Husband: Oliver Porter MINOR (M560)
Born: 9 APR 1830 at: Pittsfield, Berkshire Co, MA Married: 3 MAR 1850 at: , Waukesha, WI Died: 8 OCT 1887 at: Cherokee, Cherokee Co, IA Father:William W. MINOR Mother:Maria WEBB Other Spouses: NOTES
Wife: Helen M. DENT (D530)
Born: 18 OCT 1833 at: Hornellsville, , New York Died: 13 OCT 1918 at: Cherokee, Cherokee Co, IA Father:Richard DENT Mother:Jean MCGIBBON Other Spouses: NOTES
CHILDREN
Name: Wealthy J. MINOR Born: at: Married: at: Died: at: Spouses:
Name: Irving D. MINOR Born: 12 AUG 1853 at: Menomonee, Waukesha Co, WI Married: at: Died: at: Spouses:
Name: Albert James MINOR Born: 18 JAN 1856 at: , Green Lake, Wisconsin Married: 26 FEB 1883 at: Cherokee, Cherokee Co, IA Died: 1 JAN 1943 at: Cherokee, Cherokee Co, IA Spouses: Hannah Katherina HAYES
Name: Olive M. MINOR Born: 27 JAN 1858 at: , , Wisconsin Married: at: Died: at: Spouses:
Name: William Richard MINOR Born: 13 FEB 1860 at: , Green Lake, WI Married: 3 FEB 1884 at: Beaver Dam, Dodge Co, WI Died: 29 MAR 1936 at: Slayton, Murray Co, MN Spouses: Josephine Kenah HILLS Cynthia May WHITMAN NOTES
Name: Mary L. MINOR Born: 5 OCT 1862 at: , Green Lake, Wisconsin Married: 16 MAY 1899 at: , Cherokee, Iowa Died: at: Spouses: John R. HAYES NOTES
Name: Frank A. MINOR Born: 17 JUL 1872 at: , Cherokee, Iowa Married: 22 APR 1893 at: Cherokee, Cherokee Co, IA Died: 20 MAY 1942 at: Cherokee, Cherokee Co, IA Spouses: Amanda Ellen LANE
Name: George C. MINOR Born: 9 JUL 1884 at: , Cherokee, Iowa Married: at: Died: 21 FEB 1887 at: , Cherokee, Iowa Spouses:
Oliver Porter MINOR was born 9 April 1830 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts to William MINOR and Maria WEBB. From three years of age until sixteen he lived in Monroe County, New York. In 1846 he settled in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, where he was married on 3 March 1850 to Helen DENT. William MINOR was born in New York and died in Wisconsin in 1855. Maria WEBB MINOR was born in Holland and died in Wisconsin in 1889.
Helen DENT was born 18 October 1833 in Hornellsville, New York to Richard DENT and Jane McGIBBON who were married in 1822. Richard DENT was born in Lincolnshire, England in 1800, came with his family to America in 1804, grew to manhood in Oxford, Chenango county, New York, moved to Wisconsin in 1842, and died there on 11 May 1850. Jane McGIBBON DENT was born in Scotland in 1799, came to America with her father's family when she was four years old, grew up in Delaware County, New York, moved to Wisconsin with her husband in 1842, and died there on 24 December 1878.
After his marriage in March 1850, Oliver MINOR farmed in Waukesha county, Wisconsin for four years; he improved a new timbered farm. In the 1850 census of Waukesha County, Wisconsin, Oliver (age 19) is living with his parents. His occupation is listed as "laborer" while his father's occupation is listed as "farmer." Oliver MINOR (age 20, occupation "farmer") is also listed with his wife Helen DENT (age 17) and Helen's mother Jane DENT (age 51) in the family of Helen's brother John DENT.
About 1854 Oliver and Helen MINOR settled in Green Lake County, Wisconsin. In the 1860 census of Brooklyn Town, Green Lake county, Wisconsin, Oliver (age 30) is living with his wife Helen (age 26) and his children Wealthy (age 10), Irving (age 6), Albert (age 5), Olive (age 2), and William (age 4/12). His occupation is now listed as "farmer" and his property value is given as $1500 real and $500 personal. In the 1870 census of Brooklyn Town, Green Lake county, Wisconsin, Helen MINOR (age 36) is listed with her children Irvin D. (age 16), Albert (age 14), Willie R. (age 10), and Mary L. (age 7). Oliver MINOR is not listed with the family in this census. Helen's occupation is now listed as "keeping house" and her property value is given as $3000 real and $600 personal. The two older boys are listed as "working on a farm" while the two younger children are "attending school."
In 1871 Oliver MINOR was traveling to Dakota from Green Lake county, Wisconsin, but decided to make his home in Cherokee county, Iowa. He initially bought a tract of 200 acres and began to improve it. He soon added to it until he owned a "beautiful body of 320 acres, lying in the fertile Maple Valley." In the 1880 census of Diamond Township, Cherokee County, Iowa, Oliver P. MINOR (age 50, farmer) is listed with his wife Helen (age 46, keeping house) and their children Irving D. (age 26, farmer), Albert J. (age 23, farmer), William R. (age 20, no occupation listed), Mary L. (age 17, no occupation given), and Frank A. (age 7, attends school). In the 1885 Iowa state census of Diamond Township, Cherokee county, Oliver P. MINOR (age 54), Helen (age 51), Irvin D. (age 31), Mary (age 22), and Frank (age 12) are listed as living on the SEĽ NEĽ of Section 5, Town 90, Range 39. Their son William MINOR (age 23) is also listed with his wife Kenah (age 20) and son Lorenzo (age 0) on the SEĽ NEĽ of the same section.
In addition to farming, Oliver P. MINOR was involved with the community. He was treasurer of the township on several occasions. Soon, however, his health began to fail, and after an illness (Bright's disease - some type of inflammation of the kidneys) extending over a period of two years he passed away 8 October 1887, at the age of 57 and was buried in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Pitcher Township, Cherokee County, Iowa. Cemetery records in the Cherokee Public Library indicate that the grave includes a G.A.R. (Grand Army of the Republic - Civil War) marker. The State of Iowa Armed Forces Graves Registration Record also indicates membership in the G.A.R. and notes that they supplied a headstone and a G.A.R. marker. However, they do not have any record of his service dates, rank, branch, organization, etc. All efforts to verify service have so far failed.
Helen MINOR remained in Diamond Township, Cherokee county, Iowa and is listed in the 1895 Iowa state census (age 61, housekeeper, Presbyterian, widowed) along with her children Irvin D. (age 42, farmer, Baptist, single), Mary S. (age 31, Baptist, single), William R. (age 35, Baptist, widowed) and his children Lorenzo R. (age 10), Lelia L. (age 9), Howard H. (age 6), Hazle D. (age 4), and Daisy B. (age 4). In the 1915 Iowa state census of Diamond township, Cherokee county, Helen MINOR (age 82, widowed, no church) is listed as living with her children Irwin D. (age 62, retired, single, no church) and Frank A. (age 43, divorced, laborer - earned $400 in 1914, no church) at 508 Jefferson St., Cherokee. Helen MINOR died on 13 October 1918, just a few days short of her 85th birthday.