Rev.
Isaac Herschel Minerd
(1858-1919)
Rev.
Isaac Herschel Minerd was born on March 13, 1858 at
Mt. Pleasant, Westmoreland County, PA, the son of Eli and Mary Ann (Baer)
Minerd. His work as a Methodist preacher touched many souls, and his efforts to establish the early Minerd Reunions laid a
foundation for generations who follow today.
Isaac was twice married; first to Sarah Susanna Schiebler ( ? - ? ). They lived at Mt. Pleasant, PA, and they both joined the Mt. Pleasant Church of God in September 1878 on professions of faith. Their only daughter was Sarah Jane "Jenne" Baily, born the following year, in 1879, in Mt. Pleasant.
Tragically, however, sometime shortly after giving birth, Sarah died. The facts of her death are not known.
On Nov. 29, 1883, after four years as a widower, Isaac married his second wife, Margaret Jane Sheppard (1852-1931), seen above. The four children born to this marriage were Dr. Roy Sheppard Minerd, Albert S. Minerd, Bess V. Beck and Lillie May Minerd. Sadly, Lillie May died in 1887 at age 16 months.
Ten years later, the Minerds moved to New Haven (Connellsville), PA. Later, they moved to Uniontown and finally to Pittsburgh, PA.
Connellsville as seen from New Haven, across the Youghiogheny River
Isaac was an un-ordained Methodist preacher, and drew praise for his work. While in Uniontown, he conducted revivals in mining towns, as this article attests:
A protracted meeting is going on at Revere. About or eight or ten already confessed and a great interest is manifested. Rev. I.H. Minard is carrying it on and is working hard for its success. Bro. Minard has others besides himself to also preach and help him in that work. Mr. Minard is to be complimented on its success and his labors are always given freely and without grudging.
The Pittsburgh Christian Advocate once pictured him in a story and said that "in addition to his daily labor, as a mechanic, [he] renders valiant service in the mission. His zealous efforts contributed largely to the success of our enterprise at Oliver. He is now assisting in the work at Revere." He participated in the dedication of the Union Church in the McCormick Addition of Uniontown, PA, on July 11, 1899, mentioned in Haddon's 1913 A History of Uniontown. Their home at 32 Coffee Street "was frequently the stopping place of the pastors of Oliver Church," said the Pittsburgh Christian Advocate. "Growing up in the Church Mrs. Minerd greatly enriched her life by fellowship with God through the indwelling Spirit and by rendering her utmost service to the Church and the Kingdom during her entire life."
At some point, Isaac must have served as the minister of the Hopwood United Methodist Church, and "looked after the spiritual welfare of the members..." He is mentioned in an online history of the congregation.
Son Albert married a girl from Normalville, Fayette County, in 1908. The wedding gave the Minerds an opportunity to visit with some of their distant cousins from Normalville who also were friends of Ethel's and involved in the ceremony. A photograph taken that day shows the two families intermingled in a group. This event may have sowed the seeds of the first Minerd Reunion, which was organized by Isaac and his cousin Martin Miner of Normalville just five years later, in 1913.
On
Aug. 21, 1913, Isaac was elected president, and son Roy secretary, of the 1st Minerd
Reunion, held at
Ferncliff Park at Ohiopyle. More than 125 cousins attended, including his
children Roy, Albert and Bess, and grandchildren Margaret and Albert 'Lefty.' Isaac also
organized the 1914 Minerd Reunion at Killarney Park near Mill Run, PA.
Music and games were a feature of the day, and he likely was one of several
"prominent speakers" mentioned in the newspaper publicity.
In about 1914, the Minerds moved to Pittsburgh, where they joined the Homewood Avenue Methodist Church, and he worked as a school custodian and carpenter for the remaining few years of his life. During that time, he built oak furniture which exists today in the homes of descendants. Seen at right is one of his chairs that has been lovingly restored by a great-grandson in the Pittsburgh area.
Isaac died of pneumonia at their home at 7017 Susquehanna Street on June 3, 1919. He was laid to rest in the St. Peters Lutheran Cemetery near Highland Park, a section of Pittsburgh.
Son Roy attended medical school in Philadelphia, and later penned a memoir about his work there with orphaned boys. In the memoir, he wrote the following in tribute to mothers in general and likely to his own beloved mother:
What
does mother mean to you and to me! How it carries us back to the days when
something happened which darkened the sky, which broke our hearts, which
destroyed our happiness so completely that it seemed that we never could be
happy again! And who caused the clouded sun to shine again; who comforted and
healed that broken heart; who kissed away the sorrow, the unhappiness, the
anguish and showed us the way out of our trouble? Mother! Ah! Those Mothers!
Those of us who have or had had Mothers -- what would our lives have been had it
not been for them? Whom did we seek for advice ad help and guidance in the
solving of the many puzzling problems that confronted us as we grew to boyhood
and manhood? Never too tired nor too busy to listen, always sacrificing herself
and her pleasure to satisfy our ofttimes foolish and selfish whim, never
complaining -- she who gave us life, was our life, is and will till our dying
day be our life -- Mother! Thank God for Mother!
On March 30, 1931, Margaret died at home. Like her husband, she was buried in an unmarked grave at the St. Peters Lutheran Cemetery.
In 1992, more than six decades later, grandsons Penn and Robert (and their wives Jane and Gloria) lovingly arranged to place markers on their graves in their eternal memory. Penn and Jane are seen here, at the newly dedicated marker.
Seen below is a family gathering circa 1915 in the garden of the Minerds' residence in Pittsburgh. Back row, left to right: Albert and Ethel, baby Penn with parents Roy and Nell, Jenne and Bess. Middle, left to right: Isaac and Margaret. Front, left to right: Everett 'Lefty,' Margaret and Grayce.
Isaac and Roy were honored and remembered in 2003 at our national family reunion when we paid tribute to the 90th anniversary of the first reunion in 1913.
Copyright © 2000-2004, 2007 Mark A. Miner