Bio-Minerd, MinervaMayle

Minerva (Minerd) Mayle
(1874-1909)

When Minerva was age five, her parents separated and then divorced. The following year, at age six, as shown in the 1880 census, she lived with an uncle and aunt, Charles and Rachel Croston, in the Pleasant District of Barbour County. Her sisters Cyrena and Emily resided with their maternal grandparents, Reese and Delilah Mayle, near Grafton, Taylor County, WV.

Minerva may have been married to Granville Male circa 1880, as is shown in an old marriage license on file today in the Barbour County Courthouse. But this is highly unlikely, and is not confirmed, as Minerva would have only been six years of age. But there is no one else by that name alive at that time in Barbour County.

At the age of 17, Minerva married Ellsworth O. Mayle (1865-1952) on Sept. 14, 1891 at Deer Park. He was the son of Isaac and Sarah Male, and their marriage license noted that they were "second cousins." The Minerd/Minard and Mayle families were close, and Minerva's brother Dewitt Minard married Ellsworth's sister Rebecca J. Mayle.

The Mayleses are believed to have had eight children -- Ernest H. Mayle, Billy Male, Erma Gertrude Dorothea Shaffer, George "Dewey" Mayle, Henry Russell Mayle, Grace Sines, Helen Selina Mayle and Tina Mabel "Tiny" Madden. They also raised a brother in law, Clarence A. Mayle, who was like a son.

A newspaper once noted that Ellsworth "lived on a farm at Swallow Falls for about 60 years. He was a member of the Methodist church."

Adult offspring of Ellsworth and Minerva Mayle, left to right: Clarence A. Mayle, Ernest Harold Mayle, George Dewey Mayle, Grace Sines, Helen Selina Mayle, Dorthea Gertrude Shaffer and Tina Mabel "Tiny" Madden.

In 1899, Ellsworth's mother died, and the following year, in October 1900, having inherited 10 acres of land from Ellsworth's widowed father, Ellsworth and Minerva attempted to sell the tract. It was part of the Western end of Military Lot #1700 in Garrett County, and they conveyed it to Hester J. Garrett. However, the deed was defectively prepared, and in July 1903, after Hester's death, they prepared another deed to convey the property fully and legally to her widower John J. Garrett and children Resley M. Garrett, Revin C. Garrett, Granville V. Garrett, Lorenzo J. Garrett, George F. Garrett, Lillie M. Hoge (wife of Isaac R. Hoge) and Mary E. Brant (wife of Albert Brant). Also in July 1903, the Males sold the coal and mineral rights of a 40-acre parcel to Edward G. Bucher of Blair County, PA, for $800. In a third transaction dated July 1903, Minerva purchased a 50-acre tract in Garrett County, known as Military Lot #1700, from relatives Isaac Male, Hugh Male, Rebecca and DeWitt Minard (all of Garrett County), and Idella and Upton Croston (of Marion County, WV).

Minerva passed away on Oct. 9 1909, at the age of 35, and was buried the following day at the Bray School Cemetery in Garrett County. In an obituary, a local newspaper reported that "She leaves a husband and seven children, four girls and three boys. The cause of her death was spinal disease."

The 1930 census shows him living with his son Henry and laboring as a general farmer.

Ellsworth died on March 31, 1952, at the age of 87, at the home of his married daughter Grace Sines on old Deer Park Road in Oakland. The funeral was held at the Pine Grove Church at Swallow Falls, officiated by Rev. H.O. Teagarden of Oakland and Rev. Jonas W. Sines. He was buried beside Minerva. At the time of his death, he and Minerva had produced 27 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren.

Bray School Cemetery in a farm field near Thayerville, MD -- tranquil burial site of Minerva and Ellsworth Mayle

Son Henry Russell Mayle (1907-1950) was just two years of age when his mother died. He was a member of the Methodist Church at Bray, near Swallow Falls.

Heartache rocked the family when he became sick in December 1950, and was admitted to the Garrett County Memorial Hospital. He did not recover, and died there on Christmas Day 1950, at the age of 43.

The funeral was held in the Pine Grove Church of the Brethren at Swallow Falls. Pallbearers were Theodore Sines, William Ream, William Lee, Thomas Winters, Kermit Helms and Clayton Markley. Others attending the funeral, said a local newspaper, were Ernest Mayle and daughter Viola, Mr. and Mrs. Dewey Mayle, of Shinnston, WV; Mr. and Mrs. Emory Shaffer and two children of Terra Alta, WV; John F. Rose and May Rose of Piedmont, WV; and Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Durham and two daughters of Westernport, MD. In a published "card of thanks" in a local newspaper, Ellsworth and family wrote:

We desire to express our sincere thanks and appreciation to all our friends and neighbors for their kindness and helpfulness during the illness and following the death of our son and brother, the late Henry Russell Mayle. We also want to thank all who gave flowers and contributed the use of their automobiles for the funeral service. ELLSWORTH MAYLE and FAMILY

Adopted son Clarence Allman Male (1883-1970) married Eleanor "Mae" Trout (1898-1985). They had eight children, including Clarence W. Male Sr., Carolyn Sue Mellott, Guy Forrest Mayle, Harold Ellsworth Mayle, Alva Ray Mayle, Nellie Beatrice DeWitt, Pauline Sophronia Skipper and Barbara Ann Skeweris.

He enjoyed visiting with his cousins. In 1913, while residing in Ottaway, MD, he is known to have sent a short note on a penny postcard to his cousin Maud Minard, letting her know he would come by soon, and give her one of his photograph portraits.

Clarence passed away in 1970, and was buried at the Taylor/Sines Cemetery in Garrett County.

Son Clarence W. Mayle Sr. (1922-1977) also rests for eternity at Taylor/Sines. Little is known about him, except that he died on Nov. 18, 1977. After the funeral, held at Stewart Funeral Home, he was buried at Taylor-Sines Cemetery.

Clarence Mayle's postcard note in November 1913 to his cousin Maud Minard, daughter of Dewitt and Rebecca (Mayle) Minard.

Son Ernest Harold Mayle (1891-1970?) was born in Garrett County. He married Nettie Beryl Miller (1902-1943), the daughter of Joseph Nathan and Alice Belle (Metz) Miller. He was age 33, and she 22, at the time of their wedding, which took place in Wyatt, Harrison County, WV on April 2, 1924.

They had five children -- Dennis Wright, Carma Mayle, La Esta Belle Mayle, Viola Mayle and Donna Jean Mayle. Circa 1952, they lived in Peora, near Shinnston, Harrison County, WV.

Sadly, Nettie suffered from an incurable case of pulmonary tuberculosis, and at about age 40 went to live in the Hopemont Sanatorium, where she remained for 11 months. As she neared death, she was taken home by ambulance so she could pass away there. Death came a day later, on Sept. 7, 1943, when she was only age 41. She was laid to rest at the Masonic cemetery in Shinnston. At the time, her son Dennis and two young grandchildren lived in Baltimore. Said a newspaper, "Out-of-town people attending the funeral were Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Mayle and three sons, Mr. and Mrs. Jonas Sines and grandsons, of Oakland; Mr. and Mrs. Emory Shaffer and five children of Terra Alta; Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Madden, of Grafton, W.Va.; Miss Helen Mayle, Piedmont, W.Va."

Ernest is thought to have returned to Garrett County, where he passed away at the age of 79 in May 1970.

Industrial Grafton, with the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad roundhouse and shops in the foreground

Daughter Grace Mayle (1893-1985) married Jonas W. Sines (1892-1969), the son of Henry and Harriet J. Sines of Garrett County, MD. Their wedding took place in about 1917, when they were both of the age of 25. They had four children -- Faye G. Coulter, Emma V. Sorge, Mary G. Lewis and Chester Sines. The Sineses lived in Preston County, WV circa 1930, where Jonas worked as a coal miner and teamster; and later on old Deer Park Road in Oakland, Garrett County.

Grace outlived him by 16 years. She died at Memorial Hospital in Cumberland, Allegany County, MD on Nov. 15, 1985, at the age of 92. Following funeral services at Stewart Funeral Home in Oakland, Grace was laid to rest at the Garrett County Memorial Gardens, officiated by Rev. Arlie W. Sigley. At the time of her death, Grace (and Jonas) had produced 14 grandchildren, two step- grandchildren, 20 great- grandchildren, eight step- grandchildren and five great-great grandchildren. In Grace's obituary in the Grafton Mountain Statesman, daughter Faye Coulter was listed as living in Arlington, VA; daughter Emma Sorge in Grafton; and daughter Mary G. Lewis in Oakland.

[Note -- Jonas is not to be confused with one of his cousins, Jonas Sines, the son of William T. and Alice (Mellott) Sines. This other Jonas was a Church of the Brethren preacher and helped with the funeral of our Ellsworth Mayle in the Pine Grove Church in Swallow Falls in 1952. He and his wife Pearl (Beeghly) Sines are pictured in the 1936 book, History of the Church of the Brethren in Maryland, authored by Jerry Maurice Henry.]

Picturesque Swallow Falls near Oakland, MD

Daughter Gertrude Dorothy Mayle (1901-1978) married Emra Campbell Shaffer (1900-1975). Their home was in Terra Alta, Preston County, WV in 1952 and 1971.

They had nine children -- Homer Shaffer, James Shaffer, Harold Shaffer, Galen Shaffer, Hester Shaffer, Twila Shaffer, Arlene Shaffer, Anna Johnston and Ross Shaffer.

Dorothy outlived him by three years, and died in 1978, at the age of 77. Gertrude and Emra are buried in Terra Alta Cemetery and are named in Janice Cale Sisler's book, In Remembrance: Tombstone Readings of Preston County, West Virginia (Volume II).

Son George "Dewey" Mayle (1898-1971) made his residence in Shinnston, Harrison County, WV circa 1952-1971, where he labored as a coal miner. He married Audra Nay ( ? - ? ) and had five children -- George Herbert Mayle (1933-1991), Emma "Jean" Dunlap, Clara Annalee McCoy, Betty Lou Oldaker and Vada Ruth Mayle. The family belonged to the United Methodist church at Peora. Dewey passed away at his home at Peora, Route 1 in Shinnston in 1971, following an illness of a decade's duration. Said a local newspaper, "Relatives attending the funeral included Mr. and Mrs. Clarence W. Mayle and two sons, Mrs. Paul Mellott, Richard Gerlach and Mrs. Jonas Sines, of Oakland; Mrs. Milton S. DeWitt and daughter, of San Run; Ray Mable, of Waldorf; Miss Helen Mayle, of Piedmont; and Emory Shaffer and Mr. Turley, of Terra Alta." He was laid to rest in the IOOF Cemetery in Wyatt, WV. Surviving his passing were 13 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Daughter Emma Jean Mayle married William "Bill" Dunlap. Pittsburghers who listen to the "soft-rock and yesterday's favorites" FM station Wish 99.7 should immediately recognize the name of their son Dan Dunlap, an on-air voice personality for more than two decades. Dan's deep, rich and soothing voice not only is broadcast on weekdays from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., but also is heard in countless voice-overs on television, radio, web, commercials and corporate presentations. Visit his official WSHH profile and his independent Dunlap Productions webpage to hear examples of the range of his voice characters, which he describes as "from evil to evangelical... the 'guy next door' to Don LaFontaine-esque (the movie trailer guy) to Ernie Anderson." He and his wife Sue have a deep interest in their respective family roots.

Daughter Helen S. Mayle (1895-1986) never married. She lived in Piedmont, Mineral County, WV. The Keyser (WV) News-Tribune said she was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church for 69 years.

Says a niece, "She was a quilter and a wonderful cook. Although she had no children or grandchildren of her own, she touched many lives. I loved her like a Grandma."

She died at the age of 91, at Potomac Valley Hospital, on Nov. 24, 1986. Services were initially held in Piedmont at the Fredlock Funeral Home, led by Revs. Curtis Saville and S.D. Sawyers. Her remains then were returned to Oakland for the funeral at the Stewart Funeral Home led by Rev. Jonas Sines, with burial at Garrett County Memorial Park. Her obituary was published in the Keyser News-Tribune.

Daughter Tina Mabel Mayle (1903-2005) married Thomas "Clarence" Madden ( ? -1976). They made their home in Grafton, Taylor County, WV.

She was a "waitress at many restaurants in Grafton and a former elevator operator at the B&O Hotel in Grafton," said the Grafton Mountain Statesman. "She was a member of the Grafton Baptist Church."

Tina outlived him by more than a quarter of a century. She passed away at the age of 101 on May 13, 2005.