Labor Day would have had an entirely different flavor in Lucas County a century ago, when hundreds of coal mining families called it home and many if not most of the menfolk were affiliated with the United Mine Workers of America. Today, the annual Labor Day celebration at Lucas, home to the John L. Lewis Museum of Mining and Labor, serves as a reminder.
Many coal mining families moved on as Iowa's mining industry reconfigured and eventually vanished, but many remain, now two or three generations removed from their roots.
The O'Connells were among those mining families. Thomas J. O'Connell Sr., son of Patrick, was born in Boston during 1854 to Irish immigrant parents. He came west during the 1880s to work in the mines at Lucas and married Sarilda Moore here in 1886. Soon after the birth in 1888 of their eldest son, Benjamin Franklin O'Connell, they moved to Hiteman, a mining town in Monroe County, where three more children were born. The family moved back to Chariton from Hiteman about 1913.
Tom O'Connell was an early member of the UMW and when Ben followed him into the mines, he joined, too. The other sons, Thomas Jr. and Will, also went to work in the mines, but eventually followed other lines of work and moved away. Ben came home to Chariton after service during World War I to live with his father in White City --- so-called because of the white paint on the rows of miner family homes located there --- for the remainder of his life (his mother had died during the war).
Ben died relatively young, age 40, of a heart attack sustained while sitting down for supper with his father, and was buried beside his mother in the Chariton Cemetery during December of 1928. His obituary, published in The Herald-Patriot of Dec. 13, is especially eloquent:
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With deep regret we note the sudden death of Mr. Ben F. O'Connell, of this city, which occurred at his home in southeast Chariton on Wednesday evening, December 5, 1928, about 6:15 o'clock. He had been ailing for some time but was able to be about and was uptown Wednesday afternoon. He had just seated himself at the supper table with his father and suddenly collapsed. When his father reached his side life was extinct.
Largely attended funeral services, under the auspices of the United Mine Workers Local Union, No. 1933, and conducted by Rev. J.A. Riggs, of the First Baptist Church, were held at the family home on Friday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock, after which the remains were laid to rest in the Chariton cemetery. His sudden demise is deplored by a host of warm friends, who will extend sincere sympathy to the grief stricken father, sister and brothers who survive.
Benjamin Franklin O'Connell, son of Thomas and Sarilda Jane O'Connell, was born in Lucas county, Iowa, on October 19, 1888. His early childhood was spent with his parents in Hiteman, Iowa, where he finished the public schools. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge at Hiteman.
For the past 15 years, Chariton had been his home.
When the world war was in progress, Ben became a member of the United States Army, A.E.F., and served in the Division of Field Artillery. He left the United States for overseas service August 18, 1918, and returned January 19, 1919. Upon receiving his honorable discharge from the service on January 31st, 1919, he came to be with his father here in Chariton.
Ben O'Connell was a member of the United Mine Workers Union No. 1933. He has been affiliated with this organization for the past 20 years, and served as president of this local only recently.
Ben was a real buddy. He had the genius of making many friends. He enjoyed reading good books and literature. He was quite at home with the books of history and biography, and not infrequently did he select the heavier reading of philosophy and literature. His genial disposition lent himself readily in the making of many friends and his presence from our community will be greatly missed.
His mother preceded him in death June the 24th, 1918, at Chariton. He leaves to mourn his going his father, Mr. Thomas O'Connell, of this city, two brothers, Will O'Connell and Tom O'Connell, of Detroit, Mich.; and one sister, Mrs. Glen Peck, of Des Moines.
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Not long after Ben's death, Tom O'Connell Jr. moved to Cedar Rapids to make his home with his daughter, Edyth, and when their son and brother, Tom Jr., lost his job in Detroit as the great depression deepened, he joined them.
Tom Sr. died in Cedar Rapids at the age of 77 on Feb. 22, 1932. Tom Jr., age 41, was killed in Cedar Rapids a year later --- on July 10, 1933, when he stepped in front of a train in the North Western rail yards. Both were brought home to Chariton for burial.
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