Uriah
Minerd
(1828-1922)
Uriah Minerd was born in February 1828 near Scio, Harrison County, OH, the son of John and Barbara (Shaeffer) Minerd Jr. He was a pioneer settler of Western Ohio and Michigan, and lived a ripe old age.
In 1840, when Uriah was a boy, he and his parents left Harrison County. Using "a good team of horses and a substantial wagon," a newspaper once said, they traveled across the state, a "very tedious and slow" journey. The family settled in Van Wert County, OH, and in 1845 moved to a farm along the Ohio state line in Allen County, IN.
In 1853, when Uriah was 25, he married Matilda Josephine Bodle (1839-1934), a native of Licking County, OH. They were 11 years apart in age. The Minerds had five children -- Sarah Caroline Ayars, James Weston Minerd, Nancy Miner, Marian Miner, John Perry Miner.
In October 1853, Uriah resided in Allen County, IN. That month, he purchased a farm in Van Wert County, OH, just across the state line. The farm contained 60 acres, and the price was $540. Uriah and Matilda then sold the 60 acres to Charles and Hiram Austin.
A month later, Uriah repurchased 40 acres of the farm.
When the federal census was taken in 1860, the Minerds made their home in Tulley, Van Wert County. Uriah's occupation was listed as farmer, and his birthplace as Harrison County.
By 1865, Uriah and Matilda owned the entire 60 acres, and sold the tract to John Underwood for $1,600, quite a profit from their original investment.
The Minerds left Ohio in 1866 and moved to near Carson City,
Montcalm County, MI. Seen here is a rare old photographic postcard of
Carson City's streetscape, showing the corner of Main Street.
When the census was taken in 1870 and 1880, the family made their home as farmers near the post office of West Bloomer, Montcalm County.
Later, in April 1898, Uriah resided in Hubbardston, Ionia County, MI, at the time Uriah's father died at the age of 98. For an unspecified reason, Uriah was the only one of his siblings not to attend the funeral. According to the terms of the father's will, Uriah was to receive $100 within five years.
When the federal census was taken in June 1900, Uriah and Matilda were living in Carson City, Bloomer Township, Montcalm County. They had been married for 47 years and, at age 74, he was still working as a farmer. All but one of their children were living at the time.
The 1920 census shows 91-year-old Uriah and 84-year-old Matilda making their home on West Walnut Street in Carson City. Widowed daughter Caroline Ayars, age 65, lived under their roof that year.
Uriah died on March 7, 1922, at the age of 94. His short obituary appeared in the Review and Herald newspaper. He was buried in Carson City.
Matilda outlived her husband by a dozen years. She died in 1934 in Carson City, at the age of 95. Word reached her nephew John Reuben Minerd on the old Minerd home farm on the Indiana-Ohio state line. The Minerds in turn passed along the news to another of Matilda's nephews, Corwin D. Tilbury, residing in Pittsburgh, PA. In a letter from Pittsburgh dated March 20, 2934, Corwin wrote this reply: "So Aunt Matilda is gone; do I know how old she was? Must have been near 90."
Daughter Sarah Miner (1856-1950) was born in Van Wert County. She migrated with her parents to Carson City when she was age 12. She married Benjamin Franklin "Frank" Ayars (1849-1917) on Feb. 9, 1878 in Ithaca County, MI. Frank had been born in Erie County, NY and moved to Michigan with his family when he was age 17. They had three children -- Orville Lavant Ayars, Ernest Uriah Ayars and Edna Josephine Ayars. The Lake Union Herald reported that "She accepted the Seventh-day Sabbath through the efforts of Elder Brackett and A.O. Burrell." Frank died at the age of 68 on Feb. 1, 1917. Sarah outlived him by 33 years, and passed away on Feb. 1, 1950 at Edmore Hospital. She was buried beside her husband in the Mountain Home Cemetery in Otsego. The Union Herald reported in 1950 that son Orville lived in Kalamazoo, MI; son Ernest resided in Washington, DC after spending two decades in South America; and daughter Edna DeVries lived in Cedar Lake, MI.
- Son Ernest Uriah Ayars (1880-1957) was a missionary and educator. He received a degree from Emmanuel Missionary College. Said the Review and Herald, "He entered denominational work in 1916, serving as principal of the Fox River Academy. In South America he was principal in the Chillin, Chile Academy, Lima, Peru and River Plate College in Argentina. Upon returning from the mission field he worked at the Review and Herald until ill health forced his retirement." Ernest married Irene Campbell, and they had three children -- Mrs. Kenneth Emmerson of Montevido, Uruguay, Mildred Ayars of Mt. Vernon, Knox County, OH; and James Ayars of Grand Rapids, MI. He died at the age of 77 in Mt. Vernon, OH on June 26, 1957.
- Son Orville Lavant Ayars (1879-1964) married Iva (?) in Nashville, TN on Oct. 10, 1906. They had three children -- Harold Minerd Ayars, Myrtle Josephine Ayars and Howard Norman Ayars. Said the Review and Herald, Orville "was born into an Adventist family and was a faithful member and church worker all his life. He worked at the Review and Herald in Battle Creek for a number of years. He helped to move the college from Battle Creek to Berrien Springs, where he was farm manager from 1912 to 1916. On leaving E.M.C., he moved to a farm near Kalamazoo. He was a member of the Paw Paw Church until he moved to Taft, Fla., in 1950." Orville died in mid-August 1964 in Battle Creek, with burial in Oshtemo Cemetery. At the time of his passing, he was survived by eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
- Daughter Edna Josephine Ayars (1888- ? ) married James Edward Devries (1892-1972). They had eight children, as follow: Zelma Orlaine Devries, Dolores Irene Devries, Henrietta Caroline Devries, Mary Leona Devries, Fred Miner Devries, Iva May Devries, Walter Leonard Devries and one who may have died in childhood. Said the Review and Herald, James "attended Cedar Lake Academy and helped his father build Cedar Lake's administration building and the boys' dormitory. He was a literature evangelist in north Florida. He assisted in the building of churches and church schools in Michigan, Florida and California." James passed away in Carson City on Oct. 20, 1972, at the age of 80. He was survived by seven children, 30 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. Edna's fate is unknown.
Daughter Nancy Miner (1857- ? ) was born in Van Wert County.
Son Marian Miner (1859- ? ) was born in Van Wert County.
Son James "Weston" Minerd (1857- ? ) was born in Ohio. He became a dentist, practicing in Battle Creek circa 1901. He was married twice, the identify of his first spouse has not been identified. On July 25, 1901, he married his second wife, Ola J. Hall (1880- ? ), a native of Iowa who was 20 years his junior. When the federal census was taken in 1910, Weston and Ola resided on the farm of his parents, with Weston working as a farmer. Weston's fate is unknown. Ola is known to have married a second time, on Jan. 12, 1925, to W.F. Keith (1860- ? ) of Carson City.
Son John "Perry" Miner (1862- ? ) was born in Van Wert. He resided in Battle Creek, MI circa 1898 and was employed that year as a baker. By 1908, and through the 1920s, he labored as a farmer in Otsego Township, Allegan County, MI. Perry was married at least four times, as follows: first wife, unknown; second wife Sarah E. McAllister (1859- ? ), wed on June 25, 1898 in Montery, Allegan County, MI; third wife, Millie Mae Shepard (1868- ? ), married on Feb. 6, 1908 in Otsego Township (witnessed by niece Edna Ayars); and fourth wife, Nellie (Wood) Guest (1875- ? ), wed at Otsego on Sept. 21, 1922.
For more information on this line, contact descendant James Ayars or visit his Ayars.com website.
Copyright © 2002-2004, 2008 Mark A. Miner