Coal Mining Memories

The above picture is my Grandpa & Grandma Garretson in 1935. They were from a little town called Brushton, WV. They were a coal mining family. They are with four of their 10 children in this picture. The littlest one is a grandson. The teenage boy is my Daddy.

Grandma Mary Garretson, Grandpa Coy (Poppy) Garretson, and my aunt Stella Garretson.

My uncle Sebert. He was 16 years old in this picture. He died in the mines when he was still a young man, leaving behind a wife and small daughters.

My heart goes out to the families of the WV Coal Mine disaster this week. My family has worked in the mines for generations in Boone County, WV. That is about 27 miles northwest of the mine in Raleigh County that suffered the explosion.

My Grandpa Garretson (Poppy) and my Uncle Sebert worked in the mines. Daddy worked in them awhile but did not like it. When he got older, he worked for the C & O Railroad which hauled the coal out of the mines. My Uncle Kenneth hauled coal out in a big coal truck. My husband even worked for a machine company that repaired equipment for the mines. He used to go down into the mines and repair the equipment on site. I thank God daily that he no longer does that.

I have always felt a deep respect for miners and the work they do. To a miner, it is more than a job. It is a way of life. They understand the dangers, they know the risks. Yet, they do it day in and day out because their fathers and grandfathers worked in the mines. In some cases, it is the only way of life they know.

My father, my grandparents, my uncles and aunts have all passed on. But I remember visiting Grandma Garretson and seeing all the mining towns. My Uncle Kenneth would wash his coal truck on Friday's and then take us on rides around town in the back of it after dark. I dedicate my blog to the miners who have lost their lives and to the families that will miss them. Let's keep them all in our prayers.