Miner R. Rosman Archive

Miner was born in a cabin on Jan.18, 1884, in Richmond, Wi. He was the fourth and last child born to Julia and Edmund Rosman. Their firstborn son Rudolf, died at the age of four, hence, Miner's middle name. Two daughters, Dorothy and Gertrude, preceded Miner's birth. 

In 1919, Miner married Margaret Oliver and they had three children, Bruce, Carolyn and Mary. His son Bruce married Beatrice Markert, and they had three children. His daughter Mary married William Thomas and they had three children. Miner's six grandchildren never met him. 

He died from a heart attack on a Sunday morning while reading the comics to my seven year old mother. That was July 7, 1940.

Miner was involved with many architectural projects around Beloit early in his career. In 1914 he was drafting and designing for the architectural firm of Leenhouts & Guthrie. In 1915 he became President of the Architectural Club in Milwaukee. By 1917 he was his own business. The workload was steady enough that he hired on a draftsman in 1918 (see initials on title blocks) to work on the Apartment Hotel project for the Jefferson Realty Co. Eventually this assistant, Oliver Wierdsma, would be brought on as a partner. For more than a decade their collaboration created dozens of buildings, some of which are historical landmarks, e.g., The Knickerbocker Hotel. 

He was an avid fisherman, secretary for the Milwaukee Casting Club, artist, writer and poet.

In later years and leaner times, he started a company called Sportoy Inc., and another, the Dry-A-Line Co., in 1939. The businesses sold leather sporting goods, gun cases, and fishing accessories.