Bio-Minerd, SylvesterLynn

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Sylvester Lynn Minerd
(1895-1943)

Sylvester Lynn Minerd was born on Jan. 8, 1895 (or 1894 or 1897) in Pittsburg, Crawford County, KS, the son of Azaniah "Melvin" and Harriet (Baldwin) Minerd. He was the second in a long line of law enforcement officers in his branch of the family.

During World War I, he served as a sergeant in a Pittsburg company of the Kansas State Guard. In completing his military draft registration card, he stated that he was unemployed, and that he lived with his mother at the address of 230 East 7th Street in Pittsburg. He also listed his father's birthplace as "Pittsburgh, Penna." He was recorded as having dark brown eyes and dark brown hair.

Sylvester married Callie Claire Carter (1897-1921), a native of Pittsburg, on Feb. 20, 1919. The ceremony was performed by William G. Clinton, a clergyman in Carthage, Jasper County, MO. She was the daughter of (?) and Lucy E. Carter, and a native of Nebraska.

The Minerds had two children -- Harriette Ellen Koeneke and Donald Ethen Minerd -- and lived at 508 North Fairview in Pittsburg. Circa 1920, when the federal census was enumerated, the family lived in Pittsburg, on East 7th Street, next to the home of Sylvester's parents. That year, he was employed as a locomotive fireman with the Union Pacific Railroad in Pittsburg.

Tragedy rocked the young family when Callie died on Aug. 22, 1921, at the age of 24, leaving her husband with two young children under the age of two. In a brief obituary, the Pittsburg Daily Headlight simply said the funeral was held at the Minerd home, that the services were conducted by Rev. E.F. Hallock, and that burial was in Mt. Olive Cemetery.

Young daughter Harriet was brought into the home of her maternal grandmother, Lucy E Carter, and son Donald was taken by raise by a widowed great-aunt, Margaret Hester (Minerd) Jackson. It would be years until the children met each other again.

Sylvester severed his ties in Pittsburg and moved to Indiana, where he served as a police officer.

After four years as a widower, Sylvester married again, on May 15, 1925, to Katherine M. "Virgil" (Gofen) McCall (1893- ? ), the daughter of Edward and Ruth E. (Warren) Gofen, a native of Jefferson County, IN. The marriage took place in or near Bloomington, Monroe County, IN, where they then lived, while son Donald and daughter Harriet remained with relatives in Pittsburg.

Leafy campus of Indiana University in Bloomington, a scene familiar to Sylvester

Sylvester died in 1942, at about the age of 48, and is buried at Rose Hill Cemetery in Bloomington.

Virgil outlived him by 21 years. She died in 1963, and rests beside her husband.

~ Daughter Harriette Ellen (Minerd) Koeneke ~

Daughter Harriette Ellen Minerd (1919-2000) was born on Aug. 6, 1919. She was two years old when her mother died, and was raised in the household of her grandmother, Lucy E. Carter.

When the girl was age 10, grandmother Carter petitioned the Crawford County probate court to become legal guardian, and posted a $200 bond.

Harriet later married Willis Howard "Bill" Koeneke ( ? - ? ) of Odell, NE. They had two children.

In the early 1950s, the Koenekes relocated to Birmingham, Oakland County, MI, and remained there for the rest of their lives.

She passed away at the age of 80 on Feb. 11, 2000.

~ Son Donald Ethen Minerd ~

Son Donald Ethen Minerd (1920-1996) was born on Oct. 28, 1920. Living in the home of his great-aunt, Margaret Hester (Minerd) Jackson, with much love provided by his widowed grandmother, Harriet (Baldwin) Minerd, he grew into manhood with a deep respect for and love of family history.

The two care-giving women are seen here (Harriet at left, and Hester at right).

As an adult, Donald served as a policeman and a Kansas State Trooper, was a family historian whose writings have been invaluable for our understanding of this branch of our clan. He penned wonderful memoirs of the family -- Minerd Family and I Mind the Time.

During World War II, Donald served as a sergeant in the 40th Engineer Combat Regiment, and received a commendation for helping to rescue airmen from a burning, crashed bomber:

…When an American B-25 type aircraft crashed and burst into flames … near Sterraclavle, Sicily, Donald E. Minerd … with an officer and two other enlisted men rushed to the aid of the plane's crew. At the risk of his life from exploding ammunition and burning gasoline, he assisted in carrying three members of the crew to safety. His heroic action reflects the highest credit upon himself and the military service.

When his beloved grandmother Harriet (Baldwin) Minerd died in 1949, Donald was mentioned in the obituary in the Pittsburg Daily Headlight. It said: "One of the grandchildren is Trooper Don Minerd, of Ottawa, member of the highway patrol and former Pittsburg city policeman."

Donald married Margaret, and they had five children -- Michael Minerd, Patrick Minerd, Kelly Minerd, Kevin Minerd and Kathryn Mertins. They resided in Wichita, Sedgwick County, KS.

Donald died at the age of 75 on April 18, 1996. Among his favorite charities, to receive memorial gifts, were the Union Rescue Mission, Salvation Army and Kansas Highway Patrol flower fund. His arrangements were handled by the Hillside Funeral Home East in Wichita. At his death, said the Wichita Eagle, he was survived by 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

In October 1993, an article in the Wichita Eagle reported that Donald's son, former Wichita police officer Michael Minerd, was going to "spend more than a year on a yachting voyage around the globe."

A story in the Dec. 18, 1997 issue of the Ark Valley News, featured great-grandson Tracey Repp, a former detective with the Wichita Police Department. Tracey was a fifth-generation law enforcement officer and later became the first in his family to become a special FBI agent. Said the News:

…Repp comes from a long line of law enforcement officers. His uncle, Mike Minerd, was a member of the Wichita Police Department, and Repp's grandfather, Don Minerd, was a member of the Kansas Highway Patrol for 23 years. Repp's great-grandfather, Sylvester Minerd, was a police officer in Bloomington, Ind., and Repp's great-great-great grandfather, Melvin Minerd, was a police officer in Pittsburg, Kan.