Minerd.com Biography of Jasper Oliver and Minnie (Minerd) McKnight of Fayette and Westmoreland Counties, PA

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Minnie (Minerd) McKnight
(1869-1946)

Minnie McKnight

Minnie (Minerd) McKnight was born on Oct. 7, 1869 in or near Connellsville, Fayette County, PA, the daughter of John V.S. and Elizabeth (Livingston) Minerd.

On Nov. 30, 1886, at the age of 17, Minnie married 23-year-old Jasper Oliver "Ol" McKnight (1863- ? ) at Scottdale, Westmoreland County, PA. He was the son of John and Elizabeth McKnight, and also has been shown in records as "James." Because Minnie was so young, her parents had to sign a consent form. They united themselves in marriage, with no other official involved. A copy of their marriage license and consent form is on microfilm today at the Westmoreland County Courthouse in Greensburg.

The four children they produced together were Maud Murray (or Murry), Robert McKnight, Charles Minerd McKnight and Earl Trout McKnight.

Ol was a longtime coal miner and at the time of marriage a resident of Albright, Preston County, WV.

The McKnights lived first in West Virginia, where their eldest daughter was born in 1888. Sometime afterward, by 1900, they relocated to near Uniontown, Fayette County. In 1906, Minnie made her home in Southwest, Westmoreland County.

Ol died sometime before 1910, and probably before 1906, said to have been a victim of the deadly diphtheria. No record of his passing has been found in Pennsylvania's death records, which began to be kept in 1906.

Bird's eye view of Albright, WV

In 1910, Minnie boarded with her son Robert, who was a laborer in a Uniontown coal mine, and her brother Andrew Minerd also resided in the household. That same year, son in law Lloyd Murry worked as a driver in coal mines. In 1915, at the time her son Robert was married, she lived in Herbert, Fayette County. By 1920, Maud was living with her married daughter Maud Murry in Luzerne Township, Fayette County.

Widowed Minnie lived for several years at Fredericktown, Washington County, PA. Later in life, she came to Hunker, Westmoreland County, to reside near her sister Bertha (Minerd) Van Dyke. In November 1927, she resided at Brownsville, Fayette County, and visited her brother William Henry Minerd in Uniontown, a social event published in the Uniontown Morning Herald. In 1929, her home was in LaBelle, Fayette County, described by one newspaper as a "coal mining patch on an inside bend of the Monongahela River" in Luzerne Township.

On Aug. 25, 1929, Minnie's adult son and daughter, Earl McKnight and Maud Murray, celebrated their joint birthdays with a party at Maud's home near LaBelle. A large crowd of family attended, and the event was reported in the Uniontown Morning Herald. In addition to Minnie herself, the celebrants were:

J.H. Hawer, Mr. and Mrs. Calvin Hawer and their children Lucette Belle, Wilde and Babe of Greensburg; Mr. and Mrs. Don Coughanour and children Don, Walter, Ruth and George; Mr. and Mrs. John Trout and children John, Irene and Clifford of New Stanton; Mrs. S.A. VanDyke and daughter Kathryn; Mr. and Mrs. John Daugherty and children Betty, Rae, Floyd and Nellie; Mr. and Mrs. John Breegle and children Sam, Doris and Mary Lou; Mrs. Emma Trout; Mollie Trout; Mr. and Mrs. Vernon VanDyke and children Betty Jane, Clara Mae, Sam and Vernon; Mr. and Mrs. William Minerd; Mr. and Mrs. Percy Minerd and daughter Lela; Seth Minerd and daughter Donna Jean; Mrs. Ivan Dean and children Billie and Lois; Mrs. Nell Kerr; Miss Lela Fern Minerd; Miss Pattie Jane Elder; Bernie Henry of Uniontown; Mr. and Mrs. John Clair and daughter Edythe; Mr. and Mrs. Earl McKnight and children June, Fern and Donald; Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Murray and daughters Leona and Charlotte; Edward Clair and Ray Gossett of LaBelle; John Breegle Sr. of Foxtown and James Minerd of Republic.

In January 1946, at the age of 76 and while residing at Hunker, Minnie was horribly burned in a freak accident. She received "extensive second degree burns on the body and wrist, received while getting ready for bed at her home," reported the Connellsville Daily Courier. "Mrs. McKnight's clothing ignited from a coal stove in her bed room."

She was rushed to the Westmoreland Hospital in Greensburg, where she died 15 days later, on Feb. 10, 1946. Following her funeral at the Youngwood Christian & Missionary Alliance Church, her remains were laid to eternal rest in the Stone Church Cemetery near her parents and siblings. No stone is known to mark her grave.

~ Daughter Maud (McKnight) Murry ~

Daughter Maud McKnight (1888-1982) -- also spelled "Maude" -- was born on Aug. 25, 1888 in Albrightsville, Preston County, WV.

She and her family migrated to Westmoreland and Fayette Counties, PA when she was a girl.

On Oct. 10, 1906, at the age of 18, Maud married 24-year-old Lloyd S. Murray (or "Murry") (July 4, 1882-1948), the son of James and Anna C. (Blystone) Murray and a native of Bridgeport, near Mount Pleasant, Fayette County. Justice of the peace J.Q. Fruxall officiated. At the time of marriage, she resided in the community of Southwest, Westmoreland, and her mother signed consent to the wedding as Maud was legally underage.

Their trio of children were Harold Murray, Leona "Leone" Weiss and Charlotte Buck.

The Republic coal mine's fan house

They lived for a time at Republic and Allison (1913), Fayette County, communities built around coal mine activity. They were plunged into mourning in August 1913 when their six-year-old son Harold died from the effects of diphtheria, having been born with heart valve disease.

Lloyd underwent an examination in 1911 to be elevated to fire boss, among 34 to pass out of the 104 who took the test. When the 1920 and 1930 federal censuses were taken, the Murrays resided in or near LaBelle and Luzerne Township, Fayette County, where Lloyd worked as a coal miner (1920) and mine fire boss (1930). In 1930, Maud's widowed mother lived under their roof.

Their final residence together was on the other side of the Monongahela River in Millsboro, Washington County, with Lloyd continuing to toil as a coal miner.

For the last decade of his life, Lloyd suffered from hardening of the arteries and for the last five with hypertension. A February 1939 gossip column notice in the Uniontown Morning Herald said he had "been ill for some time with a heart condition [but had] shown a slight improvement in the past few days." He was stricken with a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 66 and died within hours in East Bethlehem Township on Dec. 20, 1948. Son-in-law Martin Weiss of Millsboro was the informant for the official Pennsylvania certificate of death. Interment of the remains was in Union Cemetery in Greensburg, Westmoreland County.

The U.S. Census of 1950 shows Maud in the household of her married daughter Leone Weiss in Fredericktown-Millsboro.

After a few years as a widow, Maud relocated to the state of Indiana, where her married daughter Charlotte was residing in Mishawaka. She remained in the Hoosier State for the final three decades years of her life. In about 1979, with her health in decline, she was admitted to reside in Mishawaka's Fountainview Place Nursing Home.

The angel of death cleaved Maud away at the age of 96 on March 5, 1982. An obituary was published in the South Bend (IN) Tribune. Funeral services were held in Mishawaka, led by Rev. David Schramm of the East United Methodist Church. The body was transported back to Greensburg, PA to sleep at the side of her spouse, reunited in death after a span of 34 years. The headcount of her survivors at that time was three grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Son Harold Murray (1907-1913) was born on May 14, 1907. He endured lifelong chronic heart valve disease. As a schoolboy of age six, he lived with his parents at the Allison coal mining community. Grief blanketed the family when, in late August 1913, Harold was diagnosed with diphtheria and died just eight days later on Sept. 5, 1913. Burial was in Hopewell Presbyterian Cemetery in Republic.

Daughter Leona "Leone" Murray (1908-1998) was born on Oct. 13, 1908. Circa 1930, at the age of about 22, Leone worked as a saleslady in a mercantile store. She entered into marriage with Martin P. Weiss (Dec. 13, 1910-2000), a native of Greene County, PA. Twin sons of this union were James Murray Weiss and William J. Weiss. Martin earned a living as a coal miner in the Millsboro-Fredericktown area in the 1948-1950 timeframe, with Leone's widowed mother in the household in 1950. Eventually they moved to Michigan and settled in Holly, Oakland County, MI. Leone passed away in 1998. Martin outlived her until death in Fenton, MI at the age of 89 on Jan. 26, 2000. They sleep under the sod of Lakeside Cemetery in Holly.

Grandson James Murray Weiss (1943-2012) was born on March 11, 1943 in Franklin Borough, PA, a twin with his brother William. He moved with his parents and brother to Michigan in his youth and appears to have considered Holly, MI as his home. James was married and the father of three -- Scott Weiss, Wendy Weldon and William Weiss. He spent his career in the military, serving with the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army (corporal) and U.S. Air Force. He is considered a veteran of the Vietnam and Persian Gulf Wars. His final service was with the Air Force, with retirement in 1991 bearing the rank of senior master sergeant. He belonged to the Disabled American Veterans, American Legion andAmerican Veterans (Amvets) and served a term as governor of the Holly lodge of the Moose. James died in Holly at the age of 69 on June 14, 2012. Interment was in Great Lakes National Cemetery. He was survived by four grandchildren. His obituary was published in the Flint Journal.

Great-grandson Scott Weiss married Sarah-Jane. They have lived in New Jersey.

Great-granddaughter Wendy Weiss wed Heath Weldon. They moved to Florida.

Great-grandson William Weiss made his residence in Holly, MI in 2012.
Grandson William J. Weiss (1943- ? ) was born on March 11, 1943 in Franklin Borough, PA, a twin with his brother James. In his young years, he moved with his parents and brother to Michigan and settled in Holly, MI. He entered into marriage with Loretta ( ? - ? ). Together they produced a family of two sons -- Patrick Weiss and Joseph Weiss.

Great-grandson Patrick Weiss has made a home in Holly, MI.

Great-grandson Joseph Weiss was in Holly, MI in 2012.

Daughter Charlotte Murray (1914-2000) was born on Sept. 1, 1914 at the Alicia Mines near Greensboro and Mapletown in Greene County, PA, or in nearby Fredericktown. She migrated to Indiana in young womanhood. On Aug. 10, 1947, at the age of 32, she wed World War II Army veteran Gordon Victor Buck (Feb. 2, 1916-1997), son of Charles B. Buck of South Bend, IN. Their nuptial vows were exchanged in Gordon's hometown. The Bucks put down roots in South Bend and later in Mishawaka. The only known daughter of the couple was Pamela K. Bidwell. Circa 1950, Gordon earned a living as a wayman [weighman?] in an automobile factory. In time he joined Century Soft Water as a bookkeeper and retired in 1977. He held a lifetime membership in the Disabled American Veterans. Their home address in 1985 was 2817 Jamestown Court. Sadly, at the age of 81, he surrendered to the angel of death in Memorial Hospital on Feb. 20, 1997. Rev. Ervin Mize led the funeral rites, with an obituary published in the South Bend Tribune. Charlotte outlived him by just under three years and during that time dwelled along Michigan 62 North. She was admitted to Regency Place Health and Rehabilitation Center. There, she passed away on Jan. 27, 2000. In an obituary in the Tribune, the family asked that any memorial donations be made to the Center for the Homeless. Their remains sleep for the ages in Mishawaka's St. Joseph Valley Memorial Cemetery.

Granddaughter Pamela Kay Buck (1949- ? ) was born in about 1949. She is an alumna of John Adams High School in South Bend. On March 11, 1972, she was joined in matrimony with Terry Bidwell ( ? - ? ), son of Robert and Ruth Irene (Bowman) Bidwell and a graduate of Edwardsburg High School. Rev. Forest Howell presided over their ceremony held at Grace United Methodist Church. An announcement of the marriage was published in the South Bend Tribune. The Bidwells established a residence in Edwardsburg and produced two sons -- Jason Bidwell and Mark Bidwell. Terry's elderly mother spent her final three years under their roof and passed away in 2016. Terry is believed to serve as a trustee of Edwardsburg Village.

Great-grandson Jason Bidwell was in Rochester Hills, MI in 2000.

Great-grandson Mark Bidwell has made a home in Edwardsburg, IN.

~ Son Robert McKnight ~

Son Robert McKnight (1889-1957) was born on Dec. 4, 1889 in Dunbar, Fayette County.

He was a long coal mine laborer. Circa 1910, he lived in Luzerne Township, Fayette County, with his widowed mother, uncle Andrew Minerd and younger brothers Charles and Earl in the household.

On July 27, 1915, at the age of 25, Robert wed to 18-year-old Nora Meckling (1897-1971), also known as "Nora P. Hardman," a native of Mt. Braddock near Uniontown, and the daughter of James D. and Ida (Engle) Meckling and/or stepdaughter of George W. Hardman. They united themselves in holy matrimony, with Jessie B. House and H.R. Tilterington serving as witnesses. The couple requested that Fayette County officials not publish the news of the marriage license in local newspapers. At the time, Robert resided in Brownsville and was employed in the coal mining industry.

Landmark in Brownsville, PA, the oldest cast iron bridge in the country

The couple bore these known offspring -- Robert Charles McKnight, Audrey May Holp, Mary E. Castor and Raymond C. McKnight.

Robert also is known to have been the father of Donald McKnight.

The marriage was troubled, and did not last. By 1920, Robert had returned to his mother's household at the Maxwell Coal Works in Luzerne Township, Fayette County. Yet the pair must have reconciled as they bore several more children in the early 1920s. Sadly, their son Raymond died at age seven days on Oct. 7, 1923, of "marasmus" (malnutrition) and "interstitial indigestion" (intestinal problems). The child's remains were laid to rest in Park Place Cemetery. At that time, the family address was 37 Asken Street, Uniontown.

In 1930, Robert and son Robert Jr. were listed together in the federal census, living in Luzerne Township, Fayette County. Robert gave his marital status as "widowed" and said that he was a driver in a local coal mine. His final workplace was at Republic Steel Corporation's Clyde Mine in Fredericktown. He held a membership in the Lafayette Post of the American Legion and the United Mine Workers of America.

In January 1946, at age 57, Robert was admitted to the Fayette County Home, a residential facility for the poor and indigent. A year later, he was seriously injured when struck by a moving vehicle on Main Street in Uniontown on Jan. 13, 1947. The Uniontown Morning Herald said he was rushed to Uniontown Hospital where he "was in shock and suffering from contusions of the head, a possible fractured skull and possibly other injuries, as yet undetermined.... The accident occurred only a few feet from where another inmate of the Home was struck and instantly killed less than a month ago."

Robert survived his injuries and continued on for another 11 years. His final dwelling-place was in the Exchange Hotel on East Main Street. After suffering a heart attack in his hotel room, he succumbed to the spectre of death on June 29, 1957 at the age of 68. Funeral rites were conducted by Rev. Arthur T. Hibbard of the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church. The remains were laid to rest in the soldiers' plot in Sylvan Heights Cemetery. An obituary was printed in the Morning Herald, which said that the headcount of his survivors was nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Nora married again, to Albert Kimmell ( ? -1965). They are believed to have had more children of their own, among them Norbert Kimmell and Alberta Fisher. The Uniontown Morning Herald said that she was a resident of Uniontown for 60 years and a member of the Central Christian Church. Sadly, Albert died in 1965. She spent her final years residing at Atlas Crossing near Uniontown. She died on March 2, 1971, with burial in Sylvan Heights Cemetery. The Morning Herald reported that she was survived by 12 grandchildren and 34 great-grandchildren.

Son Donald McKnight ( ? - ? ) resided in Fairchance, Fayette County in 1957.

Son Robert "Charles" McKnight (1915-1989) was born on June 2, 1915 in Uniontown. In 1935, he lived in Fredericktown, PA. Circa Sept. 1935, he wed Madeline Mae Gentry (1917-1994), of Westernport, MD, who in 1935, prior to marriage, had resided in Beryl, Mineral County, WV. News of their marriage license was printed in the Cumberland (MD) Sunday Times. Together, they produced a pair of children -- Phyllis Jean McKnight and Richard Paul McKnight. Charles stood 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighed 140 lbs. Federal census records for 1940 show the McKnights in Uledi, Menallen Township, Fayette County, with him laboring in a local coal mine. At that time, they had no telephone in their home. Later in 1940, he was hired by the Works Progress Administration at East Riverside, Fayette County. The WPA was one of the ways President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the federal government tried to overcome unemployment during the Great Depression. It is widely considered one of the Roosevelt's largest and most ambitious undertakings of his "New Deal" to get the nation back on sound economic footing. Over the years, the WPA hired millions of out-of-work individuals to build public works projects, such as roads, bridges, retaining walls and buildings. Charles is known to have served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. He enlisted on April 17, 1945 and was discharged on June 7, 1946. Charles and Madeline relocated to Baltimore, MD and dwelled their for several decades, circa 1947-1974, with an address of 5622 Braxfield Road. Then in 1974 they moved to Florida and settled in Port Orange, Volusia County. There, he was employed by the Howard Boat Works of Daytona Beach. Their final address together was 5163 Taylor Road. Charles passed away on July 27, 1989 at the age of 74. The remains were cremated. An obituary in the Orlando Sentinel said that he was survived by eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Granddaughter Phyllis Jean McKnight (1936-2009) was born on Aug. 23, 1936 in Pennsylvania or possibly Baltimore, MD. Her husband was Eugene Henry "E.H." Kunz (Nov. 3, 1933-1990), son of Henry and Margaret M. (Carter) Kunz. The pair became the parents of eight, of whom seven are known -- Michael Kunz, Joseph Kunz, Charles Kunz, Lisa Sunderland, Gary Kunz, Salvador Kunz and Jacqueline Kunz. Eugene made a living as a truck driver. Circa 1990, they made a dwelling-place at Blairs Mills near Chambersburg, PA. Sadly, at the age of 56, Eugene died at home on Aug. 15, 1990. An obituary appeared in the Chambersburg Public Opinion and the Baltimore Sun. Phyllis survived her spouse by 19 years, remaining in Blairs Mills. Death swept her away on Jan. 5, 2009.

Great-grandson Michael Kunz lived in Hagerstown, MD in 1990.

Great-grandson Joseph Kunz put down roots in Baltimore.

Great-grandson Charles Kunz relocated to Nebraska.

Great-granddaughter Lisa Kunz (1972- ? ) was born in about 1972. She grew up in Blairs Mills. Lisa married (?) Sunderland. She shared a home with her parents in Blairs Mills, PA in 1990.

Great-grandson Gary Kunz was in Blairs Mills in 1990.

Great-grandson Salvador Kunz made his residence in 1990 in Baltimore.

Great-granddaughter Jacqueline Kunz was in Baltimore in 1990.
Grandson Richard Paul McKnight (1937-2008) was born on Sept. 23, 1937 in Beryl, Mineral County, WV. Dr. J. Norman Reeves assisted in the birth.

Lemont Furnace coal mine and coke oven works

Daughter Audrey McKnight (1917-2002) was born on July 6, 1917. She wed Joseph J. Holp Jr. ( ? - ? ), son of Joseph J. and Mary Holp Sr. of Lemont Furnace. Three known sons were born to this union, among them Joseph Edward "Sonny" Holp Jr., Robert Clarence Holp and Albert J. Holp. Another son or stepson in this family was Gerald Fisher. The Holps were in the coal mine patch town of Oliver No. 3 in 1950, with Joseph employed as a loader in a coal mine. Later, they relocated to Lemont Furnace. Audrey died in Uniontown on April 28, 2002. Her remains were lowered into eternal rest in St. Mary's Nativity Cemetery.

Grandson Joseph Edward "Sonny" Holp (1935-1968) was born on Feb. 6, 1935. He was an alumnus of North Union Township High School. For three years, beginning in Sept. 1953, Joseph is known to have served in the U.S. Armed Forces during the Korean War as a member of Company A of the 10th Infantry and in Germany with the Fifth Infantry Division. On July 21, 1956, he was united in matrimony with Frances Yvonne "Von" Bowser (1935-2001), daughter of William and Blanche (Hawk) Bowser of Lemont Furnace. Their wedding ceremony was conducted in St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, by the hand of Rev. Anthony Hredzak. In announcing the marriage, the Uniontown Morning Herald said that Yvonne "wore a street-length dress of white frosted nylon, styled with a V neckline, short puffed sleeves and full skirt. She completed her ensemble with a white hat with veil, white gloves and carried a white orchid showered with satin streamers." They became the parents of two -- Joseph Michael Holp and Angie Yvonne Quairiere. The Holps lived in Lemont at box 49. Joseph earned a living as a crane operator with the Duquesne Works of United States Steel Corporation. On the fateful day of Aug. 19, 1968, he shot himself in the head, using a .22 caliber pistol, in front of the post office in Lemont Furnace, while riding in a car with his wife and Raymond Edward Welsh. He was rushed to West Virginia University Hospital in Morgantown and died three hours later at the age of 38. His remains were brought to Uniontown for a requiem high mass, held at St. Cecilia Roman Catholic Church. He was laid to rest in St. Mary's Cemetery in Uniontown. Yvonne outlived her spouse by nearly 33 years and does not appear to have remarried. Her final home was in Uniontown. She died at the age of 66, in Westmoreland Regional Hospital in Greensburg, on May 24, 2001. Rev. Michael Singo presided at the funeral. Burial was in Sylvan Heights Cemetery.

Great-grandson Joseph Michael Holp (1959- ? ) was born in 1959 in Connellsville State Hospital. News of his birth was published in the local newspaper. He married Marcia ( ? - ? ). Two sons of this union were Joseph D. Holp and Michael E. Holp. The family was in Uniontown in 2001.

Great-granddaughter Angie Yvonne Holp ( ? - ? ) was born on (?). She tied the marital cord with a distant cousin, Robert "Keith" Quairiere ( ? - ? ), son of Robert and Dolores J. (May Renzi) Quairiere of the family of Mary "Alice" (Minerd) Ellis Doughty. See the Ellis-Doughty biography for more.

Grandson Robert Clarence Holp (1936-2006) was born on March 24, 1936 in Uniontown. He attended North Union Township High School. In Aug. 1954, he joined the U.S. Army during the Korean War and trained at Camp Gordon, GA and at Fort Leonard Wood, MO. Robert wed Mary Ann Foster ( ? - ? ), daughter of Wesley Gray of John Street, Uniontown. Their known offspring were Dinah Ann Holp, Robert Wayne Holp, Michael Holp, Laura L. Thomas, Barbara Meyers, Theresa Dominick, Jodi Bradley, John Holp and Ronald Holp. Sadly, son Robert died at birth on June 19, 1960. Mary Ann was a 1956 graduate of Uniontown Joint Senior High School. The Holps lived in Uniontown and Republic. Mary Ann was injured in a 1957 traffic accident with a jury awarding her $2,000 in damages in April 1962. Sadly, at the age of 70, Robert died in the home of a son on Sept. 20, 2006.

Great-granddaughter Dinah Ann Holp wed (?) Rankin ( ? - ? ). She dwelled in 2017 in Brownsville.

Great-grandson Michael Holp ( ? - ? ) was deceased by 2017.

Great-granddaughter Laura L. Holp (1965-2017) was born on April 3, 1965 in Uniontown. She exchanged marital vows with Mark Allen Thomas ( ? -1998). Two sons born into this family were Mark Allen Thomas and Allen M. Thomas. Laura was employed in the U.S. Post Office in Brownsville. Said an obituary, "She was very active in the Independent Pool League and played on many different teams." They held a membership in the First Christian Church of New Salem. Grief cascaded over the family when Mark died on Oct. 18, 1998. Laura outlived her spouse by nearly two decades and lived in Brownsville. At the age of 52, she passed away in her residence on July 8, 2017. Pastor Andy Miles officiated the funeral rites.

Great-granddaughter Barbara Holp tied the knot with John Meyers. Their dwelling-place in 2017 was in West Brownsville.

Great-granddaughter Theresa Holp married Tony Dominick. They planted themselves in Grindstone.

Great-granddaughter Jodi Holp was united in matrimony with (?) Bradley. She was in Grindstone in 2017.

Great-grandson John Holp was wed to Mitzi. They put down roots in Vestaburg and are believed to be the parents of Shyanne Holp.

Great-grandson Ronald Holp was joined in wedlock with Amy. They have lived in Brownsville.
Grandson Albert John Holp (1943- ? ) was born in 1943. He suffered from polio and as a teen received a bicycle to exercise and strengthen his legs. At his 15th birthday, in 1958, he was featured in the Uniontown Evening Standard. He is known to have attended North Uniontown Township High School.

Daughter Mary Etta "Maryetta" McKnight (1921-1980) was born in 1921. She married Joseph Castor (1914-1974), son of Luciano and Virginia (Giachetti) Castor. They resided in Uniontown and produced a family of four -- Joseph Castor Jr., Alberta "Birdie" Price, Nora M. "Tootsie" Foster and Donna L. Thomas. When the federal census enumeration was made in 1940, the Castors lived in Uniontown, with Joseph employed as a road repair laborer with the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Then in 1950, still in Uniontown, Joseph earned a living as an oven waterer in a local coke plant. For many years, Joseph ran his own barbershop on Lemon Street. Their home address in the early 1970s was 87 Lemon Street. Sadly, at the age of 59, Joseph died at home on Jan. 3, 1974. His obituary appeared in the Uniontown Morning Herald. His survivors included 22 grandchildren. His mass of Christian burial was held at St. John Roman Catholic Church, by the hand of Rev. George Alderson. Burial was in Sylvan Heights Cemetery. Mary outlived her husband by six years. The angel of death spirited her away in 1980.

Grandson Joseph Castor Jr. (1937- ? ) was born in about 1937 in Uniontown, Fayette County. He was married and the father of Joseph Castor III. He joined the U.S. Army in 1953 during the Korean War and trained at Fort Lewis. He was shipped overseas and in 1956 was posted to Inchon, Korea. After the war, he returned to Uniontown and resided under his parents' roof. During a quarrel with his father, in 1957, he broke five windows in his father's automobile and was charged with disorderly conduct. The Castors eventually moved to Alexandria, VA (by 1967), Gaithersburg and Laurel, MD (1973-1974) and thence in 1974 to Columbus, OH. Joseph was deceased by 2017.

Great-grandson Joseph Castor III ( ? - ? ) was born in (?). He stayed behind when his father moved away and resided with his grandparents. Joseph was a 1973 graduate of Uniontown Area Senior High School. He joined the U.S. Army Reserve during the Vietnam War and was assigned to the 429th Engineer Construction Battalion.
Granddaughter Alberta "Birdie" Castor (1938-2017) was born on Nov. 22, 1938. Circa 1957, at the age of 19, she was enrolled in the cosmetology course at the Fayette Area Technical School and was elected class vice president. Alberta tied the knot with John Price ( ? - ? ), son of Gilbert Price of Smithfield. They dwelled in Uniontown at the address of 41 MacArthur Terrace and were the parents of at least six -- Donna Wingard, James "Douglas" Raymond Price, John Kenneth "Jay" Price Jr., Tracy Jo Bogden, Kelly Shaffer and Angela Lee. Said the Uniontown Herald-Standard, she "spent her life as a beautician, homemaker, and caretaker of others. She never let anyone leave her house hungry or without a hug and a kiss." She endured the untimely deaths of three of her adult children. Sadly, Alberta passed away at home in Uniontown at the age of 78 on March 8, 2017.

Great-granddaughter Donna Price (1960- ? ) was born in 1960. She attended Hutchinson School as a child. At her seventh birthday, in 1967, she was pictured in the Uniontown Morning Herald. She entered into marriage with Jeff Wingard ( ? - ? ).

Great-grandson James "Douglas" Raymond Price ( ? - ? ) was deceased by 2017.

Great-grandson John Kenneth "Jay" Price Jr. (1962-2017) was born on Jan. 28, 1962. He was the father of John (Tony) Price, Amanda Price, Heather Hice, John "Peanut" Price III, Lacey Price, Christina Smith and Katie Forcier. John was a companion of Cheryl (Butter) Johnson and the stepfather of John Kushak. Said an obituary, "He touched everyone he came into contact with. Whether it be with that great sense of humor or just that unmistakable voice when he talked people listened and were captivated." John died on Jan. 25, 2017.

Great-granddaughter Tracy Jo Price ( ? - ? ) was joined in wedlock with Jeff Bogden ( ? - ? ).

Great-granddaughter Kelly Price ( ? - ? ) tied the marital knot with (?) Shaffer ( ? - ? ). She was deceased by 2017.

Great-granddaughter Angela Price ( ? - ? ) was united in matrimony with Ronald Lee.

Granddaughter Nora M. "Tootsie" Castor (1941-2017) was born on June 26, 1941 in Uniontown. She wed Charles "Red" Foster ( ? - ? ). Five children produced by their union were Charles Foster III, Mark Foster, Kathleen "Tammy" Sutton, Richard Foster and Harry Foster. Circa 1974, the pair was in Smithfield, PA. They eventually divorced. Her final residence was in Uniontown. Sadly, Nora passed away at home at the age of 76 on Sept. 13, 2017. Rev. Michael Lyons led the funeral rites.

Great-grandson Charles Foster III married Debbie.

Great-grandson Mark Foster wed Suzie.

Great-granddaughter Kathleen "Tammy" Foster entered into marriage with Chuckk Sutton.

Great-grandson Richard Foster was joined in wedlock with Kellie.

Great-grandson Harry Foster was a companion of Debbie Swaney.
Granddaughter Donna L. Castor (1944-2013) was born on June 23, 1944 in Uniontown. She entered into marriage with Charles Thomas ( ? - ? ). The couple put down roots in Uniontown. Donna is believed to have passed away in Uniontown Hospital on Christmas Eve 2013, at the age of 69.

~ Son Charles Minerd McKnight ~

Beallsville (PA) Cemetery
Courtesy Debbie Day

Son Charles Minerd McKnight (1896-1949) was born on Aug. 15, 1896 in Uniontown.

He had blue eyes and red-brown hair and stood 5 feet, 9 inches tall, weighing 165 lbs. He apparently never married or reproduced.

As a young man, during World War I, when he registered for the military draft, Charles was employed by W. Harry Brown at the Alicia Mine in Westmoreland County, PA.

He joined the Army on Sept. 4, 1918 and was placed in the 11th Casual Company. He trained at Camp Forrest, GA, remaining to the end of the war, with his discharge at Camp Sherman, OH two days before Christmas that year. Afterward, he returned to his native Fayette County and worked at Alicia.

By 1935, with the nation in the steel grip of the Great Depression, Charles made his way to northern California. In 1935-1940, he dwelled in Nevada City, CA, earning a living as a gold miner. In time he found employment with U.S. Vanadium in Bishop, Inyo County. When he again registered for the military draft on the eve of World War II, he was age 45 and declared that his niece Leona Murray in Uniontown would always know how to reach him.

Obituary, Daily Courier

Circa 1949, still in Inyo County, he worked for Anaconda Copper Company at its mine in Darwin.

Tragedy struck on June 10, 1949, when he was fatally injured at work and died. Details are not yet known. The remains were returned to Pennsylvania for interment in Beallsville Cemetery in Washington County. A brief obituary was published in one of his hometown newspapers, the Connellsville Daily Courier. He is one of far too many cousins to lose his life in the workplace in the minerals and steelmaking industries.

~ Son Earl Trout McKnight ~

Son Earl Trout McKnight (1900-1971) was born on Aug. 24, 1899 or 1900, on or within a day of his sister Maud's birthday. For years, they celebrated the anniversary date together.

Earl married Kathryn Clair (1903-1986) in about 1920, when he was age 20, and she a mere 16. She was a native of Fairhaven.

Their three children were LeJune Morgan, Lois Fern McKnight and Donald McKnight.

Fredericktown, PA, home to the Earl McKnight family

Earl was a longtime coal laborer who was a wireman in a coal mine in Luzerne Township, Fayette County, and later lived in the Waynesburg, Greene County, PA, area. Said the Washington Observer-Reporter, Earl "resided for a number of years at Fredericktown, where he was employed in the Clyde Mine. [He] was affiliated with the Methodist Church."

Earl was an early union organizer and president of the United Mine Workers of America, Fredericktown Local 688, District 5, in the Brownsville and Hiller areas, as reported in the Uniontown Morning Herald (Dec. 17, 1941 and July 22, 1943).

Kathryn at one point is said to have been invited to the White House to have lunch with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Details of this need to be found.

Earl and Kathryn divorced circa 1945-1946. Kathryn in 1948 moved with her daughter Ferne to Hastings, Barry County, MI, to join married daughter LeJune Morgan. She supported herself through her work at Hastings Manufacturing Company and held a membership in the First United Methodist Church. On May 24, 1953, she wed again to widower Glenn S. White ( ? -1963), a native of Carlton Township and son of Samuel White whose first wife Hilda A. (Mills) White had died in 1949. He thus brought three stepchildren into the second union -- Duane White, Dorothy Rivers and Mary Lou Harthy. They remained in Hastings during their decade together. Glenn had been employed as a mechanic for 20 years by Goodyear Brothers Garage and then was self-employed in automotive repair before opening his own farm market, White Produce. They ran the market business for the last five years of his life.

Postcard touting some of Hastings' notable landmarks

On the fateful day of Jan. 15, 1963, despondent over ill health, the 61-year-old Glenn went into a bakery building next to his market and, placing a .410 gauge shotgun against his head, pulled the trigger. Death was instantaneous. His stepdaughter Lois Fern heard the blast, went running to the market, found the door blocked but was able to move it enough to see the body and shotgun on the floor. She then called the sheriff's office, with the news reported in the Battle Creek Enquirer.

In his final years, Earl made his home at 192 South Richhill Street in Waynesburg. He died at Greene County Memorial Hospital on Dec. 20, 1971, "after an illness of several weeks," said the Observer-Reporter. Burial was in Waynesburg's Green Mount Cemetery.

Kathryn's final address in Hastings was at 406 West Woodlawn Avenue. As her health declined, she was admitted to Hastings' Pennock Hospital. There, at the age of 83, she surrendered to the angel of death on Thanksgiving Day 1986. An obituary in the Enquirer said she was survived by two grandchildren, several step-grandchildren and her sister Stella Jones of LaBelle, PA.

Daughter LeJune C. McKnight (1924-1990) was born in 1924 in Fairchance, Fayette County. She grew up in Fredericktown, PA and then relocated to Hastings, MI circa 1946. LeJune was joined in wedlock with James I. Morgan ( ? - ? ), having met in Baltimore, MD during World War II. Two daughters in this family were Lisa Morgan and Karen Morgan. They made their residence in Hastings at the address of 1007 South Michigan Avenue. Said the Battle Creek Enquirer, "She was an antique dealer in Hastings for more than 25 years. She wintered in Naples, Fla., for the past several years." Sadly, June died at home the age of 66 on June 1, 1990 following what the Enquirer called "a long illness." The family asked that any memorial contributions be made to Love Inc. or the American Cancer Society. Her remains were cremated.

Granddaughter Lisa Morgan moved to Pasadena, CA and was there in 1990.

Granddaughter Karen Morgan migrated to Massachusetts. She dwelled in Eastham in 1990.

Daughter Lois Fern McKnight (1926-2004) was born in 1936. She was about age 12 when she accompanied her mother in a move to Hastings, MI. Lois spent the balance of her life there. She died at home at the age of 78 on Aug. 23, 2004. The Battle Creek Enquirer printed a brief obituary.

Son Donald McKnight (1928- ? ) was born in 1928. He made his residence in Glen Burnie, MD and circa 1986-1990 in Pasadena, a suburb of Baltimore.