|
|
|
Jacob
Minerd Jr. |
Jacob Minerd Jr. was born on Sept. 12, 1854 in
Evansville, Preston County, WV, the son of Jacob
and Ruth (Adams) Minerd Sr. His birthdate also has been given as January
1861, but his birth officially is on record in Preston County.
We do not know if this family is related to ours, but it is known that Jacob Jr.'s father was a "Dutchman" (Pennsylvania German) and that he was from the precise area of the Fayette/Somerset County, PA, border region where our Minerds were pioneers in the 1790s. We also know that Jacob Jr.'s mother was a Native American and that Jacob Jr. and his siblings thus were considered of mixed race (or "mulatto" in the language of the mid-1800s).
As a young man, Jacob moved with his parents and siblings to South Grafton, Taylor County, WV and to Philippi, Barbour County, WV. Later, in the late 1870s or early 1880s, Jacob moved to the Athens County, OH, area.
On July 24, 1887, 33-year-old Jacob married 16-year-old Martha A. "Bessie" Buck (1870-1932?). The ceremony was performed in Athens County. It's possible Jacob fibbed about his age, given the difference of 17 years between him and his bride. Bessie was a native of Ohio.
Jacob
labored as a farmer and farm hand. He also is known to have driven teams of
horses and wagons, hauling materials for local customers. The photograph seen
at right shows Jacob with a load of long pipe, taken along a road in the
Guysville area of Athens County. Click to see a larger version of this image,
our "Photo of the
Month" for May 2007.
The Minerds had seven children, born between 1889 and 1899 -- Eva D. Minerd, Claude "Cloddie" or "Tod" Thomas Minerd, Edna A. Kyle, Lonnie B. Minerd, John Edward Minerd, Basil A. Minerd Sr. and one of unknown identity who died prior to 1900.
Circa June 1900, when the federal census was taken, the Minerd family was renting their home, and living in Amesville, Ames Township, Athens County. In later years, the family also resided in Rome Township, Athens County.
|
|
Family portrait, taken at M.M. DeWeese Studio, Stewart, Ohio: Standing, back row, left to right: Tod, Edna and Eva. Seated, front: Basil, Jacob, John and Martha. |
Tragedy
struck the family in the spring of 1907. On April 4, while working on the farm
of Mahlon Hayes about two miles south of Guysville, Jacob "dropped
dead," said an Athens newspaper. He "was planting potatoes when he
suddenly fell and died before medical aid could be summoned. He had been in good
health previously and heart failure is supposed to be the cause of death."
A granddaughter recalls that he had stopped his work to rest in the shade of a
tree when he was stricken.
The funeral was held two days later at the Minerd home, and Jacob's
remains were laid to
rest in the Bean Cemetery. Jacob's family believed him to be age 42 at death,
but in reality his actual age was 53. The Bean Cemetery is seen here
circa 2005. A search of the cemetery, as well as an examination of burial
records held at the Alden
Library at Ohio University in nearby
Athens, show that Jacob's grave is not marked, a fact that has been confirmed by
family stories of a granddaughter.
Martha outlived her husband by 20 or more years. She remained in the Guysville area, and stayed in close contact with her children and growing family of grandchildren. One of her granddaughters remembers Martha giving her a scolding when playing on a porch. She is believed to have passed away in 1930 or 1932, and was laid to rest beside or near her husband. Their grave is said to be next to the fence at the top of the hill at Bean Cemetery.
|
|
View on Amesville's unpaved State Street. Note the railway track in the foreground, left to right |
~ Daughter Edna (Minerd) Kyle ~
On May
15, 1912, 19-year-old daughter Edna Minerd (1893-1916) married 24-year-old James Delbert Kyle (1887-1965).
The ceremony was performed by Athens Mayor G.H. Slaughter. James was a native of
Stewart, Athens County, and was the son of James and Roe (Sutton) Kyle.
The Kyles resided in Stewart, Athens County, and are believed to have had two children -- Margaret Kyle and Anne Kyle.
Sadly, the
marriage lasted only four years. In the fall of 1916, Edna came down with a bad
case of pneumonia. She passed away from the illness on Oct. 4, 1916, at the age
of 24. She was laid to rest in the Haga Cemetery in the rural hills of Guysville.
The cemetery is seen at left as photographed in April 2005. Edna's grave
today is not marked, but is recorded in the booklet, Rome Township Cemetery
Inscriptions by Nancy E. Bryan Aiken and T. Lee Gregg, on file at Ohio
University.
- Widower James D. Kyle (1889-1965) later married Mary E. Thompson ( ? - ? ) and had one son of their own, Hughie Weston Kyle. Said a newspaper, James "was employed by the Anchor Hocking Glass Co. in Lancaster until his retirement." He passed away in July 1965 in Lancaster.
- Daughter Margaret Kyle ( ? - ? ) married (?) Jassogne.
- The fate of daughter Anne Kyle ( ? - ? ) is unknown.
~ Son Claude Thomas "Cloddie" Minerd ~
Son
Claude ("Cloddie" or "Tod") Minerd (1891-1966) was of medium
height and build, and had blue eyes and dark brown hair. Circa 1918, he resided
at Guysville and was employed as a farmer by Mrs. Amy Cornell. He was a veteran of World War I, having served as a corporal in
the 308 Motor Battallion. On his military draft registration card, he noted that
his race was "African" and that his right foot was disabled,
"caused by broken ankle."
He married Ethel Frye (1896-1983), the daughter of Lee and Maud (Perrin) Fry.
The Minerds resided in Guysville, Athens County and had 12 children -- Claude Watson Minerd of Little Hocking, OH; Bessie Beatrice Brown of Guysville, OH; Margaret Rittinger of Chillicothe, OH; Roberta Dailey of Stewart, OH; Mina Mae Boyer of Columbus, OH; Mrs. Cre Yeater and Ohema Dumfee of Guysville, OH; Beverly Humphrey Thompson of Columbus, OH; Eudora VanKeuren Barnhart of Athens, OH; Robert Thomas "Bob" Minerd of Barberton, OH and Nebraska; William Minerd of Guysville, OH; and Roy Minerd of Athens, OH.
In December 1927, Ethel and several of her children attended a birthday party for M. Coon in Guysville, and the news was published in the Sunday Messenger newspaper. They were members of the Stewart Wesleyan Church.
Claude passed away on March 14, 1966.
Ethel died on Feb. 12, 1983, having outlived her husband by 17 years. She was laid to rest in the Stewart Cemetery. Her obituary in the Athens newspaper said she was survived by 30 grandchildren and 26 great-grandchildren.
- Son Claude Watson Minerd (1918-2000) married Eulah Louise Christy in 1936 in Pleasants, WV. He served as a sergeant in the U.S. Army during World War II. "He retired from Union Carbide following 30 years of service," said a newspaper. Claude later married Mabel Jenne. In all, Claude had these children and step-children -- Mark Minerd, Marion "Bud" Carnahan, Rita West, Kim Johnson and Steve Jenne. He passed away on Aug. 23, 2000, and is buried in Rockland Cemetery in Belpre. At his death, he was survived by 11 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
- Daughter Bessie Beatrice Minerd ( ? -1967) married (?) Brown. She resided in Guysville in the 1960s. She passed away in Wood County, WV on Oct. 5, 1967.
- Daughter Margaret Minerd (1920-1992) was born in Springfield, Clark County, OH. She married (?) Rittinger. They made their home in Chillicothe. Margaret died in Chillicothe at the age of 72 on May 7, 1992.
Son
Robert Thomas "Bob" Minerd (1925-2007) married Barbara Louise
Books on Sept. 5, 1959, at Little Hocking. They had ne daughter. After
serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, on the USS Houston in the
Asian-Pacific Theatre, Bob returned home to Guysville. He "went to work
in the logging business with a team of horses," said the North Platte
(NE) Telegraph. "He later moved to Ashtabula, Ohio, and started
trucking over the road. He went to work for Consolidated Freight in 1965,
and retired from there in 1985." In 1971, they moved to Nebraska,
settling in Hershey. There, Bob was a member of the local Shrine, Elks and
American Legion. Bob passed away at the age of 81 on Jan. 7, 2007, at Great
Plains Regional Medical Center in North Platte, NE. He was laid to rest at
Fort McPherson National Cemetery.- Daughter Mina Mae Minerd (1929-2001) married (?) Boyer and resided in Columbus. They had two foster daughters, Linda and Nita. Mina died at the age of 72 on Sept. 2, 2001, at Mount Carmel Hospital in Columbus.
- Daughter Beverly Minerd (1936-2008) attended Rome-Canaan High School and was a member of the Stewart Wesleyan Church. She married (?) Thompson. She resided in Stewart, and passed away on Dec. 18, 2008, at the age of 72.
- Son William "Bill" Minerd married Mary and lived in Guysville.
- Son Roy Minerd resided in Athens.
- Daughter Ydora Minerd married (?) VanKeuren and lived in Kissimmee, FL.
- Daughter Cre Minerd married Ted Yeater and made their home in Stewart, OH.
- Daughter Roberta Minerd married (?) Dailey, with their residence in Guysville.
- Daughter Kema Minerd married Paul Dunfee and lived at Guysville.
|
|
Familiar landmark in Athens -- the old Herrold's mill and dam along the peaceful Hocking River |
~
Son Basil A. Minerd Sr. ~
Son Basil A. Minerd Sr. (1897-1981) had grey eyes and brown hair. He married Audrey Lonas (1909-1992), the daughter of Charles O. and Bessie I. (Carsey) Lonas. Their children were Jean Beal Secoy and Donna France Creighton of Athens, OH, Shirley Morris Fender of Chauncey, OH; Earl Edward Minerd of Athens and Florida, Basil Minerd Jr. of Washington; Charles Minerd of Springfield, OH; Roger Minerd of Glouster, OH, Gary Minerd of Chauncey, OH and North Carolina; Richard Dow Minerd; and Larry Lee Minerd.
Circa 1918, Basil labored for D. Evans in Guysville. Sadly, their son Richard, a veteran of World War II, died at age 23 of heart disease on Feb. 27, 1953, and was buried at Clark Chapel Cemetery in Athens.
One of their daughters recalls hearing that the Minerd family was of Cherokee and Irish descent.
Basil passed away in 1981, at the Logan Health Care Center in Chauncey, OH, at the age of 83.
Audrey outlived him by 11 years, and died on July 30, 1992. She was laid to rest beside her husband at Clark Chapel Cemetery. At the time, she was survived by 32 grandchildren and several great and great-great grandchildren.
-
Son Earl Edward Minerd (1922-1996) was a US Army veteran. He lived in Licking County, OH. Earl died at home at the age of 74 on Aug. 29, 1996.
-
Son
Basil A. Minerd Jr. (1927-2001) was born on April 8, 1927. During World War
II, he served in the U.S. Navy. Basil was married twice, first to Lillian
Greenberg. They are seen at right. The Minerds had three children --
Robert Allen Miner, Patricia Thomas and Richard Dean "Rick"
Minerd. After the Minerds divorced in about 1954, Basil married again and
lived at Moses Lake near Spokane, Grant County, WA, with a second family of
two sons and two daughters. Lillian also married again, to Jesse Rutherford.
Basil died on Nov. 12, 2001, at the age of 74, in Washington State.
-
Daughter Shirley Minerd (1936-2009) married (?) Morris and (?) Fender but later in life used her maiden name. She had two children -- Ronald Morris and Debra Perez. Said the Athens Messenger, Shirley resided in Glouster and "was a member of the Jacksonville Eagles and was an avid bingo player." She passed away at the age of 73 on June 10, 2009. At the time of her passing, she was survived by 11 grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.
- Son Roy Roger Minerd (1947-2004) lived at Glouster and had two children -- Roger D. Minerd Sr. and Brenda Moore. He was a member of the Glouster Eagles. On Halloween 2004, while "participating in Glouster's trick-or-treating ... his homemade 'swamp man' costume caught fire ... while he was giving out candy," said the Athens Messenger. He died of his burns on Nov. 2, 2004, at Ohio State University's Medical Center in Columbus.
 
|
|
Richard Dean "Rick" Minerd in his two primary careers -- as a Columbus radio personality (circa 1984) and later as chief of police in Obetz, OH (2005). |
-
Grandson Richard Dean "Rick" Minerd is the retired Chief of Police in Obetz, a suburb of Columbus, Franklin County, OH, where he spent a decade in law enforcement. Earlier in his career, he worked for 10 years as a public affairs officer with the Franklin County Sheriff's Office, and was frequently quoted in hundreds of news stories in the Columbus Dispatch and on radio and television in connection with crime-fighting activities. He was quoted in Time Magazine (Dec. 15, 2003) for his work to help catch a sniper along Ohio's Interstate 270 who had gunned down numerous motorists before being captured. Rick also has been quoted or mentioned in the New York Times, USA Today and Cleveland Plain Dealer. In 1991, he appeared on a segment of television's America's Most Wanted with John Walsh to apprehend an escaped rapist. Prior to his career as a police officer, he was a radio news, sports and talk-show broadcaster with some of the most popular radio stations in Columbus -- WTVN, WCOL, WNCI and WMNI. Rick considered but did not pursue an election campaign in 2008 for the office of Sheriff of Franklin County. In 2009, he authored his memoirs, Life Is A Jukebox: Real Stories of Triumphs and Tragedies, issued by Trafford Publishing and available on Amazon.com. The volume is described as "a police chief's look back at both sides of the police tape and the unlikely circumstances that made him step from one side to the other."
~ Son John Edward Minerd ~
Son
John Edward Minerd (1899-1974) had a short and slender build, with brown eyes
and black hair. He apparently never married. "He had been an oil field worker
and farmer for the greater part of his life," said a newspaper.
When he registered for the military draft in 1918, at the age of 19, he marked himself as a farmer, but the draft board representative wrote, "In my opinion occupation is more of an excuse." He lived during the 1960s in Nelsonville. Later in life, he resided in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Herman Fickisen in Guysville. He passed away on Dec. 12, 1974, and is buried in the Bean Cemetery in Guysville.
~ More on the Athens County Minerds ~
Be sure to visit Jacob's page on the TribalPages.com website compiled by Barb Nelson with significant excerpts from our research and website.
Copyright © 2005-2010 Mark A. Miner