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Francis B. Miner 

Francis B. Miner. Among the leading farmers and stock-raisers of Center Township may be classed our subject, who resides on section 28. He is a native of the Bay State, where he was born in 1835, being the fifth child in a family of nine, whose parents were Horace and Elizabeth (Brown) Miner. They also were natives of Massachusetts and removed thence, in 1849, to Ashtabula County, Ohio, where Mr. Miner cleared land and developed a farm. Throughout his entire life he engaged in agricultural pursuits and met with a fair degree of success in his undertakings. His death occurred in 1889, at the age of eighty-five years, his wife having passed away in 1870. The family is of English origin, and the grandfather of our subject served in the Revolutionary War. Of the nine children born to Horace Miner and his wife, six are yet living, namely: Ezariah, who is married and resides in Ohio; Dwight, who is married and lives in Minnesota; Horace, also married, residing in Wisconsin; Elliott, who is married and makes his home in Ohio; Elizabeth, now Mrs. Miner, of the Buckeye State; and Amanda, now Mrs. Simmons, of Pennsylvania; Jerome, who enlisted in the service during the late war, became Captain of an Iowa company and was killed on the skirmish line. (Note: the six living children do not include Francis, the subject of this biography. Elizabeth? married a person with the same last name as herself?)

Like hundreds of others Francis Miner acquired his education in the district schools and by subsequent reading, observation and experience has made himself a well informed man, possessing a general fund of information which enables him to converse intelligibly on almost every subject. Devoting his attention to agricultural pursuits he spent the years of his manhood in Ohio until coming West in 1873, with the exception of the time of his service in the late war. With the desire to aid his country in the preservation of the Union he enlisted at Mecca, Trumbull County, Ohio, in October 1861, as a member of Company I, Sixth Ohio Cavalry, and was assigned to the Eastern army under Fremont, in the Shenandoah Valley. He participated in the battle of Shenandoah, the two hard-fought battles of Bull Run, the Seven Days Battle of the Wilderness and all the engagements around Richmond. He was slightly wounded by a spent ball but otherwise escaped uninjured and faithfully served until his term of enlistment had expired, when in October, 1864, he went to Petersburg and received his discharge.

Returning to Ohio Mr. Miner once more resumed farming, and in Ashtabula County, in 1866, was united in marriage with Miss Eliza Marvin, a native of Ohio, and a daughter of George and Eliza Marvin, both of whom were born in Pennsylvania and at an early day removed to the Buckeye State. Her father died at the advanced age of eighty-five years, and her mother is living at the age of seventy-seven years. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Miner have been born four children: Amber, now Mrs. Odekirk, of Center Township; Blanche, Ella and Clyde.

On coming to this county in 1873 Mr. Miner purchased land and improved a farm. He is now the owner of one hundred and sixty acres under a good state of cultivation and furnished with good buildings. He is industrious, and one of the important characteristics of his life is uprightness, which has won him universal regard. He takes an active interest in political affairs and votes with the Republican party. He has served as Trustee for two years, was Constable for many years and has been School Treasurer for seven years. The duties of these public positions have ever been faithfully discharged as is shown by his long continued service. Socially, he is a member of Vandalia Lodge, I. O. O. F., and Treasurer of the order. His wife, a worthy and estimable lady, is a member of the Baptist Church.