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Benny Willingham, West Virginia Mine Explosion Casualty Mourned

by Amy Judd | April 6, 2010 at 12:06 pm

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Benny Willingham Knew The Dangers of Working in a Mine Says His Family and He Was Not Afraid

Benny Willingham, 62, was one of at least 25 miners killed in the West Virginia mine explosion owned by Massey Energy on April 5th. Willingham's family spoke to CNN about how their loving patriarch and deacon in his church knew working in the mine was very dangerous but that he was not afraid. He was however, just five weeks away from retirement.

"He was a good man. I know everyone thinks that about their loved ones, but Benny truly was a wonderful man," Willingham's sister Jean told CNN.

His sister went on to say that Benny would tell her that if the Lord 'took him tomorrow' he knew he had a good life, and would thank God every day for watching over him in the mine for over 30 years.

Due to the danger, Benny Willingham made sure his affairs were always in order, but his family still cannot believe he is gone.

"It's scary. It's just really, really scary," Willingham's granddaughter Tiffany Ellis said. "My stepdad also does this, and this is just a wake-up call to me. I've seen it happen before, but I never imagined I'd be here today, telling my story about it."

Tiffany Ellis said her grandfather raised her when her father walked out and credits him for teaching her everything and always being there for her.

Due to such a tight community of mining families in West Virginia, every family is mourning the loss of the miners, whether they were directly related or not.

"If you're from here, you're part of a coal mining family," Grace Lafferty of Harper told the Charleston Gazette newspaper. "You know a lot of people who work here. It takes your breath away, your heart drops and you have that empty feeling."

Benny Willingham was one casualty in this mining explosion and even though he knew the danger of his job, his family is still coming to terms with news of his death and of the tragedy that has struck their community.

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DIANA LOPEZ (not verified)

at 10:48 on April 11th, 2010

IT IS A SAD DAY FOR WEST VIRGINIA . I PRAY FOR ALL THE FAMILIES THAT LOST LOVE ONES IN THE HORRIBLE ACCIDENT. I HAVE FAMILY THAT WORK IN THE MINES, AND THESE MEN AND WOMEN DO NOT GET PAID ENOUGH IN MY OPINION TO RISK THERE LIVES EVERY DAY..GOD BLESS THE FAMILIES..