Minerd.com Biography of Clyde Elzie and Mary Ellen (Minerd) Rodeheaver of Keister, PA

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Mary Ellen (Minerd) Rodeheaver
(1888-1949)

Mary Rodeheaver

Mary Ellen (Minerd) Rodeheaver was born on March 28, 1888 in Leisenring/Lemont Furnace, near Uniontown, Fayette County, PA, the daughter of James C. and Suvina (Yauger) Minerd Sr. One of her sons gave his life for our nation during World War II.

Mary married Clyde Elzie Rodeheaver (1884-1965), son of Cornelius and Minnie Rodeheaver of Preston County, WV. The ceremony was held at her parents' home on Feb. 10, 1907, when she was age 19, and he 23. Officiating was Mary's cousin, Rev. David Ewing Minerd, the famed "Blacksmith Preacher" of Fayette County.

The couple produced a family of 10 children -- James Rodeheaver, Charles Rodeheaver, Clyde H. Rodeheaver, Benton Rodeheaver, Mary Lucinda Gray, Cevilla Wahler, Harold "Frank" Rodeheaver, Homer Rodeheaver, LeRoy Rodehaver and Carrie Rodeheaver.

Sadly, baby daughter Carrie came down with a fatal case of whooping cough in the winter of 1924. She died at age 29 days on Jan. 16, 1921. Her remains were placed at rest in Pleasant View Cemetery.

Elzie was a pumper in the coal mines of Fayette County, making his home in Mt. Braddock the year of marriage. In the same year they were wed, they moved to the coal mining town of Keisterville, Fayette County. They resided there for many years in house number 36. The Rodeheavers were members of the Pleasant View Presbyterian Church at Smock.

Miners in the famed "Connellsville Coal Seam"

Mary in older years

In an unfortunate incident, son Homer lost an eye at age three or four when he was accidentally shot by a gun.

Mary enjoyed visiting with her many adult sisters and brothers over the years. These social gatherings were important in the ongoing life of the family.

When the federal census was enumerated in 1930, the Rodehavers made their home in Keisterville, Menallen Township, and lived next door to Mary's married sister and family, Stella and Clinton Hager.

U.S. Census records for 1940 show the family in Menallen, with six children still in the household, ranging in age from 23 to 13. Clyde and their sons Clyde and Benton all worked as laborers in the local coal mine.

For her 60th birthday in March 1948, Mary's children threw her a surprise party. Daughters Cerilla and Lucinda presented her with a corsage and table flower arrangements, while sons Charles, Clyde, Homer and Leroy gave her a large birthday cake, followed by a covered dish dinner. Among the guests, reported the Uniontown Morning Herald, were her siblings James and Jenny Darby, Clinton and Stella Hager, Homer and Blanche McCabe, James Calvin Minerd Jr., Charles McDowell, Hattie Dettling, Harry C. Minerd and many other friends and relatives.

Above, L-R: Mary and sisters Hattie Dettling, Stella Hager and Blanche McCabe. Below: the sisters Stella, Blanche, Mary and Hattie and their husbands.

Uniontown Morning Herald, 1949

Mary suffered toward the end of her life with hardening of the arteries and chronic heart disease. Sadly, she was stricken by a heart attack and died 20 minutes later at home in Keisterville at the age of 61 on Nov. 30, 1949. At the time, said the Morning Herald, she was survived by a dozen grandchildren. She was buried at LaFayette Memorial Park.

Elzie spent his remaining life in Keisterville. For many years, on the anniversary of Mary's death, he published a memorial poem advertisement in the Morning Herald.

The census enumeration of 1950 shows him heading a residence with his adult children Lucinda, Homer and Leroy.

In May 1967, he is known to have attended the 40th wedding anniversary party for his son and daughter in law, James and Helen Rodeheaver.

He died on March 23, 1969. For some years after that, his daughter placed classified advertising on the anniversary his death, expressing her sadness with a poem.

~ Son James Rodeheaver ~

Son James Rodeheaver (1907-1978) was born on May 24, 1907.

Just a few days before his 20th birthday, on May 20, 1927, he was united in marriage with 18-year-old Helen Boone (1909-1968), daughter of George Flemming and Marie (Morris) Boone. Helen was a native of Adelaide, Fayette County.

The Rodeheavers spent four decades living in Bitner, Fayette County.

They together bore 10 children -- Catherine Griffith, Carl Rodeheaver, Dolores Warman, Mary Elizabeth Rodeheaver, Gloria Thompson, James Rodeheaver, Ruth Ann Rodeheaver, Ella Jean Brown, Harry Rodeheaver and Harold Rodeheaver.

Sadly, daughter Mary Elizabeth caught a case of the measles in infancy and died on May 27, 1932, at the age of seven months and nine days. Her tender remains were placed into rest in the Pleasant View Cemetery in Smock.

Helen passed away in Uniontown Hospital on Nov. 15, 1968. Interment was in the Cochran Cemetery in Dawson. Her obituary in the Uniontown Morning Herald noted that her survivors included 21 grandchildren as well as her sister Elizabeth Niece and Albert Boone.

James survived her by a decade. He died in November 1978.

Daughter Catherine Rodeheaver (1928-1980) was born on April 16, 1928. On Sept. 4, 1948, when she was age 20, Catherine wed Harry Griffith ( ? - ? ). They lived in Dravosburg, near McKeesport, in the 1960s and '70s.

Son Carl Robert Rodeheaver (1929-1977) was born on Jan. 14, 1929. He married Adeline Murillo ( ? - ? ). The couple produced seven children -- Patty Jean Rodeheaver, Mary Ann Rodeheaver, Carl Robert Rodeheaver Jr., James Ernest Rodeheaver, Jerry Lee Rodeheaver, Richard Rodeheaver and Donald Rodeheaver. They made their home in Columbia Station, OH in 1968 and Berea, OH in 1977. Carl passed away on Aug. 11, 1977.

Granddaughter Patty Jean Rodeheaver ( ? - ? )

Granddaughter Mary Ann Rodeheaver ( ? - ? )

Grandson Carl Robert Rodeheaver (1955-living) wed Dianne Shirley Wilson and lived in the Cleveland area.

Grandson James Ernest Rodeheaver ( ? - ? ) married Jean Marie Hodnik.

Grandson Jerry Lee Rodeheaver (1957- ? ) was born in 1957. He was united in marriage with Sharon Lea Adams.

Grandson Richard Rodeheaver ( ? - ? )

Grandson Rodeheaver ( ? - ? )

Daughter Dolores Rodeheaver (1933-1980) was born on Feb. 13, 1933. On Sept. 1, 1951, at the age of 18, she married Ralph Warman ( ? - ? ). They made their residence in Waltersburg, Fayette County in 1968 and in McKeesport, PA in 1977. Dolores died in McKeesport in July 1980.

Daughter Gloria Rodeheaver (1936-1993) was born on May 12, 1936. She was united in marriage with Duane Harry Thompson ( ? - ? ) and lived in Phillipsburg, PA. By 1977, she had relocated to Cleveland. Their two sons were Clifford Allan Thompson and Duane Harry Thompson.

Grandson Duane Harry Thompson (1956- ? ) was born in 1956 in Ohio.

Grandson Clifford Allan Thompson (1957- ? ) was born in 1957 in Ohio.

Son James Rodeheaver (1938-1990) was born on Dec. 20, 1938. He married Anthonette Eileen Grazetti ( ? - ? ). They had one known daughter: Christine Ann McCarthy. The Rodeheavers lived in Akron, OH in 1956 and later made a residence in the 1960s and '70s in Cleveland, OH. In October 1956, while on a visit home with his parents, James underwent an emergency appendectomy in Uniontown Hospital. He died on Jan. 8, 1990.

Granddaughter Christine Ann Rodeheaver (1968- ? ) married Gene Edmund McCarthy.

Daughter Ruth Ann Rodeheaver (1941-1977) was born on July 25, 1941 in Bitner, Fayette County. In her early 20s, she dwelled at home with her parents in the 1960s. She married Homer Lee Nickles ( ? - ? ) and relocated to Cleveland, OH. They had one daughter, Helen Marie Nickles. Sadly, at the age of 36, Ruth Ann died in Cleveland's Metropolitan General Hospital. Her remains were brought back to Fayette County for interment in the Cochran Cemetery in Dawson. The fate of her husband is unknown.

Granddaughter Helen Marie Nickles (1972- ? )

Daughter Ella Jean Rodeheaver ( ? - ? ) wed Russell Robert Brown ( ? - ? ) and lived in Cleveland in the era of the 1960s and 1970s. They had three known children, with their first and middle names all beginning with the letter "R" -- Ryan Russell Brown, Rita Renea Brown and Rachelle Rae Brown.

Grandson Ryan Russell Brown (1969- ? )

Granddaughter Rita Renea Brown (1968- ? )

Granddaughter Rachelle Rae Brown (1976- ? )

Son Harold Franklin Rodeheaver ( ? - ? ) married Denise Diana Goodwin ( ? - ? ). They had three children -- Mandy Jo Rodeheaver, Robert James Rodeheaver and Audra Marie Rodeheaver. Harold made his residence with his parents in the 1960s. He relocated to Cleveland, OH by 1977.

Grandson Robert James Rodeheaver (1976- ? )

Granddaughter Mandy Jo Rodeheaver (1977- ? )

Granddaughter Audra Marie Rodeheaver (1978- ? )

Son Harry Rodeheaver (1948-1999) was born on June 18, 1948. He married Ruth Ann Patterson ( ? - ? ). He resided at home in 1968. By 1977, he had moved to Cleveland. He died on Dec. 4, 1999.

~ Son Charles R. Rodeheaver Sr. ~

Son Charles Rodeheaver Sr. (1915 - ? ) was born in 1915.

At the age of 24, he married Myrtle Wallace on Jan. 30, 1939.

They lived in Dearth, Fayette County in 1942 and in Dayton, Montgomery County, OH in 1948. By 1965, they were back in Uniontown, making their residence at 76 Park Avenue.

They had three known children, Marlene Rodeheaver, Robert Rodeheaver and Charles Rodeheaver Jr.

Myrtle and her sister in law Cevilla Wahler often traveled to Pittsburgh to attend live musical and theatre performances. Among these was seeing the Ice Capades in 1965 and 1966, and also the Robert Goulet Revue at Pittsburgh's Civic Arena in 1966. In October 1969, Myrtle and Cevilla traveled to Baltimore to visit with Myrtle's married son and daughter, and then drove to Washington, DC, where they visited the grave of President John F. Kennedy at Arlington National Cemetery.

One of their daughters married Walter Alexander, and lived in Baltimore, MD.

Son Charles Rodeheaver Jr. resided in Baltimore in 1969.

~ Son Clyde Henry Rodeheaver ~

Son Clyde Henry Rodeheaver (1917- ? ) was born in 1917. He served in the U.S. Army circa 1934, and was a member of the Medical Corps stationed at Carlisle, PA.

Later in the 1930s, he made headlines when he was convicted of theft in the Keisterville area. He was incarcerated in Fayette County Jail, and is shown residing there at the age of 23 in the U.S. Census of 1940.

He married Freda Bair (1918-1980). They had two sons, Robert E. Rodeheaver Sr. and Charles Rodeheaver.

In 1948, he and Freda lived in Dayton, OH. She passed away in Harrisburg, Dauphin County, PA on Oct. 9, 1980.

Son Robert E. Rodeheaver Sr. married Carole Donbaugh.

~ Son Benton Rodeheaver ~

Son Benton Rodeheaver (1919- ? ) was born in 1919.

He was married and lived in Keisterville in 1948.

They had one daughter, Judith Rodeheaver.

~ Daughter Mary "Lucinda" (Rodeheaver) Gray ~

Daughter Mary "Lucinda" Rodeheaver (1920-2007) was born in 1920.

Unmarried at the age of 29, she lived under the roof of her widowed father in Keisterville, along with her younger siblings Homer and Leroy.

Lucinda married (?) Gray ( ? - ? ).

They resided in Keisterville and did not reproduce.

Mary passed away at the age of 87 on Dec. 4, 2007. She was laid to rest at LaFayette Memorial Park at Brier Hill, near Uniontown.

~ Daughter Cevilla (Rodeheaver) Wahler ~

Daughter Cevilla Rodeheaver ( ? - ? ) was born on Oct. 20 (?).

On June 7, 1933, she married Joseph Wilford "Dutch" Wahler ( ? -1959).

They lived in Uniontown and had one son, Gerald L. Wahler. Wilford had been married once before, to Katherine Wahler, and he brought two sons to the marriage with Cevilla, J. Edward Wahler and Joseph Wilford Wahler Jr.

Wilford "was employed for 18 years as a sweeper operator for the City of Uniontown Street Dept.," said the Uniontown Evening Standard. "He was a member of the Calvary Methodist Church."

Their address in 1949 was 28 CArlisle Street, Uniontown.

Sadly, Wilford died on New Year's Day 1959, at Uniontown Hospital, at the age of 63. He was survived by five grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Burial was at Lafayette Memorial Park.

Cevilla outlived her husband by many years. Among her addresses in Uniontown were at 61 Pittsburgh Street, 438 Clarendon Avenue, 62 Bailey Avenue, 477 Braddock Avenue and 58 Askren Street.

In September 1965, Cevilla and family, along with her widowed father and sister Lucinda, motored to Kingwood, Preston County, WV, to visit Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Rodehaver and Mr. and Mrs. Daley Miller.

Cevilla and her brother Homer, sister Lucinda and sister in law Myrtle Rodeheaver often traveled to Pittsburgh to attend live musical and theatre performances. Among these was seeing the Ice Capades in 1952, 1965 and 1966, and also the Robert Goulet Revue at Pittsburgh's Civic Arena in 1966. In 1970, they saw singer Jerry Vale perform at the Twin Coaches.

She also was close with her aunt Evelyn Walters and cousin Jean Lowller, and both attended her birthday dinner in Uniontown in August 1963.

Son Gerald L. Wahler was born on July 24 (?). He was married in 1963 and had a daughter, Phyllis Ann Wahler. Their home circa 1965 was in Leetsdale, Allegheny County, PA.

Stepson J. Edward Wahler made his home in Uniontown in 1964.

Stepson Joseph Wilford Wahler Jr. resided circa 1964 in Monroeville, Allegheny County, PA. He married Charlotte Hays, daughter of John William and Kathryn Olive (Engel) Hays.

~ Son Harld "Frank" Rodeheaver ~

Harold "Frank" Rodeheaver was killed during the Battle of the Bulge

Lafayette Memorial Park

Son Harold "Frank" Rodeheaver (1922-1945) was born on Aug. 22, 1922 in Keisterville, Fayette County.

He did not marry.

During World War II, Frank was drafted and joined the U.S. Army at New Cumberland, PA. He was assigned to serve with the Army's 14th Armored Infantry Battalion, 14th Armored Division. He was deployed to the European Theatre of war.

Tragically, Frank was killed in action at the age of 22 in combat in France during the Battle of the Bulge, on Jan. 19, 1945.

Frank's remains later were returned home for burial in 1948 at LaFayette Memorial Park near Uniontown.

Then in 1950, Frank's father was awarded $500 from the Pennsylvania World War II Veterans' Compensation Bureau for the loss of their son.

In July 1998, officials from our national reunion marked Frank's grave with a special plaque and flower.

~ Son Homer C. Rodeheaver ~

Son Homer C. Rodeheaver (1925- ? ) was born in 1925. As a boy, he accidentally lost an eye at age three or four when he was shot by a gun.

Not yet married, in 1950, the 25-year-old dwelled with his widowed father and siblings Lucinda and Leroy in Keisterville. He earned a living that year as a laborer in a dairy.

He married Wilma Brant ( ? - ? ), daughter of Oliver and Lula Brant. They lived in Keisterville.

They together bore a brood of three known children, Terry Lee Rodehaver, Joyce White and Lana Henson.

U.S. Steel's Duquesne Works. From a painting by Howard Fogg for the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad Co., of the New York Central System.

Son Terry Lee Rodeheaver Sr. (1954-2023) was born on Sept. 28, 1954 in Uniontown. He wed Dianna Lynn McCumber ( ? - ? ), daughter of John McCumber of Whitsett, Fayette County. The ceremony took place in July 1977 at the Keisterville Uniontown Church, led by Rev. Thomas Newman. The couple lived at Perryopolis, Fayette County. Three children of this marriage were Terry Lee Rodeheaver Jr., Justin Rodeheaver and Kayla Rodeheaver. At one time, Terry worked for the Uniontown Herald-Standard newspaper. Then for many years, he was employed at the Duquesne Works of U.S. Steel Corporation, a position from which he retired. He liked to fish, hunt and follow the fortunes of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He held memberships in the Keisterville Union Church and the Keisterville Sportsmans Club. Their final residence was in Keisterville. Sadly, at the age of 68, Terry passed away on April 27, 2023. The remains were lowered into repose in LaFayette Memorial Park.

Grandson Terry Lee Rodeheaver Jr. ( ? - ? )

Grandson Justin Rodeheaver ( ? - ? )

Granddaughter Kayla Rodeheaver ( ? - ? )

Daughter Joyce Ann Rodeheaver ( ? - ? ) was born on (?). In young womanhood, shewas a volunteer aide at the annual Fall Festival of the Keisterville Union Church. She entered into marriage with Rev. David Mahan White (Oct. 18, 1945-2021), a Morgantown native and the son of Eugene and Betty Jean (Poling) White and stepson of Billy Reah Hackney. Their union endured for a quarter of a century. Three offspring of this family were Melissa Kendall, Kim George and David Mahan White Jr. Said the Morgantown (WV) Dominion Post, "Dave was blessed with the ability to meet people where they were, which made him an exceptional salesperson. He worked in insurance for a time and would make his mark in the corporate world to become one of Ford Motor Company’s most revered and successful salespeople. Dave would outsell all his peers every year at one of the nation’s largest dealerships on the west coast and would eventually be given the responsibility to train other salespeople; in fact, he wrote the manual that Ford used to train sales teams nationwide." His final position, after more than 40 years, was with Morgantown Power Equipment. He also was a minister of the gospel, receiving his doctorate in theology from Apostolic Bible Institute. For a baker's dozen years, he led congregations as senior pastor of the First Apostolic Church in Sabraton near Morgantown and the Malden Christian Fellowship of Malden, PA. He blended song into his ministry, performing in quartets as well as leading funerals, weddings and revivals. Sadly, David entered the realm of holy eternity on May 14, 2021. A Dominion Post obituary said he was survived by seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Co-officiating his funeral were Senior Pastor Allen Donham and Pastor Ken Walls. Burial was in Walnut Hill Cemetery, Uniontown.

Granddaughter Melissa White wed Patrick Kendall. They relocated to North Carolia.

Granddaughter Kim White married (?) George. She was in Morgantown in 2021.

Grandson David Mahan White Jr. has resided in Morgantown.

Daughter Lana Rodeheaver married Thomas Clarence Henson ( ? -2011). They dwelled at Collier, Fayette County and were the parents of Thomas Henson and Sean Henson. Sadly, Thomas died at the age of 56, at UPMC St. Clair Hospital, on July 9, 2011. The widowed Lana has maintained a residence in Uniontown.

~ Son Leroy Rodeheaver ~

Son Leroy Rodeheaver (1930- ? ) was born in about 1930 in Keisterville.

In 1950, single at the age of 23, he lived under the roof of his widowed father in Keisterville and had no occupation.

He made his home in Uniontown for many years.