Honoring Ancestors Who Died in Mines

On Labor Day we commemorate working people and the labor movement by observing Labor Day, our national holiday established to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations." Labor Day was born out of the Industrial Revolution and that revolution was fueled by coal. Many of my ancestors worked in coal pits in Australia, Canada, England, Scotland, and the United States. Today, I would like to remember and honor those men who were killed working in coal mines.

John Franklin Austin (1915-1943)
Age at Death: 27
Relationship: First husband of the wife of my third cousin once removed, Clyde Hilton Key (1911-1987)
Parents: Harry F. Austin and Mattie E. Parker
Cause of Death: Crushed between a train and the wall of the coal mine.
Death Location: United States
New Nipper Killed in the Mine

William Collins (1850-1917)
Age ag Death: 67
Relationship: Second husband of my great great grandmother, Clementine (Wells) Riggin (1846-1932)
Parents: William Collins and Mary Lang
Cause of Death: Killed by a fall of slate at the Donk Brothers Coke & Coal Company
Death Location: United States
Coal Mining: A Dangerous Occupation

George White Dick (1871-1925)
Age at Death: 54
Relationship: Husband of my first cousin times removed, Henrietta Brown Muir (1874-1939)
Parents: Thomas and Margaret White
Cause of Death: Shock following injuries sustained after being crushed at Hopeturn Colliery
Death Location: Scotland

Andrew Cairns Muir (1902-1936)
Age at Death: 34
Relationship: Adopted son of my first cousin three times removed, Nathaniel Muir (1872-1936)
Parents: Birth -- Andrew Cairns and Elizabeth Cameron; Adopted: Nathaniel Muir and Ann "Annie" Hutton
Cause of Death: Died of injuries sustained when the roof of the mine where he was working collapsed and fell on him.
Fatal Colliery Accident

Alexander Paterson (1886-1944)
Age at Death: 57
Relationship: Husband of my third cousin once removed, Henrietta Cassells Lively (1892-1948)
Parents: John Paterson and Marion Scoular
Cause of Death: Asphyxia after being smothered by a fall of coal, stone, and dirt when mine ceiling collapsed.
Death Location: Scotland

James Richardson (1896-1921)
Age at Death: 24
Relationship: Second cousin twice removed
Parents: Hugh Richardson and Janet Muir
Cause of Death: Changing a trolley pole and came into contact with a live wire and he was electrocuted.
Electrocuted in the Frederick Mine

James Richardson (1886-1921); photo courtesy of Ancestry.com
member and DNA match BarbZale

William Brown Shaw (1866-1878)
Age at Death: 12
Relationship: Step-son of three times great uncle Robert Orr Muir (1839-1917)
Parents: Unknown father and Mary Watson (Shaw) Muir
Cause of Death: Died of injuries sustained when he fell out of cage ascending the pit shaft.
Death Location: Scotland
Fatal Coal Pit Accident

Daniel Boone Wells (1856-1910)
Age at Death: 54
Relationship: Third great uncle
Parents: James Wells and Mary Hearelson
Cause of Death: Killed instantly under a fall of coal at the face of his room at the Lumaghi Coal Company's No. 2 mine.
Death Location: United States
Coal Mining: A Dangerous Occupation

Wordless Wednesday: Argonne Cross

The Argonne Cross is located in Arlington National Cemetery and commemorates the memories "of our men in France."

The Argonne Cross at Arlington National Cemetery; from my personal collection

My great great grandmother's step-son, Julius Franklin Collins was killed on 30 September 1918 in Argonne, France.

The grave marker of Julius Franklin Collins at the cemetery in Europe where
he was originally buried. He was latter disinterred and returned home to be
buried at Troy City Cemetery in Troy, Illinois, beside his father; photograph
courtesy of Mark H. Collins

The idea for this post came from Geneabloggers.com.

Wordless Wednesday: Donk Brothers Coal Company, Troy Mine

The family of Henry and Josephine Lucretia (Hinzen) Donk came to the United States from Crefeld, Prussia (now Krefeld, Germany). They settled in Peoria, Illinois, where their children attended private schools. The elder son, August Donk, founded the coal firm, A. F. Donk & Co. in St. Louis, Missori, in 1861. August's younger, Edmund followed him to St. Louis in 1868 and joined the firm. Later, Edmund and August became partners. Edmund assumed the presidency of the company upon his brother's death in 1894. The company was incorporated under the name Donk Brothers Coal Co. It owned three mines in Madison County near Collinsville, Marysville, and Troy.

Edmund Donk died in 1914 and at some point in the 1920s the company's mines in Illinois were leased or sold. One of the descendants of William Collins (1850-1917), who was my great great grandmother's second husband sent me a photograph of the coal mine near Troy.

Abandoned Donk Brothers Coal Co. mine near Troy, Illinois; photograph
courtesy of William A. Shaffer

Many of my Riggin ancestors worked at Donk Brothers. William Collins, my great great grandmother's second husband, was killed by a fall of slate at the mine on 23 July 1917. He died at home several hours after being injured.

Excerpt from the Coal in Illinois, 1918 (page 199) which may be found on Internet
Archive

"July 23, 1917, William Collins, miner, aged 68 years, married, was killed by a fall of slate in Donk Bros. Coke and Coal Company's No. 3 mine. He leaves a widow."

Such a terse description of tragedy.

The idea for this post came from Geneabloggers.com.

52 Ancestors #14: Photographs of my Great Great Grandmother

Ancestor: Clementine (WELLS) Riggin Collins (1846-1932)

For a long time I thought the only photograph I would have of my great great grandmother was one of a Riggin family reunion in which I didn't know which person was Clementine. But before I share with you my new favorite photographs, I'll tell you a little about her.

Clementine Wells was the eldest daughter of James M. and Mary (Hearelson) Wells, born in Virginia and North Carolina, respectively, who had migrated west to Illinois before 1839 or 1840 when their eldest son was born. Clementine was born on 16 November 1846 in Illinois. She was one of seven known children.

By 1860 James Wells and his family were living in Township 4 North, Range 7 West in Madison County. The township was later named Pin Oak. James' personal estate was valued at $868 but no value was assigned to his real estate. I believe he rented the land from someone else as no record of a land sale has been located for James Wells. All seven children were still living at home. The township was 25 miles east of St. Louis, and a horse ferry had been established across the Mississippi river by 1863.

A prosperous farm in Pin Oak Township; image courtesy of the book,
History of Madison County, published in 1882 by W. R. Brink

When Clementine was 15 years old her father died in 1861. She and a widower, John Wesley Riggin, received a marriage license from Madison County, on 20 February 1870. However, when the 1870 census was enumerated on 25 August 1870, John W. Riggin and his three young children were living at the home of his younger brother. His mother, a sister and her child also lived there. There was no mention of Clementine.

By 1880 John and Clementine lived in Pin Oak Township. John was a farmer of about 25 acres, which he rented. His two younger children by his first wife lived in the home and he and Clementine had five of their six children. My great grandmother, Ida Mae, was 9 months old. All of the other children had attended school during the census year. Their youngest son was born in 1881.

Their children were:

• Orlando Marion Riggin: born 6 December 1871, died 27 April 1952, married 1) Ethel L Voorhus in 1895 (divorced), one child and 2) Marguerite Lillian Opitz in 1903. Removed to Chicago between 1880 and 1895. 
• Lawrence Wesley Riggin: born 14 October 1872, died 12 March 1938, married Mary Korbut in 1905, no children. 
• Henry Wilburn Riggin: born 17 May 1875, died 21 January 1954, never married. Removed to California sometime after his mother's death.
• Thomas Albert Riggin: born 23 April 1877, 3 September 1952, married Triphosa Bowker in 1904, one child.
• Ida Mae Riggin: born 8 August 1879, died 3 August 1909, married Robert Muir in 1902, two children.
• John Andrew Riggin: 15 October 1881, died 3 June 1970, married Elise Prall in 1906 (divorced), one child and 2) Barbara Alice Hatherly before 1929. Removed to California between 1912 and 1918.

The farm, while small, seemed to be a going concern, used primarily to raise stock. Only two acres were tilled. The remaining land was pasture. The family had two horses, two cows, two sheep, eight swine, and thirteen chickens. They gathered eggs and made their own cheese and butter. The family did grow Indian corn, oats, wheat and Irish potatoes, some of which I imagine was feed for the livestock. After John's death, the family left the farm.

John W. Riggin died between 1881 and 1897, for it was in the latter year that Clementine remarried. On 29 April 1897 she and William Collins received a marriage license from Madison County. He was a widower with 13-year-old and 9-year-old sons.

A photograph from one of my grandmother's albums of a Riggin family
reunion in Troy, Illinois, sometime in the 1920s

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The arrows along the bottom identify three of Grandma's uncles sitting in the front row. From left to right, Henry, John, and Lawrence. Another uncle, Albert, was identified standing in the back row second from the left. Grandma also wrote, "Granny and Aunt Becky straight back from Uncle John." (Aunt Becky was actually Grandma's grand aunt, who was the second wife of John W. Riggin's brother, James Carroll Riggin.) From the social columns of the Troy Call and Edwardsville Intelligencer, I've deduced Clementine and Rebecca were great friends. The problem: I didn't know which one was which!

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They were married twenty years before William Collins was mortally injured by a fall of slate at Donk Brothers Coke & Coal Co. on 23 July 1917. His badly injured body was taken to their home where he died a few hours later.

In 1920 Clementine and her unmarried son, Henry, were living with Thomas Albert, who went by Albert, and his wife and daughter. I met "Aunt Fosie" as my grandmother called her in 1974. She died the next year at the age of 89. Oh, how I wish now I would have asked her about memories of her mother-in-law! Ten years later, Clementine and Henry lived in the town of Troy and owned their own home, which was valued at $1,500. They didn't yet have a radio.

Clementine (Wells) Riggin Collins with three of her five sons; photograph
courtesy of William A. Shaffer, who likely received it from Stacey Evans

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Last October I received a message on my personal Facebook page from a grandson of one of William Collins sons, John Henry Collins. He ended up with all his grandfather's photographs and had two of Clementine. From left to right: Thomas Albert, Henry Wilburn, and Lawrence Wesley Riggin standing behind their mother.

In the next photograph, Clementine is standing second from the left in the light colored skirt. Her second husband, William Collins, is behind her to the right.

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Collins Family Gathering; photograph courtesy of William A. Shaffer

Clementine (Wells) Riggin Collins died on 1 April 1932 in Troy at the age of 86. She was buried three days later in Troy City Cemetery with her second husband, William Collins. His son, Julius Franklin Collins, who was killed in action in 1918 during World War I was buried beside them.

This is my entry for Amy Johnson Crow's 52 ancestors in 52 weeks challenge optional theme Favorite Photo.

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Newly Discovered Photos
A Wanderer Returns
The Too Brief Life of Ida Mae (Riggin) Muir
A Gift in My Inbox
Genealogy Happy Dance of the Year...Maybe the Decade
A Surprise in My Inbox
A Real Find

52 Ancestors #36: A Soldier Boy's Creed (Updated)

Ancestor Name: Julius Franklin COLLINS

Julius Franklin Collins was one of the young men of the lost generation of World War One. He was killed on 30 September 1918 in Argonne, France, and was newly married and 30 years old at the time of his death.

When he completed his registration card for the draft on 5 June 1917, he was single, lived at 4217 Cook Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri, and owned a gift and art shop. He was described as tall, slight of build with brown eyes and black hair. Early the next year he married Edith Audrey Wolff, also of St. Louis.

Before Julius left to fight for the American Expeditionary Forces in Europe, he wrote A Soldier's Creed, which was published in several newspapers, including Julius' hometown paper, the Troy Call.

As published in the Troy Call on 12 July 1918

The 56th Infantry Regiment was organized in mid June 1917 at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia and attached to 3rd Brigade, 7th Infantry Division in World War One. The brigade's infantry and reconnaissance elements were involved with skirmishes with German troops but the division never participated as a whole in any engagements during the war. However, once such "skirmish," which took place on 30 September 1918, was fatal for Julius Franklin Collins.

On 1 November 1918, the story of his death was front page news in the Troy Call:

JULIUS COLLINS DEAD

Reported Killed in Action in France on September 30

Is First Troy Boy to Lose Life on Battlefield "Over There"

Relatives and friends in Troy were shocked and grieved Wednesday upon learning that Julius Collins, a former Troy boy, had lost his life in action in France on Monday, September 30th. He is the first Troy boy to be killed in action in the present war.

The information was received here by John Collins, a brother, from the dead soldier boy's wife who is residing in St. Louis. No further particulars, aside from the usual announcement by the War Department are known but it is hoped these will be received by letter from his superior officer or from some member of his company.

Young Collins went into the army on May 12th in St. Louis and was sent to Camp McArthur at Waco, Texas, for training. He sailed for France on August 1st and was in that country just two months. The last letter received from him by relatives here was written on September 8th.

Julius Collins was the son of the late Mr. and Mrs. William Collins and was born in Troy on August 1, 1888. His mother, whose maiden name was McMakin, died when he was an infant and his father was killed in a mine accident a year ago last July. After receiving a common school education, he went to work and and for a number of years was employed in the office of John Small, a prominent contractor, but for the past several years he had conducted ...[illegible]... Chicago are uncles and Mrs. Clementine Collins of Collinsville his step-mother.

Julius was a young man of exemplary character and habits and was admired by all who knew him. He was an energetic and capable young man and as such was successful in his undertakings. He was the author of "A Soldier Boy's Creed," an outline of nine points for guidance of soldier boys, which was published in The Call in its issue of July 12th. The creed was inspired by thinking over why he was in the army and the part he was to play in the present world undertaking. He admitted that the thoughts outlined had helped him and he had them printed on cards for distribution to other soldier boys in the hope that they would help them, too."

Julius Franklin Collin's headstone; courtesy of
Findagrave.com member DianaR

Julius Franklin Collins was buried in the Troy City Cemetery.

This is my entry for Amy Johnson Crow's 52 ancestors in 52 weeks challenge.

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I have written about Julius and his Creed before but have learned more details about his life since then. Thanks to a contact made as a result of this blog with one of his brother John's descendants.

Julius Franklin Collins was born on 1 August 1888 in Troy, Illinois, to William and Ida May (McMakin) Collins. His father had immigrated to the U.S. from England with his parents as a young boy. His mother died when he was an infant. He married Edith Audrey Wolff on 28 February 1918 and joined the Army on 12 May 1918. He shipped to France with his unit on 1 August 1918 and was killed in France on 30 September 1918.  Julius Franklin Collins was the step-son of my great great grandmother Clementine (Wells) Riggin Collins.

More posts about my ancestors who fought in World War One

Honoring those Who Died in the Service of Their Countries

In observance of Memorial Day and the centenary of World War I, I would like to honor my ancestors who died in the service of their countries during the Great War or the War to End All Wars. I have several more ancestors who served in the war, but at this time I know two of them died on foreign soil.

Collins, Julius Franklin: born 1 Aug 1888, died 30 Sep 1918, Argonne, France. Served in Co M, 39 Infantry, 4th Division.

Julius was the step-son of my great great grandmother Clementine Wells. He was born on 1 August 1888 in Troy, Illinois to William and Ida May (McMakin) Collins. His father had immigrated to the U.S. from England with his parents as a young boy. When Julius registered for the draft in 1917 he was 28 years old, lived in St. Louis and owned a gift and art shop. He married Edith Audrey Wolf in July 1918. Three months later, he was dead in the forests of Argonne, France. Before he left to fight in Europe, he wrote A Soldier Boy's Creed, which was published in several newspapers in the midwest, including his hometown paper, the Troy Call.

A Soldier Boy's Creed by Julius Franklin Collins

Julius' remains were buried in the Troy City Cemetery. His father had been killed by a fall of slate in a coal mine just the year before. To date, I have been unable to trace Julius' wife, Edith Audrey Wolf.

Semple, William: born 10 Apr 1896, died 8 May 1915, Gallipoli, Turkey. Served with the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces, Canterbury Infantry Regiment.

William Semple

William was my second cousin three times removed. He was born on 10 Apr 1896 in New Zealand to Alexander and Alice (Thompson) Semple. He was the grandson of Scottish immigrants. At the age of  19, he was killed in Gallipoli, Turkey, on 8 May 1915. Only two weeks earlier, thousands of young men stormed the beaches on the Gallipoli peninsula. At the end of the eight-month campaign 2,779 New Zealanders had been killed, about a fifth of the total who fought on Gallipoli. Australians and New Zealanders celebrated ANZAC Day last month. One of my Worldwide Genealogy -- A Genealogical Collaboration bloggers wrote a wonderful post (Australian perspective) commemorating the day.

William was buried in Turkey at the Twelve Tree Copse Cemetery. The cemetery was created after the armistice when graves were brought to the site from isolated sites and small burial grounds on the battlefields. The cemetery also contains the Twelve Tree Copse (New Zealand Memorial), one of four memorials erected to commemorate unknown New Zealand soldiers. In 2000 my Semple research collaborator, and fourth cousin once removed was privileged to attend a sunrise service at the memorial in honor of her grand uncle, William.

Twelve Tree Copse (New Zealand Memorial), Gallipoli, Canakkale, Turkey

Coal Mining: A Dangerous Occupation

Coal once fueled the Industrial Revolution and many of my ancestors were miners. Coal was discovered in Illinois, by La Salle in 1683. Father Louis Hennepin, a Recollect missionary, made the first historical mention of coal in the state, describing a day when La Salle became separated from his party:

"On the second day they found him, his face and hand all black with the coals and wood he had lighted during the night, which was cold. There are Indian mines of coal, slate and iron, and lumps of pure red copper."

The first coal seam in Madison county was discovered in 1840 and mine operators were quick to take advantage, opening several drift mines in the county. By 1911 there were 27 mines in Madison County, employing over 4,000 men, who in dangerous circumstances, removed nearly 4 million tons of coal from the ground annually.

Drift mine entry circa 1908. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Using World War I registration cards(1), I discovered many of my ancestors living in Madison County, Illinois, worked for Donk Brothers Coal and Coke Company at the time they registered for the draft.

World War I draft registration card for William Riggin (1890-1967)

• Henry Wilbur Riggin was a blacksmith at the mine
• William Riggin was a miner
• Ova Lawrence Hudgens worked in coal mines for over 30 years, first as a miner then as an electrician
• William Collins was a miner

There were more, but I didn't capture their occupations at the time I looked at their registration cards. I will have to go back and do that.

The Annual Coal Report of the Illinois Department of Mines and Minerals proves how dangerous mining can be. In this report I found two men who were related to my great great grandmother, Clementine Wells Riggin/Collins that died in the mines:

• Daniel Boone Wells, Clementine's brother, was killed instantly in 1910 "under a fall of coal at the face of his room." He was 54 years old.
• William Collins, Clementine's second husband, was killed on 23 Jul 1917 "by a fall of slate." He was 68 years old.

Photograph of a Riggin family reunion in the early 1920s. The woman I believe to be Clementine Wells Riggin/Collins is circled. Her son, Henry Wilburn Riggin, is also circled.

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(1)24 million registration cards were created as a result of the draft.

The Frustrations of Specificity...Looking for Details

One of the wonderful relatives I've met on Ancestry.com is my third cousin once removed. My great great grandmother and her great grand aunt is Clementine Wells. The Wells family has been tough to track down. We can find out a lot of information about people all around the family, but very little specifically about the Wells. One of my recent book acquisitions provides a great example.

The Troy, Illinois History and Families, published in 2003 by the Troy Historical Society has this to say about the William Collins family:

"William and Mary (Lang) Collins were born and married in Devonshire, England, and came to the United States with their year old son, William in 1850. After settling in Troy, they had three more sons -- James, John and Franklin. James moved to St Louis; John, to St Jacob; and Franklin spent most of his adult life working for local Troy banker, W W Jarvis, and his family as groundskeeper and handyman.

The eldest son, William Collins, worked in the Troy coal mines and married a local girl, Ida McMakin. To this union were born two sons, John Henry and Julius Franklin. Ida died at 29, leaving a 5-year-old and an infant. Needing mother's milk, the baby was sent to nurse with Mrs William Gebauer, who's son Teddy, was the same age. This was a common practice in those days and was called wet nursing.

William later married a widow, Caroline Riggin, who had four adult sons -- Lawrence, John, Bert and Henry. (Note: William's second wife was named Clementine, not Caroline, and Clementine had six children, not four.) In 1917 Mr. Collins was killed in an accident at Donk Brothers mine in Troy."

Here what we know to be true:

Clementine's first husband was John Wesley Riggin. He and Clementine had six children. John died in 1881. Several years later Clementine married William Collins, a widower with two sons. Tragically, William was killed in a 1917 mining accident at Donk Brothers Coal and Coke Company when a slab of slate fell on him, killing him instantly.

Underground hospital at the Donk Brothers mine

Clementine died in 1932; both are buried in the Troy City Cemetery.

Headstone for William and Clementine (Wells) Riggin/Collins

William's son Julius moved to St Louis where he met and married Audrey Wolf. He was killed in action during World War I in Argonne, France. William's other son, John, enlisted in the Navy and served in China, Hawaii, South and Central America. He suffered a slight leg wound in Nicaragua when his unit was putting down an uprising. In 1913 he married Ethel Morriss.

Veteran marker for Julius Franklin Collins

The Collins family biography for the book published by the Troy Historical Society was written by one of John's descendants. My new-found relative and genealogy collaborator and I learned a lot about the Collins family, but nothing about the Wells. So frustrating! But always interesting.

Sunday's Obituary: A Real Find

9 Sep 2013 Update: I added a scan of the actual newspaper clipping.

Earlier this year, I brought my Dad's genealogy files home.  They were filled with great old documents, but this was something I had been searching for through the online archives of the Troy Weekly Call for months. It was an old clipping of Ida Mae Riggin's obituary. Ida was my great grandmother and died when she was 29 years old.

Mrs. Robert Muir, nee Ida Riggin, died at the home of her mother, Mrs. William Collins, in Troy, Tuesday morning at 3:30 o'clock, after an illness of six months. Mrs. Muir contracted a severe case of the grippe in March which later developed into tuberculosis, causing her death on the day above mentioned. She was well known here having kept house for her brothers the Messrs. Riggins for about four years. If she would have lived until Sunday she would have reached the age of thirty years. She was married in 1902 and of this union were born two children, Henry aged six years and Alice aged three who with the father survive her.

Mr. and Mrs. Muir resided here for about a year after their marriage, then locating in Missouri where they remained for about two years and then to O'Fallon, where they have since resided. About three weeks previous to her death, she expressed a wish to be taken to her mother's home in Troy, and the journey was immediately made. She was a devoted wife and daughter, a kind and loving mother, and a dear friend to all and the sympathy of this community is with the bereft family in their affliction.

Deceased leaves besides her mother, husband and children, five brothers, Orlando Riggin of Chicago, T. A. and Lawrence W. Riggin of this city; H. W. Riggin of Wichita, Kansas.; and J. A. Riggin of Oakland, California, who were all at her bedside on Sunday before the end came. Many friends mourn her demise, as she was a woman that was loved by all and with whom she came in contact with. The funeral which was largely attended took place from the residence of her mother Wednesday afternoon at two o'clock, the remains being then laid to rest in the Troy Cemetery. The floral offerings were many and beautiful showing the high esteem in which this young woman was held.

Ida Mae (Riggin) Muir is buried in the Troy City Cemetery:

Ida Mae (Riggin) Muir's grave marker.

The idea for this post came from Geneabloggers.

A Soldier Boy's Creed

My great grandmother, Clementine Wells Riggin/Collins', step-son served in World War I. Before he went overseas to join the fighting, Julius Franklin Collins wrote "A Soldier Boy's Creed," which was published nationally.

To believe absolutely in my country and her unselfish devotion to the right.

To be confident that those higher up are utilizing every power in their cause.

To realize that the draft is but an urgent call to a higher duty or those found able to serve.

To conduct myself at all times as the trusted representative of a free and great people.

To protect little children and respect all womankind in every thought and action.

To honor my fellow soldier and by loyal to him in every way.

To be a man among men; to shrink from no task assigned to me; and to be in the right place at the right time.

To remember that living nobly for one's country, enduring silently, achieving quietly may equal the supreme sacrifice.

To know that right is might; that truth will win; and that the true God will surely favor and protect those who deserve it and trust in him.

As published in the Troy Call on July 12, 1918

Julius was killed in action on 30 Sep 1918 in Argonne, France during the Meuse-Argonne offensive. He was the first casualty from Troy, Illinois, in World War I.

Collins' veteran's grave marker. His remains are buried in the Troy City Cemetery.