slideshow

CHIEF LOGAN STATE PARK — The 50th 22 Holden Reunion was held at Chief Logan State Logan Park on Sunday, June 10, 2012, at Shelter 6. A special Coal Miner’s Memorial and Candle Lighting Ceremony was also held in honor of all the men that worked at No. 22 Holden Mine.

This year’s reunion was dedicated to those who passed away since last year’s 2011-2012 reunion. They are Bernace Richardson; Louise Maynard Ramey Moorehouse; Mary Elizabeth Cole; Bernie Ellis; Joann Padgett Bell; Boyd Blankenship; Ted Austin Bradshaw; Patricia Jeanine Bradshaw; Norman Odell Padgett; Jacob Herald Jr.; Helen Messer Hunt; Brenda Barto; Danny Bruce Gilman; Debra Sissy Wallace; Randell Lee Maynard Jr.; Lucy Maynard; Vivian Balog; Betty Hanshaw Toppings: Curtis Blankenship; Shirley Jane Pack Cole; Loranza “LD” Fields Jr.; Ruth Ann Nichols Mullins; Carole Sue Brumfield Bradshaw, and Rita Kay Hensley. The memories of these loved ones will forever live in the hearts of the 22 Holden friends and family.

The oldest people in attendance were Ethel Nimmie and Rose Farmer, both of Henlawson, Bill and Alice Young of Woodlyn, Pa., Lawrence Dulcie of Cleveland, Ohio; Laveta Fields of Port Orange, Fla.; Bob Padgett and Kenneth Canterbury, both of Holden, Bill and Janet Bodo of Ashland, Ky., Helen Pusta Tirnaid of Stantford, Conn., and Dora Lee Lyons Blunk of Southpoint, Ohio.

Those traveling the farthest were Clara Pusta Jefferson of Riverside, Calif., Judy Smith Daniels of Houston, Texas, Hubert and Vicki Hall of Charlotte, N.C., Judy Brown Ball of Titusville, Fla., Helen Pusta Tirnadi and daughter Diana of Stantford, Conn., Bill and Alice Young of Woodlyn, Pa., Vivian Lovick and Naoma Maynard Fritz, both of Victoria, Texas, Loren Tomblin of Douglasville, Ga., Barbara Middleton of Phoenix, Ariz., John and Linda Bodo of Macon, Ga., John and Barbara Mays Black of McMinnville, Tenn., Laveta Fields of Florida, Willard and Carol Moore of Deland, Fla., Ed “Ollie” and Lorretta Robinson of Grundy, N.C., Billy Reynolds of Titusville, Fla., Tolbert Maynard of Surprise, Ariz., Ralph and Shirley Welch of Lexington, Ky., and Don A. Weaver of Mooreland, Ind.

Those attending this year’s reunion include Kenneth Canterbury; Judy Smith Daniels; Hubert and Vicki Hall; Don A. Weaver; Olga June Maynard Miskov; Tom and Ann Hall Curry; Charlotte Adams Dowdy; Ralph and Shirley Welch; Helen Pusta Tirnadi; Diana Tirnadi; Bill and Janet Bodo; Jerry Lyons; Mary Bodo Evans; Mike and Patty Bodo Sazy; Harold Hanshaw and Bill and Alice Young.

Vivian Lovick; Naoma Maynard Fritz; Edmund Owen Napier and Bev; Barbara Middleton; Rose Mary Adams Stiwinter; Mary Kathryn Wallace Jervis; Ray and Debroh Fogg; Pam Fogg; Charlie Wallace; Avenell Booton; Kim Pauley; Hannah Pauley; Linda Williamson; Pat Curry Maynard; William and Frieda Brumfield; Dora Lee Lyons Blunk; Aldo Ardis; Lucian Ardis; Robert Ardis; Frank Ardis Jr.; Laveta Fields; Debbie Fields Sokolowski; John and Linda Bodo; Barbara Padgett Smith; Vicki Padgett; John and Barbara Mays Black and Wilburn Vanatter Jr.

Ernest Rockel; Brenda Dailey; Nathan Dailey; Sara Herald Baisden; Willard and Carol Moore; Daniel Miskov; Madison Miskov; Morgan Miskov; Diana Horvath Hill; Loren Tomblin; Joe A. Hall; Darrell and Goldie Maynard; John Mays; Sue Maynard Starr; Sandy G. Starrl Danny Nelsonl Aloma Maynard Nelsonl Jim Sheppardl Jessica Moorel Ethan Moorel Danny L. Moorel Debra Hagerl Lorretta Estep Robisonl Ed “Ollie” Robison; Mandy Hinkle; Brenda Moore Hensley; George and Glenna Moore Colman; Stuart Mullins and James S. Mullins.

Isom Ooten; Christinia Holcomb; Gladys Hensley Gilman; Shearell Moore Ball; Sharon Gallion; Tony and Julianna Dardi; Bonnie Pauley Vannatter; Betty Burgett Meade; Teresa Martin Meade; Emmanuel Meade; Phyllis Hanshaw Boggess; Clara Pusta Jefferson; Charles and Cathy Maynard; Carol Sue Hanshaw Ross; Bill Sheppard; Amy Carter; Judy Brown Ball; Arnold Hensley; Charlotte Wheeler; John Brennan; Charles D. Maynard; Bob and Mary White Padgett; Bennett Hatfield; Julianna Carter; Lawrence Dulcie; Joseph Dulcie; Margaret Padgett Carter; Charles Jr.”Buddy”and Alta Maynard; Dave and Pam Cunningham; Errol Frye; Linda McCallister Brannan; Jackie Bell Jr.; Katie Bell; Allison Bell; Joseph Bell; Sophie Bell; Herman Mays; Rebecca Hanshaw Butcher and Paul Adams.

Mike Adams; Charlotte Adams; Rose Farmer; Joann Farmer; Maggie Perry Bridgford; Todd Bridgford; Donald and Linda Padgett; Brenda Tomblin Dillon; Andrea Santos; Steven and Jill Stone; Tolbert Maynard; Barbara Middleton; Kathryn Barto Conley; Sammy E. Cutlip; Roger and Dabney Bryant; Mary Barto Evans; Karen Browning; Abby Browning; Ethel Nimmie; Sandy Herald; Vivian Napier; Bruce and Phyllis Collinsworth; Angie Ball Maynard; Beta Maynard McCallister; Donald Workman; Juanita Workman Kiss; James Maynard; Patty Young Taylor; Cicil Stanley Burgett; Barbara Mowery; Billy Rynolds; Martha Sparks; Sid Craddock; Mary Barto Evans; Natalie Nives; Alexandra Nives; Michelle Nives; Johnny Preece and Connie Maynard Preece.

Hostess Connie Maynard Preece opened the Reunion by introducing the agenda for the day and for The Coal Miner Memorial Service to be held.

Preece introduced Roger Bryant who sang the opening song “Take Me Home Country Roads” and a medley of coal miner tunes.

Aldo Ardis lit a large white candle in “Remembering all our Coal Miners on this 50th Reunion and their Labor of Love” who worked at the Island Creek No. 22 Holden Mine. Tommy Curry lead in a special prayer for the day.

Andrea Santos, sang “In My Life” and “If We Never Meet Again”, accompanied by Tony Dardi on the guitar. Curry had a scripture message, reading from Psalms and Proverbs.

Preece introduced Pat Bodo Sazy to speak on “Coal Mining Symbols, Reflections and Remembrances” and lead the Memorial Candle Lighting Ceremony, with a silent prayer for the family and friends of the deceased 18 miners. Pat Bodo Sazy had a special table with 18 candles for the 18 miners that perished in a fire at the No. 22 Holden Mine on March 8, 1960. As Sazy read the names of the 18 miners, family and friends lit a candle in remembrance of the deceased. The deceased miners, along with who lit a candle in their memory, were Charles Adams (friend), Frank Ardis (sons Aldo, Lucian, Robert and Frank Jr.), Ernest Bevins (friend), Okey Bryant (friend), James Carter (friend), Josh Chafin (friend), Roy Lee Dempsey (friend), Bill Donaldson (friend), Garfield Hensley (daughter-in-law Brenda Hensley), F.L. Jarrells (friend), Berti Horvath (daughter Diana Horvath Hill), Jack Lundell (friend), Albert Marcum (friend), Melvin Newsome (friend), Orval Sargent (friend), Isom Ooten (nephew Wilburn Vanatter Jr.), Clyde White (friend), and Louis Workman (niece Juanita Workman Kiss).

Preece asked everyone to hold hands as Andrea Santos and Julianna and Tony Dardi sang “Friends” and “Forever Young”.

Each person was given a special memorial Bookmark from Pat and Mike Sazy, also a small piece of coal from the old tipple No. 22 Holden Mine site was given by Connie and Johnny Preece.

A Coal Miner’s Quilt was hung by Pat Bodo Sazy. Name cards of the deceased and living coal miners were pinned to the quilt that worked at the No. 22 Holden Mine in memory of their service and labor of love for their families. The following list of name cards were pinned to the coal miner’s quilt, by family, friends and relatives: Charles Adams, Frank Ardis, Ernest Bevins, Okey Bryant, James Carter, Josh Chafin, Roy Lee Dempsey, Bill Donaldson, Garfield Hensley, Berti Horvath, F.L. Jerrells, Jack Jundell, Albert Marcum, Melvin Newsome, Isom Ooten, Orval Sargent, Clyde White and Louis Workman.

Chester F. “Droopy” Adams, Floyd Adams, Harry P. Adams, Jack Bell, Bill Bodo, John Bodo Sr., Eddie Brown, Clell Brumfield, Cecil Burgett, Kenneth Canterbury, Raymond Canterbury, Luther Cornett, Ted Cornett, Leonard Curry, Mayo Curry, Sheldford L. Cutlip, Milie Estep, Roland Jack Estep, Howard Farmer, Ray Fogg, Oliver Donald Fogg, Billy Gallion, Ermal Fry, Roy Hall Sr., Phillip Hanshaw, Arnold Hensley, L.D. Hensley, Lewis Hensley, Jake Hearld, Harry Hearld, Red Loyns, Charles “Gene” McCallister, Milton White, Burgess Maynard, Gilbert Maynard, Girlie Maynard, Tolbert Maynard, William T. Maynard, Elijah Mays, Gartha Meade, Sampson Moore, Blaine Napier, Morgan Napier, Odell Padgett, Elijah Pauley, Noah Rockel, Powell Smith, Claude Smith, Scott Spaulding, Ruodel Spaulding, Sherman Spaulding, Bob Sturgill, James Tomblin, Wilburn Vanatter Sr., Gover Vance, Ernie Wallace, Ellot Perry, Walter Williamson, Amos Williamson, Allee Williamson, John Brown, Billy Young, John Brown, Truman Maynard, Stumpy Maynard, C. Rudolph Dulcie, Walter Frank Sutherland, Ruban Kirk, Howard Young Jr., Jake Smith, Jessie Sutherland, Zion Fields, Lorunza “LD” Fields, Charles “Charlie” Maynard Sr., Dallas Weaver, Theodore Pusta, Howard Sutherland, Norman Odell Padgett, Garlen Sperry, Carl Nichols, Shelby Wheler, Taylor Workman, Wetzel Maynard, Joe A. Hall, Howard Workman, John Barto, Denver Bays, Gazie Barto, Joe Dulcie Matt Dulcie, Lawrence Dulcie, Sam Nimmie, Robert Baisden, Jack Canterbury, Donald Canterbury, Tommy Crank, George Brewster, George Sutherland, Ralph Tipton, Homer Moorehouse, Mack McCallister, Everett Adkins, John Walsh, Grover Wooten, James W. Taylor, Ossie Tomblin, Sid Thompson, Lonnie Elkins, Edward Ratliff, Charles Rice, Orvill Stanley, Gordon Swetnem, Lee Salyers, Liwis Smith, Nathan Bryant, Charlie Cole, Tracy Pack, Edward Perry, Billy Doss, James McCallister,Jack Garcia, Morris Daniels, Pete Mullins, Wetzel Bradshaw, Elva Pack, Jessie Blankenship, Claudis Gibson, Robert Briant and Jack Peters.

The two oldest living miners, Bill Young and Lawrence Dulcie each received a memorial coal miner statue.

Bryant played the song “Big Bad John” as well as other selections as the people fellowshipped, took pictures and talked as the food was prepared for lunch. Tommy Curry prayed and blessed the food. Everyone enjoyed the day and had wonderful meal.

The No. 22 Holden Reunion spanned from June 1962 to June 10, 2012. Fifty years have come and gone, but the Little Coal Camp Community 22 Holden at Pine Creek will always be considered as home to all that lived there.

“As we think back about our friends and neighbors we realize that a lifetime is not to long to live as friends,” said Preece. “Thanks to all the hosts that continued the 22 Reunion through the years passed so we would meet again. We want to thank Roger Bryant for all his help with the singing and assistance. A very special thank you goes to Bruce Collinsworth, the best superintendent of Chief Logan State Park, the best park in West Virginia. May God Bless all that came to our last No. 22 Reunion, and those that could not. It is our wish that we all take care, stay in touch with each other, until we meet again.”