Bio-White, Robert Marshall

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Robert Marshall White Sr.
(1851-1909)

Robert Marshall White Sr. was born in 1851 in Fayette County, PA, the son of Perry G. and Charlotte (McClatchey) White. When he was age seven, in about 1858, his mother died. His father then married Mariah Minerd.

At age 18, Robert labored in a local coke works near Uniontown.

Robert married Mary Rebecca Pope (1855-1937). Their children were Mary E. White, Harriet White, Charles H. White, Thomas White, Elizabeth Dawson, Raymond G. White, Daniel D. White, Robert M. White Jr. and Jenny (White) Miner. Two daughters married Charles K. Dawson and James G. Mitchell. Sadly, daughters Mary (age 4) and Harriet (age 2) died 15 days apart in the summer of 1886.

The Whites lived at Hopwood, Fayette County, on the south side of the National Turnpike (Route 40). Following in his father's footsteps, Robert was employed as a laborer under superintendent Jacob M. Beeson on the National Turnpike. His sons Thomas, Raymond and Charles also were road laborers in Hopwood. In a memoir authored by a niece, she wrote that Robert "was a worker with the five (white) men breaking stones which were used before the pike was paved."

In the early months of 1909, at age 55, Robert became ill and was unable to work for several months. Despondent over his prospects for regaining his health, he took his own life in the back yard of his home, on May 14, 1909. The tragic incident made headline news in the Uniontown and Connellsville newspapers. The Connellsville Courier said that "Some years ago White worked on the old National pike. His father, Perry G. White, for many years kept the toll gate near town and was well known by the older generation."

On May 14, 1909, Robert died at home. He had been in poor health for some time and had not been able to work. His pallbearers were members of the Junior Order of United American Mechanics.

Mary outlived her husband by more than a quarter of a century. She died in 1937 and is buried beside Robert at Hopwood Cemetery.

~ Son Charles White ~

Son Charles White (1876-1942) married Elizabeth Ann Johnson. They resided at Hopwood. Their children were Viola West, Irene Provance, Ralph White and Gerald C. White.

Said the Uniontown Morning Herald, Charles was "employed for a number of years by the Pennsylvania State Highway Department... He also was a devoted member of the Hopwood Central Christian Church and superintendent of the Church Sunday School."

Charles died at age 66 on May 5, 1942.

~ Daughter Jenny (White) Miner ~

Daughter Jenny White (seen at right) married Charles Marion Miner. It's not known if Charles is related to our family since his father, William A. Miner, came from Ohio.

(For more, see the entry on William A. Miner on our "Do They Fit?" page.)

~ Daughter Elizabeth (White) Dawson ~

Daughter Elizabeth White married Charles K. Dawson. Their children were Sara Dawson, Kenneth Dawson, Mary Dawson, Rosamond Dawson and one unidentified child who died in infancy.

~ Son Daniel White ~

Son Daniel White married Pearl Miller. Their children were Arden White, Joseph White, Ruth White, Anna Jane White and Martha White. Circa 1964, Daniel resided in St. Petersburg, FL.

~ Son Robert Marshall White Jr. ~

Son Robert M. White Jr. (1896-1964) married Lenora "Nora" Turner (1899-1973), a cousin and the daughter of Homer W. Turner. They are seen here. The Whites lived in Hopwood and were members of the Central Christian Church. The Whites had four children: Robert W. White, Madeline Walters, Frances Meyer and Sally Cluelow.

Tragically, son Robert was killed in a truck accident on West Main Street in Uniontown at the age of 30, on Aug. 25, 1950.

Robert passed away on April 6, 1964, with burial at Chalk Hill Cemetery following funeral arrangements handled by the Minerd Funeral Home.

Later in life, Lenora made her home with or near her daughters in Coraopolis, Allegheny County, PA, where she belonged to the St. Andrew Lutheran Church. She passed away at the age of 74 on Dec. 6, 1973, at the Sewickley Valley Hospital. She was laid to rest in the Chalk Hill Cemetery.