In December 1930, John E. Hoover was killed at the Big Lick Colliery of the Williamstown Mines, Williamstown, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. His obituary, as published by a local newspaper is presented first, followed by the verdict of the Coroner’s Jury.
GRATZ MINE VICTIM BURIED SATURDAY
Funeral services for John Edmund Hoover, age 31 years, 6 months and 5 days , were held from the residence in Gratz, Saturday morning, May 10th [1930]. Additional services were held in Hoffman’s Reformed Church and interment was made in the adjoining cemetery, Rev. C. P. Wehr, pastor of the Lykens Valley reformed Charge officiated.
Mr. Hoover died of suffocation when he was caught by a rush of coal while working in the mines of Big Lick Colliery, near Williamstown, Tuesday, May 6th.
Mr. Hoover was born in Lykens Township, October 31, 1898, a son of Edmund Hoover and Lillie A. Hoover. He was married to Miss Anna G. Strayer, April 3, 1920, at the Reformed parsonage, Elizabethville, by the Rev. C. P. Wehr. Mr. Hoover and his family had resided in Gratz the past four years.
Survivors are his widow and one daughter, Phyllis Hoover, age 9 years; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Edmund Hoover of Loyalton; three brothers, Rev. W. M. Hoover, Sunbury; Elwood Hoover and Landon Hoover of Loyalton; and five sisters; Mrs. Lottie Hoover, Elizabethville; Mrs. Carrie Crabb, Elizabethville R.D. 1; Mrs. Sula Dockey, Millersburg; Mrs. Kathryn Spotts, Loyalton; and Mrs. Alice Harris, Lykens R.D.
Mr. Hoover was a member of Hoffman’s Reformed Church and of the I.O.O.F. Lodge No. 563 of Gratz which order had charge of the services at the grave.
Floral tributes were: casket spray of carnations, wife and daughter; basket of snapdragons and lillies, parents; broken circle, carnations, sweet peas and tulips, brother and sisters; basket of tulips, Mr. and Mrs. Allen Strayer and family; basket of tulips, Mr. and Mrs. Howard Phillips; spray of snapdragons, Mr. and Mrs. Nevin Strayer; spray of snapdragons, Mr. and Mrs. Harold Spotts; spray of carnations, Mr. and Mrs. John Botts; spray of carnations and snapdragons, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Kramer; magnolia wreath, Loyalton A. A.; spray of tulips and bridal wreath, Ladies’ Bible Class of Gratz Reformed Sunday School; basket of tulips, Klinger and Son, Gratz.
_________________________________________
MINER’S DEATH ACCIDENTAL
That the death of John E. Hoover which occurred in the Big Lick Mine of the Williamstown Colliery, May 6th, was an unavoidable accident, was the verdict of a coroner’s jury at a hearing held in the office of deputy coroner, G. R. Wren in Williamstown.
The jury heard the testimony of the mine foreman, fireboss and fellow miners of the victim and rendered the following verdict: “The death of John E. Hoover was due to the fracture of a vertebrae, with suffocation caused by an unavoidable accident in No. 7 slope at Big Lick, between the hours of 11 and 11:30 a.m., on the 6th day of May, 1930 A.D.
___________________________________
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.