Anchor My Health

Several Miner families in the photo were formed from different Miner brothers. Two of those family lines eventually intersect in a rather unique way. In the center of the top row are two adults, each holding a child who would later play an important role in my own family story.

Four Important People

The four people in the center of the top row, from left to right, are Harriet Miner Weller holding Donald Weller, followed by Arthur Miner holding Amelia Miner. Don and Amelia were second cousins. (When AI colorized the black‑and‑white photo, it gave Arthur black hair. Since I couldn’t remember his hair color from his early adult years, I didn’t specify one.)

The genealogy chart clearly helps one understand the unique relationship between Don Weller and Amelia Miner. Notice that Donald’s mother is a Miner and that Amelia’s father and mother were both miners. Notice that Donald’s mother links back to Odis Miner and then back to Austin Miner. Also notice that Amelia’s father links back to Seward Miner and then back to Austin Miner. Thus, Donald’s mother and Amelia’s dad both points back to Austin Miner.

What the chart reveals is that my heritage includes three Miners and one Weller, showing a strong set of genetic ties to the Miner family.

There may be more about my background that this chart does not reveal. About 70 years ago, my dad explained to me that he was pretty sure that his dad was not Merrill Weller but someone else as he felt different from his siblings in terms of voice profile and other physical characteristics. Further details will be held until later in this history. First, I want to display more family pictures.

Arthur was the son of Seward Miner who owned the farm that I eventually grew up on. That farm was passed down to Arthur, who made his living from operating the farm. He and Gertude raised two children together there on the farm; Amelia and Bob. Amelia and Don, both being with the Miner family structure, drew closer in their friendship and married. Prior to their marriage a second house was built east of the main farmhouse for them. It was in that second house that I spent the beginning of my life.

Eventually Arthur and Gertude moved to the upstairs apartment of the main house and Don, Amelia and I and by then Marcia, my sister, moved into the downstairs and Don purchased the farm.

Merrill and Harriet owned a farm just east of Stafford which was about five miles east, down the road from us. This is where Don and his six siblings lived.