Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-11-16
lis uarents. moved to Edwards county

Ihis parents moved tn Edwards county
| Illinois, where he grew up, and at
tended districts school. His father.
Henry +. Miner, was Il farmer and the
| father of large family of which
Melville was the next to the youngest
| He remained on the farm with his
| father. and hiring his labor out in the
| summer seasons until he became of
| age. At - he was married to Miss
| Ann Rebecca Root. of Bclknap, Hi
| nofs, the second daughter OF Rev. Ed
mund Root, minister of the southern
| Illinois conference of the Methodist
Episcopal church. After his marriage
Mr.. Miner entered Ridgeville. Indiana,
| college and afterWard was a student at
Hillsdale, Michigan. Between the time
of being a student in Ridgeville Col
| lcgc and Hillsdale College. he held Il
short Passionate of something more
than aycar at Rensselaer,. Indiana,
| where he built the first Free Baptist
meeting house in that Quarterly Meet
ting and made substantial additions to
the membership. During the time he
was in Hillsdale College he supplied
the Free Baptist church at OsSeo,
Michigan. with acceptance.
| His first pastOrate after coming out
| of school was at Mario, Ohio This
was strong church and during the
two and IL half years he was there
/ the church prospered by the addition
of many members From Marion.
Ohio. Mr.. and Mrs. Miner accepted
an appointment to Midnapore. India.
as missionaries of the Free Baptist
sailed from New York for India Nov.
Il, 1889, returning in the fall of 1895.
The return of other missionaries left
! an unusual amount of work upon Mr..
Miner among which was the care of
the Bible School He carried the
load little too persistently without
vacation and it told on his health
which was the cause of his return
| to America. After their return,
and rest of a few months in Illinois,
he accepted Il call to the Free Baptist
church at Evansville. Wisconsin,. a
much run down interest. In six years
| he was able to leave it to other hands
having doubled the membership and
! having put substantial repairs on both
church and parsonage. In the spring
az l902 call was accepted to the
church ut Moral, Ohio. Here he
| raised the money for and built one of
the best church edifices to be found in
| 4 small village in the state.
/ BY request OF Geo. H. Ball, he re-
signed this work in the fall of 1906 to
become the treasurer of Keuka Col
/ le9e. at Keka Park, y. Y, but this
work not proving congenial to him he
In1 nlof
+ the following spring and returned to
the pulpit. accepting a call to the Free
| Baptist church at West Oneonta, n
| V. which work will be closed January
| first to take up the work in Gardiner.
The work at West Oneonta, has
| proven to be one of the best Of all
| his wrriS. for here too he raised the
money for and built a very handsome
| brick church which would do credit to
any village. The membership has been
largely increased during the residence
here. Just before accepting the call
to the Gardiner church he was asked
| to consider the work of the College
church at Oakland City. Indiana. a
| church and cn!lcS" of the General
Baptist denomination. II" also de-
clined call to the Free Baptist
I church at Pascoag, r. l.
. Mr.. Miner has never been in (;ardi-
n"r. but accepted the call. feeling it
| t" be Gods cal. through the repre-
sensations made to him by letter
Fh" family consists OF five children
| living and one that died some yearAS
ago HaWlcy. the oldest son is mar
| ri"d and the very successful manager
OF the Federal Tel. IL Tel co. at
Bolivar. \. Y. Alma the Oldest
| daughter is a graduate Of the State
| Normal school of Oneontsl, and is az
| Sayvillc. Long Island. Mary the see
| ond daughter will soon complete her
| Normal course i'm the same schoo.
| and begin teaching; Howard and
| Erma the younger ones are at home
and attending High school.