Genealogy

Rev.07/23/02, 2003-08-31, 2005-09-12 (genealogy spelling), 2006-08-08, 2007-02-25

See also mfchrono.htm

Firth-Minert

A generation is commonly stated to be 20 years, so from 1940 back to 1760 would be 9 "generations"
In the Michael Firth line there are 4 generations to cover that range, because of the age of the fathers when children were born.
Another way of saying that is: if Abraham had a good memory, he could talk about the Revolutionary War to his son, while his grandson, Charles, could talk about the Civil War to his; whose son Martin could talk about WWI to his son who was born at the start of WWII. Put another way, none of these generations lived to see their grandchild (in the MF line.) When I was born, 3 of my four grandparents were already dead.

12 July 2000

Dear Mike & Gigi,

Some weeks ago you sent me a most extensive letter telling of all the activities and tribulations of your household, most of which I hope by now are less.

I will miss your details on the web, since I am a zero in the computer age, not having one and limiting my electronic efforts to putting an electronic organ together - this serves only to reach neighbors when I turn the volume up a bit.

In turn I am sending a bit of history gathered by one side of the Minert family who are Mormon and by getting this data together have saved many from perdition (according to theory). Your Mother's name was Arklay, that of Scots Grandparents from Grail, Fife Scotland not far from St. Andrews. Charles Arklay a cabinetmaker, came to U.S. to build pianos for Steinway, but later got a freehold of land in Iowa.

The Minerts came from near Osnabrtlck in Germany. The attached tells of our line that came to Iowa to follow family lines as grain millers. The second page tells of the sad death of Great Grandfather and the efforts to catch and lose Stafford.

Arklay's parents, Willard who also continued in agriculture etc. and Keo (Scots) who was an outstanding teacher of Mathematics at Ia. S. U. until her untimely death from cancer, much too young. At the time they lived in Ames as I also did thus attending ISU.

There are still a few of the line still living in and around Waukon, but I have been back there so seldom I have failed to keep track. Here in Lancaster I have a daughter, Jean, a developing artist in oil and photos and James in Alexandria VA, a consultant specializing on Risk Management in Industry. My faithful Margaret passed away four years ago after thirteen years in a nursing home with Alzheimers.

Summer is here and exterior painting is in progress but good help is never around when needed. Also I am trying to dispose of books and papers that accumulated over the years. "Never used for 20 years but I might need them next week". Some alibi.

Regards to all, John [Sharf]

JOHN (MEINERT) MINERT (1816)

John (Meinert) Minert was born in Pickaway County, Ohio 4 February 1816. In the early 1820's he moved with his parents, Gerhard Henrich Meinert and Catharine Wonderly (Wunderlich) Meinert to Highland Township, Vermillion County, Indiana. Here he grew up with brothers and sisters, probably receiving little formal education, but attending school in the winter months. His father was a farmer and miller and undoubtedly taught these skills to his sons. Both parents were natives of Germany.

On 28 February 1838 John married Amy E. Dennis whose father, Daniel Dennis, and his second wife, Cassandra Stump Dennis, also lived in Highland Township. Amy's own mother, Amy Eveland Dennis, died shortly after the birth of young Amy. Amy's father married for the second time 11 February 1819 in Washington County, Ohio. Amy and her brother, Sylvester, stayed close to her fathers second family.

After his fathers death in 1839, John remained in Indiana although his brothers, Henry, Christopher and Benjamin had moved to Green County, Wisconsin. John's mother retained the mill which he may have operated for her.

John and Amy Minert's children who were born in Vermillion County, Indiana were: David Milton, born 28 December 1838; Adaline Virginia, born 5 September 1840; Harriet Ann, born 26 February 1842; Mary Catherine, born 2 April 1843; and Cassandra Abigail, born 31 December 1844.

The Federal census of Green County, Wisconsin reported that John and his family were living there on 1 December 1847. They had come previous to that date as a daughter, Elizabeth Angeline, was born there 22 June 1847. By September of 1849 they were living in Allamakee County, Iowa where their son, William Henry `Harry', was born. He died shortly before his first birthday.

According to family traditions, when Iowa was opened up for settlers after the Blackhawk Indian War, John and Henry Minert came there to appraise the area available for settlement. John decided that he liked Allamakee County and settled there. Henry favored Adair County in the southwest part of the state. Benjamin Minert followed Henry. Christopher, his mother and sisters stayed in Green County, Wisconsin.

Amy Dennis Minert's brother, Sylvester, and his family were in Allamakee County by 1850, as was Asa Cheadle and his wife, Mary (Amy's half sister) and family. Amy's father, Daniel Dennis, and his wife were there by 1854. He died 2 May 1855, his will directing his possessions be left to his wife and family.

The first purchase of land by John Minert in Allamakee County was recorded 28 February 1852 when he paid David Jemison $50.00 for forty acres in Section 21. On 23 March 1852 he paid David S. Wilson $50.00 for forty acres, also in Section 21. On 4 August of that year he purchased 40 acres from Samuel Riddill. One corner of his land became the Minert Cemetery (now Post Township Cemetery), located about two miles northeast of Postville. Many Minerts and related family members are buried there, including Amy E. Minert who died 17 March 1851.

John Minert married Elizabeth Young 10 March 1852. She was born in Warren County, Ohio, the daughter of John Young. At age nine years she moved with her parents to Parke County, Indiana. Later they lived in Scott and Dubuque Counties in Iowa. From there they moved to Post Township, Allamakee County, Iowa.

John and Elizabeth continued farming in Post Township where five children were born to them: John Balch, born 3 March 1853; Margaret J., born 8 December 1854; Nancy C., born 5 October 1856; Ella May, born 22 August 1858; and James C., born 16 April 1860. The 1860 Federal census of Allamakee County failed to list Margaret J. and gave the name `Robert T.', listed as a female. A copying error is believed to have occurred in this report.

The agricultural census for the county in 1860 gave a report of John Minert's property as follows: 180 improved acres of land, 200 unimproved acres, cash value of farm, $5,800, machinery value, $100, 8 horses, 7 `milch' cows, 10 other head of cattle, 12 sheep, 30 swine, (value of livestock, $800), 440 bushels of wheat, 1800 bushels of corn, 975 pounds of rice, 35 pounds of wool, 5 bushels of peas and beans, 45 bushels of Irish potatoes, etc. His farming operations would seem to have been very successful.

He had other business interests as he purchased a mill on the Turkey River at Smithfield, Franklin Township, Allamakee County. The Warranty Deed was dated 27 February 1866. Michael Bernatz was paid six thousand five hundred dollars for the mill. The family moved to Smithfield where John improved the mill and was making it (a successful venture when tragedy struck. The following is an account from the History of Allamakee and Winneshiek Counties: "Another horrible murder occurred on Yellow River in September, 1867, but the murderer escaped the gallows, which would in all probability have been his end had he come to trial. The circumstances were these: John Minert and Win. H. Stafford were neighbors; the former, a well-to-do and respected citizen, owning a mill dam which he was raising and improving. Stafford, a good enough neighbor when sober, was brutal and savage when in liquor, and had threatened Minert should he raise the dam, as it would overflow some of his land. He came upon Minert with an ax, and without a word from either cut his head open, killing him almost instantly. He then fled the country. Sheriff Townsend immediately offered a reward of $1 ,000 for his apprehension, and Gov. Merrill afterwards $500. The Board of Supervisors refused to endorse Townsend's reward and it was withdrawn. At a subsequent session the offer of $1,000 was made by the Board. A man named Wesley Smith, living near Postville, had been posting himself as to Stafford's whereabouts, and as soon as an amount was offered sufficient to pay him for the risk set to work to bring him to justice. Letters were being received quite freely by Stafford's family in Minnesota, and by intercepting them his whereabouts was ascertained to be in Arkansas. Smith, with an assistant, went to Arkansas and arrested him, and brought him as far as Memphis, where the prisoner discovered his guard dozing and escaped from the boat. His hands were shackled at the time, but no trace of him was found."

John died intestate; there are many handwritten papers in the Recorders office in Allamakee County covering the inventory, appraisal and final disposition of property. Elizabeth and her children moved to Union Prairie Township in 1870. In 1876 she moved to Waukon where she lived until her death 28 January 1890 at the home of her son-in-law, M. W. Eaton. She was buried in the Minert Cemetery where her husband, her daughter, Margaret, and her son, James C., as well as John's first wife, and their son, William Henry, are buried.

"John Willard, born in 1887 in Waukon, Allamakee County, Iowa and married Keo Anderson and died in 1975 in Waukon. Keo was born in Jewell, Hamilton County, Iowa, date unknown and died in 1930 in Ames, Story County, Iowa and is buried in Jewell. They had two children, Arklay, born October 8, 1911 in Waukon, Allamakee County, Iowa and who married M. S. Firth; William Anderson, born June 8, 1914 in Waukon, Allamakee County, Iowa and who married Clara Conley in 1939 in Lapeer, Lapeer County, Michigan. Clara was born September 7, 1909 in Lapeer, Lapeer County, Michigan and died in 1975 in Ames, Story County, Iowa and is buried in Jewell, Hamilton County, Iowa. They had three children: Keo Arklay, born June 8, 1941 in Sioux Falls, Minnehaha County, South Dakota and who married Leo Teghtmeyer in Ames, Story County, Iowa; Ann Louise, born July 6, 1942 and who married Thomas Bottin in Ames, Story County, Iowa; Mary Ellen, born October 17, 1945 and who married James Armstrong in Missouri."

From: "Brendon Duffy" <irishboy74@hotmail.com>
To: <mikefirth@ticnet.com>
Subject: MINERT family
Date: Sunday, February 03, 2002 6:35 AM

Hi Mike:
My name is Brendon Duffy, and I am originally from Davenport, Iowa. I am now a graduate school student in Minnesota. For several years, I have been working to verify/update a family history of the ROBISON family which my great-great-grandmother, Eliza (Robison) Brus wrote in 1915 before her death. Eliza was a first cousin of your great-great-grandmother, Elizabeth (Young) Minert.

I have corresponded with several of the Minerts in Waukon and John Sharf in Pennsylvania and when trying to find Minerts on the web, I stumbled into your family history page. You are DEFINITELY of the same family and was happy to find you because I had not gotten any further than your mother's name. Would you be interested in adding any information to your family tree? I would be happy to send you Elizabeth's parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents (going back to 1746), and Elizabeth's obituary. I would be delighted to update your mother's information and her immediate family if that would be possible. We have been trying to find all of the descendants of the original couple who came to Ohio around 1800.

Your line would be:
Joseph Parks (1746-1814) married Jane ?.
Their daughter, Elizabeth Parks (1775-1855) married James Harris Robison (1775-1814).
Their daughter, Margaret Robison (1797-1871) married John Young (ca 1787-1870).
Their daughter, Elizabeth Young married John Minert. I think this is where you left off.

If you would be interested in sharing information, I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you, and great website!
Sincerely,
Brendon Duffy
_________________________________________________________________

Keo Anderson Minert Scholarship at this site http://www.fcs.iastate.edu/info/news/nn9900/scholar2.htm 1999-2000 scholarships for ISU