Bio-Minerd, JennyDarby

Jennie Marie (Minerd) Darby was born on July 22, 1883 at Lemont Furnace near Uniontown, Fayette County, PA, the daughter of James C. and Suvina (Yauger) Minerd Sr.

On Nov. 30, 1905, at Connellsville, Fayette County, Jennie married James William Darby (1880-1959). He was the son of David and Ollie (Markey) Darby. The Connellsville Weekly Courier said, "We wish the happy couple much joy through life. We presume they will go to housekeeping in Percy." They are seen here with their firstborn child, Vina.

They had 10 children -- Vina Alice Miller, Dorothy Helen Pegg, Lawrence Edward Darby, Ewing Carl Darby, Clinton William Darby, Kenneth Eugene Darby, Stella May Darby, Clyde Orval Wayne Darby, Ollie Naomi Lynn and Jennie Marie Darby.

Tragically, five of the Darbys' children died young -- Clinton at age one in 1916; Kenneth at age four days in 1917, Stella at nine months in 1919, Clyde at age eight months in 1921 and Jennie at age three months in 1924.

As a young man, James was an educator. He is known to have taught at the Percy school near Uniontown from 1901 to 1905. Later, he became a coal mine laborer, which likely provided a larger salary than teachers in that era.

The Darbys moved frequently. They lived in mining patch towns in and around Uniontown, such as Percy (1906-1908), Evans Manor (1910-1916), Adelaide (1917) and Keisterville (1918-1924). Later, they relocated to the mining town of Bobtown, Greene County, PA, where he worked at the Shannopin Mine.

James died at the age of 74 in Greene County Memorial Hospital in Waynesburg, Greene County, on July 15, 1959. He was laid to rest at Lafayette Memorial Park at Brier Hill near Uniontown, Fayette County.

Jones & Laughlin Steel's Vesta-Shannopin mines, where coal traveled by conveyor over the suspension bridge at right into the coal preparation plant for cleaning and loading into barges bound for J&L Steel plants

Jennie then went to lived with a daughter in Michigan. She passed away at the age of 77 on June 8, 1961, in Lincoln Park, Wayne County, MI. Her remains were returned to Uniontown for burial. She and James rest together for eternity at Lafayette Memorial Park.

Daughter Vina (1906-1972) was married to Sidney Miller (1900-1998). They had seven children -- Virgil Edward Miller, Arthur Denver Miller, James Miller, Sidney E. Miller, Delbert Miller, Sara Buchannon and Anna Bargerstock. Sidney spent his early life in Boone County, WV and migrated to Uniontown in the 1920s. He was a coal miner in Fayette and Greene Counties, PA, and retired from the Shannopin Mine in Bobtown, Greene County. Said the Uniontown Herald Standard, Sidney "was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting, fishing and gardening." The Millers resided in Bobtown, where Vina was a member of Bobtown United Methodist Church. Following an illness of several months, Vina passed away at the age of 66 on Dec. 8, 1972. Sidney later remarried three times -- to Thelma P. Perry (died 1980), Lettie Smith (died 1984) and Mary C. Marcum. Sidney later moved to Waynesboro to be near his three sons. He died at the age of 98 on June 27, 1998, in Chambersburg, PA. Burial was at Evergreen Memorial Park in Point Marion, Greene County, PA.

The Darbys with grandson Arthur Denver Miller at Bobtown as he prepares to leave for the Army during the Korean War

Daughter Dorothy Darby (1908-1969) married James Pegg ( ? - ? ). They lived in Detroit, MI, at 8308 Thaddius Street. The Peggs had no children. Dorothy died in Detroit at the age of 61 on Sept. 1, 1969. Burial was at Lafayette Memorial Park.

Son Lawrence Darby (1910-1991) married Mildred A. Seese (1910-1984). The Darbys had five children -- Lawrence E. Darby Jr., Robert Darby, Betty Contesti, Rhoda Kinkead and Audrey Masters. Lawrence worked at the Bobtown Mine of Jones & Laughlin Steel, where he was a member of the United Mine Workers of America. Later, they moved to Solon, Ohio, where he was employed as a custodian in Cleveland for 25 years. They returned to Greensburg, where Mildred died at the age of 74 on June 28, 1984. Lawrence outlived her by seven years. He passed away at the age of 81 on Aug. 10, 1991. At the time of his passing, he had 19 grandchildren, 33 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild. Burial was in Lafayette Memorial Park.

Son Ewing C. Darby (1912-1965) married Sarah Boyd. They resided in Uniontown, and later lived in Wyandotte, MI, where he worked for the City of Wyandotte. They had no children. Ewing passed away at the age of 53 on Oct. 31, 1965. He is buried at Lafayette Memorial Park near Uniontown.

Daughter Ollie Darby (1923-1972) married Raymond Lynn ( ? -1969). They resided in Detroit circa 1959 and later in Solon, Cuyahoga County, OH. They had no children. Raymond passed away in 1969. Ollie outlived him by three years. She died at the age of 49, in Solon, on Feb. 4, 1972. Burial was in Lafayette Memorial Park.

Grandson Arthur Denver Miller (seen here) married Rosalie Bailey (1931-2007) on May 3, 1953. He was employed in the electrical drafting department at Landis Tool Company in Waynesboro, Franklin County, PA. Later, he was a meter electrician at South Penn Power Co., Waynesboro, later named West Penn Power Company. He also was an active volunteer with our reunion activities, including the Lynn Point Cemetery and Gettysburg battlefield cleanup crews. Sadly, he passed away in 2003, about a month after he marched in the Memorial Day 2003 parade in his hometown of Waynesboro, PA.

Art was pictured and mentioned in the May 27, 2003 Waynesboro (PA) Record Herald, in an article entitled "Services Honor U.S. Soldiers Who Paid Ultimate Sacrifice." A Korean War veteran, Art was "dressed like the statues of the soldiers depicted at the Korean War Memorial in Washington, D.C.," in the 2003 Memorial Day commemorations.

Art Miller and a fellow veteran, 2003 Memorial Day parade, Waynesboro, just a few weeks before Art's death

Art's wife Rosalie "worked at Emmert Manufacturing, Frick Co. and Waynesboro Knitting Mill, all of Waynesboro, and Letterkenny Army Depot of Chambersburg," said the Record Herald. "Most recently, she was a receptionist at Waynesboro Hospital for more than 25 years, retiring in 1995. She attended services at Faith United Methodist Church and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints... She was a member of the Waynesboro Lioness Club and Merry Mixers Square Dancing Club." She passed away on May 15, 2007, with burial beside her husband at Green Hill Cemetery in Waynesboro.

Grandson Sidney E. Miller (seen here) served in the US Navy during the Vietnam War, and is a photographer with the Waynesboro (PA) Record-Herald. Passionately interested in the family's heritage, Sid organized the Lynn Point Cemetery cleanup in 2001, and our Gettysburg National Battlefield cleanups in 2003 and 2007. He has served as vice president of our reunion committee and is our official reunion photographer.

Granddaughter Rhoda Darby married Ralph V. Kinkead Sr. Ralph is a retired teacher for the Greensburg Salem School District, and she is a retired paraprofessional for the Westmoreland Intermediate Unit 7 in Greensburg, Westmoreland County, PA. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2002.