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Dr.
Harold "Daniel" Minerd |
Dr.
Harold "Daniel" Minerd was born in 1895 at Dunbar, Fayette County, PA, the son of Rev.
David E. and Catherine (Williams) Minerd. He was a popular dentist for
53 years and one of the best-known and most politically active cousins in our family, using
Connellsville, Fayette County, as his base.
Profiled in Lewis Clark Walkinshaw's 1939 book, Annals of Southwestern Pennsylvania, Dan had "an extensive and distinguished career," and "has not only enjoyed outstanding success as one of the leading dentists in Fayette County, but has also gained wide recognition and popularity for the contributions he has made to the social and civic life of his surroundings." Click to read the full text of the book entry.
In 1918, Dan graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a doctor of dental surgery degree. Following graduation, Dan served in World War I, as a lieutenant in the dental department of the Army Medical Corps. His brothers Ewing and William also served in the Army during the war. Years later, as World War II loomed on the horizon, he was described in a newspaper saying he "knows the horrors of such conflict and is unalterably opposed to becoming involved in another unless it is one of defense. He is not opposed to an adequate defense program but will not countenance hysterical appropriations such as those now being granted."
From
1930 to 1936, Dan served as Mayor of Connellsville, the youngest man ever to be
elected to the office. Seen here is a rare old postcard photograph of the
Connellsville City Hall and nearby post office.
In 1936, Dan resigned, succeeded by his political opponent and distant cousin Ira "David" Younkin, and was elected as Treasurer of Fayette County. This was a position to which his father had aspired, and had run twice unsuccessfully in the late 1800s, and it must have been a continuing source of great pride in the family.
Dan was an active fundraiser for many
charitable causes, and chaired President Roosevelt's Birthday Ball Committee in
1938. He and James J. Driscoll, president of the Courier Company, publisher of
the Connellsville Daily Courier, drove to Washington DC in May 1934 to
attend a reception at the White House, "at which time the Warm springs
Foundation Fund, raised through the birthday ball for the President, will be
transferred to the Foundation through President Franklin D. Roosevelt,"
reported the Courier. "Immediately after the reception there will be
a dinner. The invitations to the affair were extended ... because of their
connection with the birthday ball held here."
In 1940, Dan ran unsuccessfully for the 24th District of Congress. Appealing to local farmers, he said that he was "opposed to squandering public funds on doubtful projects" such as government confiscation of private land to flood for the Youghiogheny River dam. He supported farmers' grange groups that were protesting dam construction, "pointing out that Federal parks had already removed from taxable sources a large section of the county with the resultant increase in levies on privately owned properties," said an article in the Meyersdale Republican. "Parks and lakes are nice for the accommodation of picknickers," he said in the article, "but it is not fair to expect Somerset county taxpayers to furnish these things at such a great cost to themselves."
He also ran for Sheriff of the county at some point in time, but was not successful.
 
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Pittsburgh's Forbes Field, left, and University of Pittsburgh football stadium, where Dan was a regular spectator over the years |
Dan
was a rabid sports enthusiast and closely followed local professional and
collegiate teams. In April 1927, he and his brother Bill
and many other Connellsville residents traveled to Pittsburgh to watch the
Pirates' opening game against the Cincinnati Reds. Later that year, the Pirates
played the New York Yankees in the World Series, but were defeated four games to
zero, with the New York "Murderer's Row" led by Babe Ruth and Lou
Gehrig.
He was a close friend of classmate Dr. John Bain "Jock"
Sutherland, who went on to coach Pitt's football team to an 111-20-12 record and
five national championships. In fact, Dan named one of his sons after Coach
Sutherland. When the coach would come to Connellsville to recruit high school
players, he and Dan often would get together for dinner and drinks. In May 1943,
during World War II, he attended the silver anniversary luncheon of the
University of Pittsburgh School of Dentistry's Class of 1918. Sutherland -- then
serving as lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy -- was the guest speaker at the
affair, held at the city's venerable William Penn Hotel. Sutherland is seen
at right, with hand on chin during a close football game at Forbes Field.
Sutherland went on to coach the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Brooklyn Dodges of
the National Football League before being stricken with a fatal brain tumor in
1948.
Among other events, he is known to have driven with Herbert Keffer, Charles Oaks and S.M. Carroll to South Bend, IN in October 1931 to watch the Pitt-Notre Dame football game. In May 1935, he and Herbert Keffer Jr. drove to Louisville, KY, to attend the annual Kentucky Derby. In November 1936, he drove to Philadelphia with son Richard, daughter Sally and Herbert Keffer to take in the annual Army-Navy football game.
Dan was re-elected Mayor of Connellsville in November 1941, less than a month before the United States was plunged into World War II with the attack on Pearl Harbor. During the war, Dan served on the county's Tire Rationing Board.
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| The Connellsville Daily Courier gave Dan's 1941 election top billing |
Dan married Charlotte H. Keffer
(1889-1936) in 1918. They are seen together at right.
The Minerds had three children -- Richard David Minerd, Sarah Catherine Minerd and John Bain "Jock" Minerd. A Uniontown newspaper carried this description of Charlotte, saying that she was:
... a member of one of the best known families of Fayette County ... She was educated in the Connellsville schools and until her illness had been active in church and civic affairs of her city and community. She was a member of the Lutheran church of Connellsville and was affiliated actively in the work of the church in its various departments. She was a member of the Order of Eastern Star and of the American Legion Auxiliary.
Tragically,
during Dan's term as Fayette County Treasurer, Charlotte became very ill. After a long bout with
cancer, she died on Aug. 9, 1936, at the age of 47. She had been "confined
to her bed since last October, prior to which time she had been ill for several
months and had undergone treatment by specialists in a Baltimore hospital,"
said the Uniontown Morning Herald. "Throughout the months of her
illness and the weary weeks when she was confined to her bed, Mrs. Minerd
maintained her courage and cheerfulness against the handicaps of illness."
She was laid to rest in the Minerd family plot at Hill Grove Cemetery in
Connellsville.
A
born leader, Dan
helped plan the Minerd Reunion of 1930 held on
Aug. 9 at
Uniontown's Shady Grove Park, where he chaired the transportation committee. Among
the other cousins involved with that reunion were Arnold Overholt,
president; Ernest E. Minerd, secretary;
Mary Adaline (Luckey) Malone
and Frank
Zearfoss, general committee; Bess (Minerd) Lemon, speakers committee;
Dr. Paul David Luckey, sports committee; Edith
(Erwin) Minerd,
invitation committee; Andrew Luckey, refreshment committee; and Frank
Woodmancy, publicity committee. He also helped organize a Minerd Reunion in
the mid-1940s, seen at right, with him standing at far right. He often spoke
of commissioning someone to undertake a family history study, to connect all the Minerd branches in the
area, but it was never done.
Later, after several years as a widower, Dan married Ivenore "Ivy" Darr (1903-1992), a Fayette County employee. They met when she worked in the County Treasurer's office. During the early 1940s, they eloped to Winchester, VA. Later, he built a house for her on "Ivy" Drive in Connellsville.
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| Political ads circa 1934 (left) and 1940 |
Dan remained active in political and
community-service circles for many years, as well as maintaining a busy dental
practice.
When Dan died on Oct. 29, 1973, the news made the front page of the Connellsville Daily Courier. He is buried with Charlotte at Hill Grove Cemetery.
Ivy later married Connellsville attorney Donald E.
Higbee. She lived to the age of 89. Ivy and Donald both passed away in early 1992, within a few weeks of
each other. She is buried at Sylvan Heights Cemetery in Uniontown.
A year before their deaths, the Higbees graciously entertained the author of this biography at dinner in their home in Connellsville. Not only Ivy, but also Donald, had been longtime friends of Dr. Dan Minerd, and it was clear that they both relished the memory of knowing him. Their helpful input and advice has led to many wonderful discoveries about a true leader in our family.
Copyright © 2000, 2002-2003, 2005-2007, 2010 Mark A. Miner