The daughter of William H Hortman and Sally Lewis

Minona first married Lonnie Sizemore. Minona was pregnant when Lonnie died of a ruptured appendix, they had one child together; Thomas L Sizemore who was born Sept 10, 1916 in Colquitt Co Ga.

Minona then married Jacob "Jake Thomas Bius who was a widower with a young son, Vernon "Slim" Bius. She and Jake had six children together. When Minona was pregnant with her seventh child (Jake Thomas Jr)her husband Jake was murdered at the age of 39. Minona was left to raise all eight children alone. Jakes' son Vernon from his previous marriage and Minona's son Thomas from her previous marriage as well as the six children they had had together were all reared as a family. After the murder of Jake (in which a trial resulted in the defendant going free); Minona with her children lived on Henry Barber's farm (1932-1941) in Colquitt Co Ga between Moultrie and Doerun at a little town called Sigsbee, formally called Jackson, they were share croppers on this farm. To support herself and her large family she took in sewing as well as making all the clothes for her own children right down to the underclothes. She also made beautiful wedding gowns and trousseaus along with all types of clothing. She was well known for her beautiful sewing; exquisite, an art form to be sure. She cut everyones hair. She made a garden and canned vegetables. She dried fruit and stored sweet potatoes for the winter. She raised chickens and hogs, which she slaughtered and cured. She saw that her children were in church at every service. She was Mother and Father and was quite a woman.

She had previously attended school at Powell Town in Worth Co Ga where she completed only the third grade. She taught herself to read and write. During the years she had moved from the farm in Sigsbee to Macon Ga, and then later to Raleigh NC to live with her son John Hubert. She returned to Moultrie and purchased a home where she lived until her death.

The family began celebrating Minona's birthday after she had moved back to Moultrie Ga in 1960. This turned into the Bius/Hortman/Sizemore family reunion which is still attended each year by decendants from all three families.

All 7 of Minona's children:
Thomas L Sizemore 9/10/1916-
Albert L Bius 8/25/1919-
Wilma Bius 2/3/1922-
Winona "Deets" Bius 8/20/1924-
John Hubert Bius 3/29/1927-
Julia Bius 9/15/1929-
Jake Thomas Bius Jr 1/1/1932-

Also she raised Jake's child from his first marriage; Vernon W "Slim" Bius 12/5/1914 - 5/17/1986