Minerd.com Biography of William Jacob and Isabella (Edwards) Kever of Van Wert, OH and Fort Wayne, IN

Isabella 'Bell' (Edwards) Kever
(1842-1915)

Isabella "Bell" (Edwards) Kever was born on May 28, 1842 to unknown parents. As a young girl, she was brought into the home of Henry and Catherine (Bowers) Minerd of near Monroeville, Allen County, IN, just across the state border from Dixon, Van Wert County, OH.

Her foster father's obituary in the Van Wert (OH) Twice-A-Week Bulletin said that Bell "was received into his home as his own child." She grew up in the Minerd home, apparently until the time of her marriage.

On Feb. 28, 1864, at the age of 22, Bell married 25-year-old William "Jacob" Kever (1839-1907). The Monroeville (IN) Weekly Breeze said they lived together "happily over 43 years."

Jacob was a native of Richland County, OH, who had migrated to Van Wert County in 1841 as a boy of two. His surname also was spelled "Keever" and occasionally "Kiefer" over the years.

The Kevers had these children -- Sabina P. Kever, Minard V.B. Kever, Charles E. Kever, Jacob Kever, Ashford D. Kever, Susan A. McIntosh, Dorothy "Dottie" Marie Solingen and an unnamed infant who son died young.

Sadly, son Ashford died at the tender age of nine days on June 7, 1871, daughter Sabina died at age 11 on Aug. 14, 1876, and another infant son passed away in childbirth on Dec. 4, 1880. Their grief must have been unspeakable. Later, they endured the untimely passing of son Charles at the age of 35 on March 13, 1904, possibly in Van Wert, Van Wert County, OH.

Some of the Kever children, who died young, are buried at the Flat Rock Cemetery near Monroeville in Allen County. The prominent grave marker is inscribed, "Children of Jacob & Isabella Keever." Some of the children's names, etched on both sides of the stone, were virtually illegible when photographed in August 2002, but were visible in the afternoon sun's shadows during a return visit in May 2009 by Bill and Gloria Carey and the founder of this website.

When the federal census was taken in 1870, the Kevers made their home near Van Wert, where Jacob was a day laborer. By 1880, the census records them living as farmers near Monroeville, Allen County, IN.

The Kevers were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Dixon. Belle maintained her membership up until the time of her death. Jacob enjoyed hunting, and in January 1890 was a team captain for a sporting fox hunt in Monroeville that made front page news in the Fort Wayne Sentinel. Said the article:

There will be a big circle fox hunt in Monroe township ... which will be largely attended from this city. The area of the circle will be as follows: Commencing one mile north of the Jones school house, then south to the Flatrock creek, then following the angle of said creek in a southeasterly direction to the south side of a farm owned by Jacob Bowers, then east on the Dixon road to the state line, then north three miles to the north corner of the farm owned by W.R. Walker, then west to the place of beginning... The west line will halt eighty rods east of the half section line; the south line will halt on William Clem's south line; the east line will halt on Henry Miner's east line; the north line will halt on Henry Miner's north line."

The fox hunt rules included that no guns were allowed except by the captains, and were to be loaded with blank cartridges. No dogs were allowed, and if any fox were caught, it was to be sold with proceeds to defray the expenses of the hunt.

In 1900, Bell and Jacob were listed in the federal census of Tully Twp., Van Wert County. Jacob labored as a farmer, as did son Charles (age 31), who lived under their roof. Daughter "Dottie" (age 28) also resided in their household. Their home was on the Indiana-Ohio border, on the Ohio side.

As a 51-year-old, reported the Breeze, Jacob "was converted at Walnut Grove in the year 1880 under the labors of Rev. Young and joined the Methodist church of that place. His religious life was a joyous one and he being a good singer greatly enjoyed singing the songs of Zion." As he neared the end of life, the Breeze said his "last testimony which was made just a short time before he died was 'it is all well with me.' Thus again emphasizing the fact that christians die well."

In November 1906, just nine months after the passing of his elderly father in law, Jacob himself "had a severe spell of heart trouble which left him greatly impaired in health," said the Breeze. "Last Friday he took worse and at 2:20 o'clock he breathed his last."

Jacob passed away on May 25, 1907, in Dixon. During his final illness, a telephone message was relayed to son Minard, in Monroeville, and Minard raced to Dixon to be with his father at the end. The May 29 edition of the Breeze noted that "Although his health had been imparred [sic] for several years past, at the hour he was summoned home he appeared to be in no immediate danger of bidding farewell to the scenes of earth. Only last week he was able to be in Monroeville conversing with acquaintances of long standing and just a few moments before passing away he was sitting in a chair at his home conversing with members of his family."

In a lengthy obituary a week later, the June 6 edition Breeze contained this tribute: A good man has gone from us, a kind husband, a loving father, and a good neighbor of his immediate family... May his life and dying testimony be an inspiration to all his relatives and many friends to live to meet him in the home to which he has gone... [All] that was mortal of Bro. Kever was laid to rest in the Flat Rock cemetery to await the final resurrection."

Their upright grave marker, with the carving of an open Bible at the top, is still standing tall and is legible today.

Thus widowed, Bell went to Fort Wayne to live with her daughter and son in law, Dot and James Solinger. She was there when the federal census was taken in 1910.

Bell spent her final days at the Fort Wayne residence of her married daughter Mrs. J.T. McIntosh, at 2417 John Street. She died there at the age of 73 on July 9, 1915. In an obituary, the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette reported that her death followed "an illness of one year due to Bright's disease. She had resided in this city for sixty years and was born in Ohio..."

Following funeral services held at the McIntosh home, led by Rev. F.H. Cremean, "the funeral party [went] to Dixon, O., in autos," said the Journal Gazette, where additional services were held at the Dixon Methodist Episcopal Church. She was laid to rest beside her husband and several young children at Flat Rock Cemetery. At her death, said the newspaper, she was survived by 14 grandchildren and by her brothers John Edwards of Marion, IN and T.J. Edwards of Fort Wayne.

Daughter Susan Kever ( ? - ? ) married J.T. McIntosh ( ? - ? ). They lived in Fort Wayne in 1907.

Son Minard V. Kever (1866-1929) was born in 1866 and apparently was named after his foster grandfather, Henry Minerd (or "Minard").

He married Regina Westrick (1880-1962), the daughter of Agnes Westrick. The marriage took place in 1898 in nearby Paulding County, OH, when Minard was age 32 and Regina 18. They were 14 years apart in age.

They were the parents of 14 children -- among them Belzonia Urbine, Lela F. Kline, Charles "Ashford" Kever, Isabella Kever (a.k.a. Sister M. Ann Tillis Kever), Rita Fry, Pernetta Sheehan, Mary E. Fowler, Gustav J. Kever, Norbert R. Kever and Minard V. Kever Jr., plus four others who are not yet identified.

The family resided in Monroeville, Allen County, where Minard Sr. "was a road foreman of the Pennsylvania railroad, where he [was] employed for 45 years," reported the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette. "He was a member of the St. Rose Catholic church at Monroeville, of the Holy Name society of that church, of the St. Joseph School society, Western Veteran's association and the Pennsylvania Brotherhood lodge."

In late November 1929, at age 63, he underwent dental surgery to extract three teeth. Sadly, his mouth bled uncontrollably, and he died of the hemorrhages three weeks later, on Dec. 12, 1929, in Monroeville. He was buried in the St. Rose de Lima Roman Catholic Cemetery in Monroeville. [Find-a-Grave]

Regina outlived her husband by 33 years, and returned to Monroeville to make her residence. She died at the age of 82 on July 28, 1962, and was buried with her husband. She was survived by 34 grandchildren and 36 great-grandchildren, said the Journal Gazette.

Daughter Belzonia Kever (1898- ? ) married Dale V. Urbine. They made their home in Fort Wayne.

Daughter Lela F. Kever (1900- ? ) was a servant on a private farm prior to her marriage. She married C. Kline, and their residence was in Monroeville.

Son Charles "Ashford" Kever (1903- ? ) is lost to history after 1920, when he lived at home at age 17 and was a railroad laborer. He is being researched.

Daughter Lula M. Kever (-1904-) died at the tender age of 14 days on April 5, 1904, with burial at Flat Rock.

Daughter Isabella Kever, a.k.a. M. Ann Tillis Kever" (1905-1981) was born on May 25, 1905 in what is believed to have been Cast Crossing, OH. She was named after her grandmother, Isabella "Belle" (Edwards) Kever. She apparently devoted her life to Christian service as a nun of the Franciscan Sisters Order (OSF) of the Roman Catholic Church in Milwaukee. She adopted the name of "M. Ann Tillis Kever" and was in Chicago in 1929, in Arlington Heights, IL circa 1962, and in Summit, IL in 1976. She passed away in Rockford, IL on Jan. 29, 1981, at the age of 75. Burial was in Calvary Cemetery in Rockford, in a section devoted to School Sisters of Saint Francis.

Son Gustav James Kever (1907-1976) moved to Fort Wayne and lived there for his adult life. He married and had six children -- James Kever, Marvin Kever, Robert Kever, Gerome Kever, Mary Gonya and Theresa McCoy. He spent more than 40 years of service in the employment of International Harvester Co. in Fort Wayne, from 1930 to 1970. He died at the age of 69 on July 12, 1976, just eight days after the celebration of our nation's bicentennial. Following a funeral at St. Jude's Catholic Church, he was buried in the church cemetery.

International Harvester's landmark building in Fort Wayne, Gustav Kever's employer for 4+ decades

Daughter Pernetta R. Kever (1911- ? ) was born in about 1911. She wed Leonard Sheehan and lived in Indianapolis in 1962.

Daughter Mary E. Kever (1913- ? ) was born in about 1913. She married Paul Fowler of Fort Wayne.

Son Norbert R. Kever (1915-1972) was born in about 1915. He married Marium (?) and had four children -- Gerald Kever, Dennis Kever, Gregory Kever and Diana Galligher. They lived in Monroeville. He worked for International Harvester and was a member of the St. Rose Catholic Church and its Holy Name Society and the Catholic Order of Foresters. He passed away at age 57 on Oct. 26, 1972. Burial was in the cemetery of St. Rose Catholic Church.

Daughter Rita P. Kever (1920- ? ) was born in 1920. She married Homer Fry Jr. and made their home in Fort Wayne in the early 1960s.

Son Minard L. Kever (1921-1986) was born in 1921. He also spelled his first name "Meinard" which was occasionally misspelled by newspapers as "Meinrad." He married Patricia L. (?) and had eight children -- Garrett Kever, Michael Kever, Christopher Kever, Matthew Kever, Linda Kever, Pernetta Kever, Cecilia Kever and Mary "Rita" Turk. They resided in Monroeville, and later moved to New Haven, IN in 1959. Minard was a veteran of World War II, and worked for 29 years, including as an inspector, for Zollner Piston Company. (Zollner may best be known as the company which in 1939 founded the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons basketball team which evolved and relocated over the years and was the forerunner of today's Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association.) He died at age 65 at Parkview Memorial Hospital on June 17, 1986, with burial in the cemetery of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in New Haven. His obituary in the Fort Wayne newspaper misspelled his first name as "Winard."

Daughter Dorothy M. Kever (1873-1957) was born in 1873. She married James "Edward" Solinger (1867-1923) (also spelled "Zolinger").

They lived in Dixon, and had at least two children, Donald H. Solinger, born in 1906, and Martha Solinger.

Dorothy was a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne. Edward was employed as a stock clerk at S.F. Boswer & Company. He also was a member of the Eagle and Moose lodges in Fort Wayne, and of the Maccabees lodge in Monroeville. Their home was on 1621 Fletcher Avenue in Fort Wayne.

Sadly, Edward suffered from a variety of health ailments, and died at the age of 56 on July 22, 1923.

Said the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette in 1957, she "was a resident of Fort Wayne the last 49 years" and "lived with her daughter for the past 10 years..." Dorothy died at Parkview Memorial Hospital on April 8, 1957, at the age of 84.