Mountain Laurel & Coal

The Daily Notes, Canonsburg June 16, 1922  

"I am not a religious fanatic but God put every man on this earth with equal right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. I am simply performing my duty to my fellow beings as I understand it." ~   Howard Francis Shipley who helped evicted coal miners during the Coal Strike of 1922 Howard Shipley on a trip in the 1920s with his family: from the left are his wife’s best friend Dora Kinder, his daughter Trissa, wife Annabelle, and daughter Blanche. Howard Francis Shipley 1883-1923 My  Great Grandfather Howard Francis Shipley died suddenly of pneumonia in 1923 when he was just 40 years old, leaving behind his grieving wife Annabelle and three daughters: Mildred, who was already married, and Trissa and Blanche, who were still at home. Howard was a businessman from Brownsville who owned an automobile dealership in the bustling town on the Monongahela River in Fayette County, PA. His hard work made it possible for his family to live comfortably and allowed them to enjoy suc...

  Blanche Louise Shipley Phillians was born 110 years ago today in West Brownsville, Pa.  She was one of three daughters born to Howard Francis and Annabelle Ferguson Shipley. She married George Harry Phillians on June 11, 1938, in Hagerstown, Md. and on March 17, 1945, she gave birth to my mother, Roberta Lee, their only child. She died on December 11, 1997, the day before her 86th birthday.  Rumor has it she was the life of the party when she was younger and living in the booming town of Brownsville, Pa. She worked as a store clerk, rolled her own cigarettes, and baked a pretty good loaf of bread. She was a mix of superstition and anxiety and although obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) wasn’t a term back then, I’m sure she had it. In her adult years she worried and worried and then, for good measure, she worried some more. Blanche Louise Shipley &  her friend Ruth Ann She absolutely adored my grandfather and spent her whole life making sure he was happy and we...

Tucked in with my mother's belongings was this original drawing of a coal miner by artist Frank Melega of Brownsville, Pa. He gave it to her in January of 1996.  I have always appreciated Mr. Melega's work, because he was able to capture the toils and hardships of the life of the coal miners. Mr. Melega's son, who was also named Frank, was my art teacher at Jefferson-Morgan High School.  Click here to learn more about Frank Melega and his art. by Randi Ross Marodi - randileeross@gmail.com

My husband’s Grandmother Julia Postic Marodi of Marianna collected  prayer cards from the funerals of her family and friends. She tucked them away neatly in a little plastic bag, along with some other papers. I'm sure that, in her heart, each card represented a great deal of love and sorrow.  Julia  was born on March 23, 1909, in Brownsville, Fayette County, PA and she lived in T ower Hill II. She married Alex Marodi and they had three sons, Michael, Charles, and George. The family lived in Marianna, Washington County, PA, and belonged to the Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in  West Brownsville, PA. Julia, a faithful woman who loved her friends and family very much, died on N ovember 15, 1992, in Marianna, Washington County, PA. My husband's ancestral line to Julia Postic Marodi: 1. Timothy Marodi; 2. Charles Marodi; 3. Julia Postic by Randi Ross Marodi - randileeross@gmail.com