Thursday, August 9, 2018

A Life Cut Short - R.F. Minner


A stroll through the Hurricane Cemetery in Crittenden County, Kentucky will show the names of many families who lived and died in the surrounding area. Prominent among those names is Minner. That isn't unusual, though, as the land for the nearby Hurricane Methodist Church was obtained  from Richard Minner, an early area settler, in 1843.[1]  In 1875, Robert H. Haynes gave land for the cemetery,[2] but I suspect the Minner family had already established a burying ground either on or adjoining the Haynes land.  One of the early burials here was for Richard F. Minner, who served in the Union Army during the Civil War.




R.F. Minner
born May 20, 1820
died Feb. 12, 1867

Minner married Catherine  Stalions 30 May 1839 Livingston County, Kentucky. [3] After her death, he married Mrs. Mary C. Kilpatrick 22 December 1858 Crittenden County.[4]

On October 1863 at the age of 43, Richard F. Minner was mustered into Co. E, 48th KY Infantry as a captain at Princeton for one year's service.  The 48th KY Infantry was  composed mainly of men from the western Kentucky counties of Trigg, Lyon, Livingston, Crittenden, Union, Christian, Caldwell, Muhlenburg, Breckenridge and Grayson. [5] On the 26th of February 1864, Minner wrote to the Headquarters of the U.S. Forces requesting 15 days leave to go to Crittenden County about the 10th of March next to attend to business of his father's estate. [6] His father, Daniel Minner,  had recently died.[7] Richard F. Minner was mustered out of service 15 December 1864.

After the war, Minner returned to his life as a farmer in Crittenden County, but his life would end just a few years later. The following newspaper death notice gives the details of his death. "Captain R.F. Minner, late of the army, was caught in a mill wheel in Crittenden county, a few days ago, his arm broken in several places, and his ribs severed from the back bone. He lingered until Monday night last, and died in great agony. The accident occurred at Mr. Wilson's mill."[8]

Minner was laid to rest in Hurricane Cemetery near the graves of his parents, his first wife and several of his infant children.





[1] Crittenden County Ministerial Association, Marion, Ky, "Hurricane Methodist," The Churches in Out County, A Bicentennial Celebration Publication, (Marion, KY: n.d.) 29.
[2] Brenda Underdown, Doyle Polk and The Crittenden County, Kentucky Genealogical Society. The Crittenden County, Kentucky Cemeteries  Western Section, Vol. IV, (Evansville, IN: Evansville Bindery, 2006) 76 citing Crittenden County Deed Book M, p. 272.
[3] Joyce M. Woodyard. Livingston County, Kentucky Marriage Records, Vol. 1 (Oct 1799-July 1839), (Smithland, KY: n.p., 1992) 167.
[4] Brenda Joyce Jerome. Crittenden County, Kentucky Marriage Records Vol. 1 1842-1865 and Abstracts of Wills Book 1  1842-1924 (Evansville, IN: Evansville Bindery, 1990) 75.
[5] W.H. Perrin, J.H. Battle, G.C. Kniffen. Kentucky, A History of the State, 8th Edition, (Louisville & Chicago: F.A. Battey & Co., 1888) 716, Google Books, accessed 13 July 2018.
[6] Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Union Soldiers  Who Served from Kentucky, Fold3.com, https://www.fold3.com/image/231806224, Richard F. Minner.
[7] Underdown, Polk and Crittenden County Genealogical Society. Crittenden County Cemeteries, Vol. IV, p. 82. Daniel Minner  born 15 Feb 1797, died 10 Dec 1863.
[8] The Louisville Daily Courier, Louisville, Kentucky, Monday, 25 Feb 1867, p. 1, reprinted from the Smithland Times.

Published 9 August 2018, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

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