas well company.

Joseph's fate after that is unknown.

In August 1965, Emma and Joseph's children held a reunion at the Monessen Sportsman's Club, drawing 19 family groups. The Monessen Daily Independent reported the identities of the group as follows:

Attending from North Charleroi were Mr. and Mrs. James C. Green and daughter Bernadette; Belle Vernon area, Mr. and Mrs. Tom Benicky and son Mark, Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Green, Mrs. Joseph Green, Mr. and Mrs. Marrien Barr, Mr. and Mrs. Howard Harrison Sr., Mr. and Mrs. William Huweart and son Kevin, Mr. and Mrs. William Sickles and children Lane and Lana, Mr. and Mrs. William Krivyanik, Mr. and Mrs. William Green and children Bruce and Donna, Mr. and Mrs. James Strenner and children Jay, Jody, Joni, James, Jerry and Judy; and from Lynnwood, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Farquher and daughters Susan and Claudia. From Monongahela were Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Morris and children Donna, Judy and Jack; Buddy Henson; West Newton - Mrs. Margaret Sikosky; Donora, Mrs. Ann Greene, Mr. and Mrs. John Haluskha Jr. and daughter Nancy Ann, and Mr. and Mrs. John Hasch Jr. and daughter Susan Marie. Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Laria and daughter Joyce of Clarksburg, W.Va.; and Mr. and Mrs. Howard Harrison Jr. and sons Mark and Paul of Syracuse, N.Y., also attended.

~ Son Clarence Green ~

Son Clarence Green (1901- ? ) married Sadie E Castle (1905- ? ) in 1924. When the census was taken in 1930, they lived on Webster Road, next door to Clarence's widowed father and younger siblings. They had at least five children -- Betty I. Huweart, Dorothy Green, Emma Green, Clara Kusmirak and Clarence A. "Moe" Green. When his grandparents hosted a family reunion in Bowood, Fayette County in 1928, Clarence and Sadie attended, along with daughters Betty, Dorothy and Emma, and were mentioned in a related article in the Uniontown Morning Herald. In 1930, Clarence worked as a truck driver for a gas well company.

~ Son Clarence A. Green ~

Son Clarence A. Green (1934-1993) was born in Belle Vernon. He married Mary Lettie (?) and had seven children -- Barry R. Green, Brian W. Green, Sean A. Green, Edwin R. Green, Diane McBeth and Roxanne Cooper. Clarence "was retired from the Wheeling Pittsburgh Steel Company, where he had worked in the coke works," reported the Valley Independent of Monessen. "He was a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps,... a member of the Webster United Presbyterian Church, Webster Boat Club, Belle Vernon Moose, Donora American Legion, Fireman's Club of Monessen, Russian Club of Donora and a former member of the Rostraver Fire Company number one in Webster." Clarence died at home at the age of 59 on Sept. 27, 1993.

~ Son Clyde Green ~

Son Clyde Green (1902- ? ) may have been a coal handling crew leader for 24 years for a coke plant in Belle Vernon.

~ Son Joseph F. Green ~

Joseph F. Green's workplace -- American Steel and Wire in Donora

Son Joseph F. Greene (1903-1964) was born in Wick Haven, Fayette County. He married Gladys Harrison ( ? - ? ) and they made their home in Belle Vernon. they had two children -- David H. Greene and Joanna Strennen. The 1930 census shows the Greens living in Rostraver, Westmoreland County, near Joseph's father, and with Joseph working as an electrician in a steel plant, likely American Steel and Wire. Said the Connellsville Courier, Joseph "retired in 1961 from employment by the American Steel and Wire Division Donora plant, in its tractor shop. He was a member of Pilgrim Holiness Church of Donora." Joseph passed away at the age of 60, in Monongahela Memorial Hospital, on March 18, 1964.

~ Daughter Lizzie (Green) Barr ~

Daughter Elizabeth "Lizzie" Green (1906-1968) married Marvin F. Barr. They made their home in 1964 in Belle Vernon. They had three daughters -- Bonnie Lavonne Farquhar, Agnes Krivyanik and Kathryn Sickles. Elizabeth passed away at the age of 62 on Oct. 25, 1968. Following a funeral held at the First Baptist Church, burial was held in Belle Vernon Cemetery.

~ Daughter Viola (Green) Harrison ~

Daughter Viola Green (1908-1983) wed Howard Harrison (1909- ? ). The Greens and Harrisons were next door neighbors circa 1930, so it's natural that she and he were friends and later married. They lived in Sweeney Plan, Belle Vernon. Howard's work circa 1930 was as an ice puller in an ice house. They had one son, Howard G. Harrison. The family were members of he Nazarene Church of Belle Vernon. Viola passed away in Pittsburgh's Mercy Hospital at the age of 75 on Nov. 11, 1983. Burial was in Monongahela Cemetery.

~ Son Harold Green ~

Son Harold Green (1912- ? ) is not known.

~ Son John Green ~

Son John Green (1914- ? ) seems to be shrouded by history.

View of the Monongahela River, toward Lock #5, Charleroi

~ Daughter Emma (Green) Henson Morris ~

Daughter Emma Green (1915-1994) was twice married. Her first husband was George Henson ( ? - ? ). They had four children -- Harold Henson, Jack Henson, Donna Jones and Judy Revetta. Later, she wed her second spouse, Lawrence M. Morris (1929-1984) and resided in Monongahela, Washington County, PA in 1964. Emma "was the former owner and manager of Henson's Cleaning Service of Monongahela," reported the Valley Independent of Monessen. "She was a member of First church of the Nazarene, Monongahela, and its Reaper's Sunday School class and Missionary Society." Lawrence was an employee of the Charleroi Plant of Corning Glass Works and a veteran of the Korean War. He died at the age of 55 on Nov. 22, 1984, in United Hospital Center in Clarksburg, Harrison County, WV. After the death of Lawrence, Emma continued to make her home on Reservoir Avenue in Chaleroi. She passed away in Mon Valley Hospital on July 25, 1994, at the age of 78. At the time of her passing, she was survived by 12 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Burial was in Mon Valley Memorial Park.

~ Daughter Dorothy (Green) Laria ~

Daughter Dorothy Green (1919- ? ) married Samuel Laria ( ? - ? ). In 1964, they made their home in Clarksburg, Harrison County, WV.

~ Son James C. Green ~

Son James C. Green ( ? -2005) married Grace Sanfilippo, and resided in nearby North Charleroi, Washington County. He was a member of Mary, Mother of the Church Parish and American Legion Post 22, both of Charleroi. Said the Valley Independent, he "was a veteran of the U.S. Army, [and] retired after 28 years of employment at Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel, Monessen Plant, where he worked in the blast furnace department and as a trussell operator." The last surviving of the nine siblings, James passed away in Mon Valley Hospital on Oct. 24, 2005. He was laid to rest in Sacred Heart Cemetery in Monongahela.