Published: November 05, 2009 11:47 pm      

A fighting family during World War II

The Minnick family of Bowman’s Addition has gone to war.

Such was the information received this week by the Allegany County War Memorial committee, which is receiving names daily to be placed on the honor roll which will be unveiled at city hall late in August or early in September.

Mrs. Belle H. Kerr, who has charge of receiving and filing the names, paused for a moment and remarked, “Here’s a family of six from Bowman’s Addition doing its bit for Uncle Sam.”

Then she proceeded to read off the names — four boys and two girls — sons and daughters of Mrs. Sarah Minnick — all former Celanese plant employees and all of whom have joined the army or the WACs since September 1942.

Corp. Garrett Lamar Minnick, 28, joined the army in April, and is now studying to be a laboratory technician at Lawson General Hospital, Atlanta, Ga.

Pvt. Harvey Otis Minnick, 30, joined the army in April and is now with the field artillery at Fort Bragg, N.C.

Walter Hurt in Crash

“I’m really proud of my children,” Mrs. Minnick declared, “and they’re all getting along fine and in the best of health, except for Walter Scott, who was hurt in a motorcycle crash and is now a patient in Walter Reed hospital, Washington, D.C., receiving treatment for a knee injury.”

The widow of Otis Minnick, who died last November, called attention to the fact that her boy Garrett Lamar won fame in bygone days as a track and field star at Allegany high school and Clarence played on the football team at Fort Hill high school.

Killed at Guadalcanal

“Myrtle Annetta, my eldest daughter,” Mrs. Minnick said, “was engaged to be married to John L. Kimmell, of Somerset, Pa., but he lost his life while fighting with the United States Marines at Guadalcanal. Shortly after receiving the bad news Myrtle Annetta joined up with the WACs.”

The Minnick family was born and reared in Cumberland. Mrs. Minnick resides in a cozy little home in the addition off the Valley road and in her spare time tends to a large vegetable garden on her property.

“I have two other daughters at home, but they are not old enough to join the service,” Mrs. Minnick said. The youngsters still keeping her company are June, 12, and Van Lew, 10.

The Minnick family is the second in Allegany county known to have six children serving in the armed forces. The family of Clifford E. Spence, of the New Boulevard Apartment hotel, has a similar number in there “pitching” for Uncle Sam.