Joseph
B. White
(1848-1873)
Joseph
B. White was born
in 1848 near Uniontown, PA, the son of Perry G. and Charlotte (McClatchey)
White. He was a veteran of the Civil War,
but died after the war of effects of the hardships of soldier life.
After his mother's death in about 1858, when Joseph was about 10, his father married Mariah Minerd.
Joseph stood 5 feet 4 inches, with gray eyes and dark hair, and was a farmer. After the Civil War broke out, Joseph at age 17 enlisted in Co. K of the 2nd PA Heavy Artillery on Jan. 12, 1864. The details of his wartime military service are not known.
After the war ended, Joseph mustered out Jan. 29, 1866 at City Point, VA. Later that year, however, he re-enlisted in the regular Army, Co. E, 16th U.S. Infantry, on Dec. 6, 1866 for a 3-year term. He was on duty at Augusta, Macon and Atlanta, GA, from 1867 to 1868. In 1869, while on detachment at Decatur, AL, he became sick with "chills and fever" in "a malarious district" and "was unable to move with his detachment when it rejoined the regiment..." Joseph remained ill for 18 months. Later, he was stationed at Patona, Huntsville and Summerville, AL. He was discharged at Huntsville on Dec. 6, 1869, and returned home with some of the medicine he had obtained in the Army.
On Jan. 9, 1870, at the age of 22, Joseph married 22-year-old Priscilla B. Farr at Fairchance Iron Works, Fayette County. They went on to have at least two children -- Minnie Annette White and Benton "Lucas" White. Sadly, Minnie died at the tender age of 10 months and 1 day, on Dec. 12, 1871, and was laid to rest in the Hopwood Cemetery. In a moving obituary authored by "H. Lucas," a Uniontown newspaper said:
It
was indeed hard for weeping parents and friends to let her go, but the Christian
parents said they were resigned to the will of God, and freely delivered her up
to Him who was more able to protect her. "Suffer little children to come
unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven." May
parents and child meet in a better country, where there will be no more parting,
and no more death.
Joseph worked as a laborer on the National Turnpike (now Route 40) and lived near his father and step-mother. But he was "very much troubled with cough, had a severe hemorrhage of the lung and sunk rapidly after that."
Adding to the family's legacy of untimely deaths, Joseph passed away at age 25, at Hopwood (Monroe), PA, on April 14, 1873 and is buried at Hopwood Cemetery. While a standard issue military grave marker stands on his grave, a larger marble shaft, with Priscilla's name, was added later, and shown here.
Priscilla lived in Hopwood for the remaining nearly 50 years of her very active social and community life. The June 1907 Hopwood Chronicle said that:
One of Hopwood's old landmarks was torn down in the last few days. It was the old house purchased by James R. Barnes from Mrs. Priscilla B. White, who owned it for [many] years. It belonged to her grandparents, John and Lucinda Hopwood Farr in 1812, and was built 150 years ago. The street upon which this old house was built was called Main street many years ago, when the town was called Woodstock, this was before the Pike was built.
The August 1908 issue of the Hopwood Chronicle reported that "A festival was held at the home of Mrs. P.B. White ... for the purpose of getting money to clean out the old cemetery on the hill. It was well attended and a good amount raised."
A White family gathering in Hopwood -
click to see this image in super-enlarged
detail
Priscilla was said to be "one of [Fayette] county's most ardent church workers," who taught Sunday School at the Hopwood Methodist Church for 50 years and served on the church board of stewards for 36 years. She died on April 16, 1922 at Hopwood. Her husband's step-cousin, Rev. David E. Minerd, preached at her funeral service.
Son
Lucas
is seen at left with a favorite automobile. He was a longtime member of the Hopwood United Methodist Church, and is
mentioned
in an online history
of the congregation. He worked as a
blacksmith. On June 26, 1895, Lucas married Elizabeth Devan, the daughter of
John W. and Susan Deven, members of an old Hopwood family. He was age 23, and a
resident of Hopwood at the time, while she was 20 and lived in Dunbar, Fayette
County. During their married life together, they resided
in Greensburg, Westmoreland County, PA (circa 1914) and also in the Hopwood area,
at the corner of Bennington Road and Woodstock Avenue. They had
seven children -- Wilbur H. White, Harry White,
Joseph B. White II, Clarence White, Mildred Einzign (or "Einzig"), Virginia
O'Brien and Kathryn
McKnight. Lucas worked for American Oil Company later in life.
Granddaughter
Kathryn White married Charles Edward McKnight. They are seen at right with Elizabeth (Devan)
White. (It is not known whether Charles was connected with two other McKnight
families that married into the Minerds in the 1800s -- William
and Mahala (Minerd) McKnight and Henry and Barbara [Minerd]
McKnight, both
of Fayette County.) The McKnights had two children -- Arbutis "Bootie"
Zebley and John B. McKnight.
-
Son John B. McKnight (1938-2007) married Betty Landman and resided in Brownfield, Fayette County. They had one son. John passed away at the age of 69 on May 27, 2007. Burial was in the Franklin Cemetery in Dunbar.
Grandson Harry White served in World War II. He
is seen at left, proudly wearing his United States Army uniform.
Granddaughter Virginia married Samuel O'Brien and lived in Uledi, Fayette County.
Daughter Mildred married Herman Einsign (or "Einzig") and lived in Harrisburg, Dauphin County, PA.
Grandson Wilbur H. White ( ? -1937) was married and had two daughters -- Eleanor Hess and Helen White, who resided in Youngwood, Westmoreland County. Wilbur lived in Hopwood. He passed away "from complications" on March 8, 1937, at the Uniontown Hospital. He was laid to rest in the Hopwood Cemetery.
Grandson Joseph B. White II was born in Greensburg, and later lived in Fairchance and Connellsville, Fayette County.
More will be added about this family when learned.
Copyright © 2000-2003, 2005, 2007 Mark A. Miner