This week's topic for #52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is "Earning a Living." My ancestors earned their living in the same way - as coal miners, farmers, and housewives. My father was the first generation out of the mines and my mom was the first who was not a miner or farmer's wife.
My maternal grandfather, Anthony Butzek (Martinek), worked as both a farmer and a coal miner. Not having been raised on a farm, he learned how to farm from reading books and other materials. People scoffed, but he apparently had a good farm despite the depression. He died young, killed in a mine accident.
My paternal grandfather, Mike Martin, worked in the mines from a young age. He was crippled by falling coal, and black lung disease contributed to his death. His father was killed in a mine accident (with my grandfather and uncle standing next to him when the accident occurred).
The women in the family were housewives. None except my grandmother worked outside the home, and she had to work since she lost her husband when she still had two young children to support. As farmer's wives, these women worked hard year-round. As a coal miner's wife, their lives must have been physically and emotionally hard, never knowing if their husband would come home.
My farming ancestors are my American lines - stretching back through southern Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia. My coal mining ancestors stretch back into Eastern Europe, England, and Scotland.
The chart below shows five generations of occupations.
I was thinking of making the same type family tree for this week. Was going to look for a form to use so it might save me time. Part of my family will go back further than others. But I think it’s a good way to look at family, not one individual.
ReplyDeleteGreat story, Cathy! Interesting, but tragic how this dangerous line of work impacted your ancestors. I love the occupations chart you used — I might steal that idea! :-)
ReplyDeleteCoal mining was such a hard life. I love your chart of occupations.
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