Coal Town Wives, Daughters Enrich Their Communities

By Coal Memorial Committee for Hometown magazine

Women in the Punxsutawney area have been intimately connected to the coal mining industry. They have had family connections through fathers, brothers, husbands, and sons, who were employed in and around the coal mines; they have been the heart and soul of the families that have lived and worked in the mining communities; and they have been the backbone of the service industries that developed as a result of the coal mining industry. Through the years, women’s contribution to the quality of life in the Punxsutawney area has been significant.

Women of the Punxsutawney area coal mines came to national prominence for their determination to support their husbands and sons in 1894. Newspapers across the country reported on the action of the women during a miners’ strike. The mining companies had hired the Coal and Iron Police to subdue the strike. The miners were fully aware of the reputation of the Coal and Iron Police, and had memories of the 1890 strike in which some miners lost their lives. This time the women of the mines took action to let the Coal and Iron Police know they were not welcome. Women stoned the work train at Walston, and they made a fierce attack upon men who were repairing the railroad track at Adrian. Although one woman was injured, no deaths occurred as a part of this civil action. The National Guard was deployed to Punxsutawney to maintain the peace. The headline in the Philadelphia Times of June 26, 1894, was: “WALSTON WOMEN IN WAR PAINT.” These women defended their husbands and families in a difficult situation and helped to better life in their community.

Anna McAndrew, the daughter of coal miner John McAndrew, became a nurse. Anna’s grandparents were Irish immigrants. Her parents settled in the Punxsutawney area where her father worked in the coal mines. Anna was one of their seven children. She was among the young women who attended nurses training in Punxsutawney when the first hospitals were established in the community. She provided nursing care for those in the community and in 1918 volunteered to provide nursing services at Wishaw. She volunteered to care for those at Wishaw during the Spanish Flu epidemic. Wishaw had the largest number of deaths of any community in the county during that epidemic. Anna’s death was reported among the six at Wishaw in the October 8, 1918, issue of Brookville’s Jeffersonian Democrat newspaper, bringing the total that day to 48 for the small community. Anna exemplifies the women of Punxsutawney, who pursued a career, provided the care of a trained nurse, and gave her life serving others.

Rose Pugliese, the daughter of Joseph and Antoinette Pugliese, was born at Walston. Her father was a coal miner who came from Italy. He worked in mines at Walston, Sykesville, and Rossiter. When Rose graduated from high school in 1927, she found work with the Glenn Insurance Agency. She later met and married Joseph Reschini, had two children, and moved to Indiana, Pa., where she started the Reschini Insurance Agency. Rose Pugliese Reschini lived a long and full life as a busi-

- Continued on next page

Two daughters of Walston Mine. Left is Rose Pugliese, Class of 1927, and right is Ursula Mondi, Class of 1953, graduates of Punxsutawney High School. Both of these young women expressed a desire to work; and both far exceeded the expectations for their future lives. They enjoyed lives as daughters, wives, mothers, and career women. (photos courtesy of PAHGS)

Coal Town Wives

Continued from previous page ness woman. She was honored as the Indiana Civic Leader of the Year in 1990, was the first woman to become a member of the Indiana Rotary Club, and was recognized as an Indiana County Woman of Distinction. Her legacy lives on in her many philanthropic efforts, including the Girl Scouts, the Indiana YMCA, the Indiana Guidance Center, and the endowing of the Reschini Room at the Punxsutawney Area Historical & Genealogical Society. She was a miner’s daughter who put her talent to work to make her community a better place.

Ursula Mondi, the daughter of Anthony J. and Rose Marie Adams Mondi, was born at Punxsutawney. Her father was a first-generation American, his parents having been born in Italy. Her grandfather and her father worked in the coal mines at Walston. Ursula was a 1953 graduate from Punxsutawney High School. She achieved a degree in education at Indiana State College of Pennsylvania, now Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and a master’s degree in psychology from Penn State University. She married Joseph Albino and they raised a daughter. She was a special education teacher with the Punxsutawney Area School district for 35 years. She volunteered with many community organizations and especially enjoyed working with the Groundhog Festival Committee. Ursula, a miner’s daughter, left a lasting mark on the lives of many young people in the Punxsutawney area.

Miriam Cokely, a daughter of George A. and Florence Wherle Cokley, grew up in mining towns, including Rossiter and Yatesboro, where her father worked as a bookkeeper, before they settled in Punxsutawney. Miriam, who graduated from Seton Hill College, earned a master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh and had secured a teaching position with the Moon Township High School when she felt a more pressing calling. In 1942, she was the first woman from Punxsutawney to volunteer to serve in the United States Navy and was one of 12 women selected from 60 women who took the tests to become an officer candidate with the Women Accepted for Voluntary Service (WAVES). She was commissioned as an ensign, was stationed in Washington, D.C., and in March 1944 was promoted to lieutenant, junior grade. During her time in service, she worked in the Office of Naval Procurement and continued to advance in rank and responsibility. In 1945, she was transferred to the Office of Naval History where she worked on preserving the History of the Navy in World War II. She left active service in 1946 and continued to serve with the U.S. Navy Reserve until her retirement from military service in 1962 with the rank of lieutenant commander. From 1947 to 1980 Miriam Cokely served the community as a teacher at the Punxsutawney Area High School, where she taught Latin.

Miriam Cokely, who lived at Rossiter and Yatesboro during her youth, pursued a career in the military and education. (photo courtesy of PAHGS)

In 1994, Miss Cokely was named the 1994 Punxsutawney Woman of the Year. Throughout her life she continued to volunteer in the community, state, and nation giving of her time and talent to better the Punxsutawney community.

These coal town daughters became women who actively protected their families’ livelihood, provided care when and where it was needed, developed businesses, educated the communities’ children, and served in mil- itary service. They are but a few examples of women who have contributed significantly to the quality of life in the Punxsutawney area. This article has been prepared by the Coal Memorial Committee of the Punxsutawney Area Historical & Genealogical Society. Resources used in preparing his article are from PAHGS, Punxsutawney News @ Newspapers.com., and the Library of Congress. Direct comments to PAHGS, P.O. Box 286, Punxsutawney, PA 15767. A dedication for the 2023 memorial tile additions to the Punxsutawney Area Coal Memorial will take place on Sunday, September 3, 2023. Individuals desiring to honor a coal or coal-related industry worker in 2023, are encouraged to purchase their tile by June 30, 2023. A Coal Memorial tile may honor persons who worked in any aspect of the coal industry, including railroads, and ancillary services. Additional information and forms may be found online at www.punxsyhistory.org or may be requested by an email to punxsyhistory@outlook.com, or calling (814) 938-2555 and leaving a message • • •

VARSITY BASEBALL

(front row, l. to r.) Justin Miller, Luke Miller, Jacob Henretta, Nick Motter, Zeke Bennett, Cooper Hallman, Owen Wood, Josh Tygert; (back row) Donny Bender, Peyton Hetrick, Coy Martino, Zach Dinger, Carter Savage, Jake Sikora, Ty Limrick. (Hometown photo by Jacinda Gigliotti)

JV BASEBALL

(front row, l. to r.) Nate Kendrick, Lucas Mennitti, Landon Temchulla, Landon Neal, Alex Shumaker, Zaden Gould, Owen Conrad; (back row) Anthony States, Nevin Day, Maddo Hetrick, Brody Stouffer, Parker Stahlman, Logan Baun. (Hometown photo by Jacinda Gigliotti)

SOFTBALL

(front row, l. to r.) Brynn Hergert, Kaylee Guidice, Sydney Hoffman, Brooke Skarbek, Karli Young, Daisha Martz; (second row) Sara Gotwald, Laci Poole, Emily Dobbins, Beth Vallies, Olivia Toven, Madalyn Wachob, Brinley Hallman, Harlie Test; (back row) Ciara Toven, Melia Cochran, Brooke Young, Avary Powell, Brynn Hicks, Jalynn Waroquier, Maddi Kriebel, Mya Galentine, Makenna Gula, Caydynce Zampini, Mackenzie Greene. (Hometown photo by Jacinda Gigliotti)

BOYS TENNIS

(front row, l. to r.) Cody Pifer, Alex Harry, Adem Kural, Logan Conner, Riley Fourd; (back row) Gage Elliott, Aidan West, Alex Deppen, Abraao Santos, Michael Setree, Dana Smith. (Hometown photo by Jacinda Gigliotti)

Punxsutawney Area High School Spring Sports Photo Pages

BOYS TRACK

(front row, l. to r.) Gregory Poole, Jordan Rutan, Davin Iannacchione, Michael Clemmer, Adin Bish, Evan Mohney, Chris Setree, Grant Miler, Cole Brooks, Samuel Hindman, Nolan Lewis; (second row) Abraão Santos, Charles Connell, Aiden Cameron, Ryan Kanouff, Kaden Heigley, Zach Presloid, Anthony Gould, Joel Mehalic, Garrett Bartlebaugh, Evan Groce, Brett Dean, David Kunselmen, Logan Moore; (third row) Alex Momyer, Seth Davis, Daniel Lenze, Austin Fischer, Adam Manners, Sawyer Hall, Ryen Heigley, Matt Grusky, Bryce Horne, Breydon Trithart, Kolton Koppenhaver, Adam Muth, Nick Wisnesky, Ryan Mehalic. Missing from photo: Issac Greenblatt and Jack Rentko. (Hometown photo by Jacinda Gigliotti)

GIRLS TRACK

(front row, l. to r.) Maggie Guidice, Nova Shrecengost, Abby Smith, Lydia Miller, Claire Skarbek, Jordann Hicks, Hannah Surkala, Olivia Bish (second row) Riley Doverspike, Emily McMahan, Samantha Griebel, Isabella Kunselman, Taylor Bair, Abby McAdoo, Emma Burkett, Holly Deppen, Lilly Gigliotti, Danielle Griebel; (third row) Jacinda Gigliotti, Emily Bussard, Mary Grusky, Megan Edney, Madison Rudolph, Chalcie Gervasoni, Rebekah Miller, Madison Momyer, Isabella Gigliotti, Isabella Bartlebaugh, Riley Miller. Missing from photo: Jael Miller and Kiah Greenawalt. (Hometown photo by Jacinda Gigliotti)