The Associated Press

HARLAN -- Hundreds of mourners gathered in Eastern Kentucky to remember eight coal miners from Harlan County who were killed in three separate mine incidents over the last year.

Children released balloons, widows lit candles and family members shared their memories on Saturday of the miners, five of whom died in an explosion at Darby No. 1 Mine in May. The memorial was held at the civic center in Harlan.

Three other Harlan County miners were killed in accidents at Stillhouse Mine last August and H&D Mine in December.

Melissa Lee, the widow of Jimmy Lee, one of the miners killed in the Darby explosion, said she felt that sometimes people fail to see the human side of coal miners.

"They forget miners are human beings and have lives outside of the mines," she said. "They were great men...they were awesome men."

Along with Lee, Amon "Cotton" Brock, Roy Middleton, Bill Petra and Paris Thomas Jr. were killed in the Darby mine. A sixth miner, Paul Ledford, survived by crawling out of the mine.

Mike Franks also spoke to the crowd during the two-hour service. His uncle, Russell Cole, was killed in the Stillhouse mine.

"I can still remember the foggy, wet early morning air and the headlights of the hearse," Franks said through tears. "I'm 29 years old now, and it's been over a year since Russell's death. I've been to his graveside often, and sometimes I go back to the entrance of the mine when nobody's around and think how it would be if he came walking off the hill that night instead of riding in a hearse."

Brandon Wilder was also killed in the Stillhouse mine. David "Bud" Morris Jr. died Dec. 30 in an accident at H & D Mining Inc. near Cumberland.

The organizers of the service urged those who attended to not let the deaths be forgotten.

"Miners are mythic figures in many ways because they work under the mountain in dark, dangerous places where most of us would not work and most of us will never experience," said Tony Oppegard, a mine safety advocate who helped organize the service. "But, miners are rarely recognized in our society until there is a mining disaster."

Kentucky congressman Ben Chandler also attended the service.

"The deaths of these men were premature," Chandler said. "But their lives were noble and their work was important. As senseless as their deaths will often seem, we must allow them to inspire us to improve the lives of those who remain. Inspire us to a renewed dedication and determination to improve the safety of our coal miners."