Minnie Jones Rose 1887-1968
I have been thinking a great deal about Minnie Jones Rose since we were told to shelter in place. Minnie was my maternal great grandmother. She died the year before I was born, so we have never met. I don't know a whole lot about her. I can't find her in a census until she is a 23 year-old married mother. Despite all the research challenges she has given me, Minnie continues to be one of my most fascinating ancestors. She was born in 1887 in St. John's, NY and raised in Johnsontown, two towns tucked into the hills of Rockland and Orange County Counties, and washed away to build Harriman State Park. Born to a single mother, her father was never revealed, and I can only imagine what kind of hardships that presented. She was a widow before age 50 and she raised 5 children. A devout Methodist, Minnie forbid chores or sewing on the Sabbath. Stitch on Sunday, rip them out on Monday, she would say. When I first expressed interest in learning more about Minnie and