Rev. David E. Minerd's Prayer Book and Bible Artifacts

Rev. David Ewing Minerd (1855-1943) -- the famed "Blacksmith Preacher" of Fayette County, PA -- conducted 10,000 weddings and funerals in the course of six decades of Methodist ministry. At his death, the New York Times printed an obituary.

In carrying out his work, David kept several large family Bibles and a well-worn prayer book which he used to record scriptures, stories and names to refer to during funeral services. One of the Bibles contained an Apocrypha section. Today these precious artifacts are preseerved in the Minerd.com Archives.

Some of the highlight pages are displayed here to provide detail and context to the life and work of this extraordinary man.

~ Bible Pages and Inserts ~

Title page to the 1875 Bible

At the top left, Rev. Minerd wrote the names of three pastors, connection unknown, top to bottom: Rev. David Holchow, Rev. John Hodingson and Rev. J.B. McCormick

Comprehensive Pronouncing Bible Dictionary, 1872

Title page to the "Births" section

Recorded births of Rev. Minerd's children George and Maggie, from his first marriage, both of whom died young.

Title page of the "Deaths" section

"Deaths" page where Rev. Minerd noted the demise of son George, daughter Maggie and wife Emma, all within a few months of each other in 1880-1881.

"Births" page where Rev. Minerd recorded the births of the children from the second marriage -- the initials stand for, top to bottom: David Ewing - Sarah Catherine, Edna May, Marybelle, Bessie Ray, Ewing David, William Alfred, Harold Daniel and Edward Eugene.

Title page of the "Marriages" section

Record of the marriages of Rev. Minerd's children and parents

Record of the deaths of Rev. Minerd's fellow pastors, parents, siblings and children and their spouses.

Record of the births of Rev. Minerd, his wife and children (top half) and parents and siblings (bottom).

Marriage page documenting details of the wedding to his second wife.

Handwritten records of birth and death dates for Rev. Minerd's siblings, children and their spouses.

~ Prayer Book Inscriptions ~

Rev. Minerd's cards with notes for preaching funerals for, above Bro Jobes and Frank Nicholson. Below, James Rowe and Rose Thomas and Ruth Lydasik.

Above, Rev. Minerd's notes for the 1927 funeral of Hannah (Klink) Ankrum

Letters sent by Rev. Minerd to "Bro. A.B. Devan + Wife" and to "D.C. Foultz and Wife" on July 8, 1896. They read: "you are cordially invited to attend the Laying of the corner stone of the M.P. church at Cool Spring on the 19 of July at three o'clock. From your Bro. in christ, Rev. D.E. Minerd."

Left: Incomplete fragment of a certification for Edward Rankin. Right: clipping quoting Leland Stanford, founder of the university bearing his name.

~ Bookmarks/Inserts ~