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A flurry of funerals begins in coal towns

PHILIPPI, W.Va. - The funerals began early. There were just so many in West Virginia coal mining towns this Sunday.

And after the agonizing heartbreak that played out on television as families learned that 12 miners they thought were alive in the Sago Mine had actually died, the funerals were, for the most part, a private affair.

The miners' relatives and their tight-knit communities filled the services, while police created a protective ring around funeral homes, asking the media not to intrude.

Even from a distance, the pain was clear as nearly 100 mourners hugged one another, many staring at their feet as they walked inside to remember Jackie Weaver, a 52-year-old electrician who had spent 26 years working in the mines.

Weaver always wrote "Jesus saves" in the coal dust of his mine car as he and colleagues descended into the mine, said his cousin, Scotty Felton, 42, of Philippi.

"He was a wonderful man with a wonderful sense of humor," said Melanie Hayhurst, 44, a friend from Fairmont.

There were so many funerals it was occasionally difficult for the funeral home employees to remember the times and locations without checking.

Wright Funeral Home worker Pete Sandridge's eyes filled with tears when he was asked if he knew any of the miners. All he could manage was to hold up four fingers, then walk away.

First was Martin Toler Jr., whose funeral was held Sunday morning in Tesla. Next was Weaver's service in Philippi at 1 p.m. Services for David Lewis, Jesse Jones and Alva Bennett were an hour later, in Philippi and Buckhannon. Jerry Groves' memorial service was later in Cleveland.

"I know I'll see him again," said Groves' wife of nearly 29 years, Debbie, speaking during the memorial service. "Eternity is forever. Our time here is just a vapor."

More funerals are planned this week - three today, two on Tuesday. Another had yet to be scheduled.

The lone survivor of the mine, 26-year-old Randal McCloy Jr., remained hospitalized in Morgantown and had yet to wake up Sunday after several days of heavy sedation.

Near the mine, which has been sealed off by regulators, more than 100 people gathered Sunday at the Sago Baptist Church, the building where they kept vigil for more than 40 hours after the explosion last Monday. The Rev. Wease Day urged worshipers not to look for someone to blame. Instead, Day said, worshipers should imagine they had only 10 hours to live, and write a note about how they would spend those final hours.

McCloy's wife, Anna, asked that attention Sunday focus on those whose lives were to be remembered: "Please keep all the families in your thoughts and prayers."

[Last modified January 9, 2006, 00:57:08]