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Posted: 8:11 PM- The families of the six Crandall Canyon mine disaster victims still buried in its collapsed workings are closer to having one source of solace - a secluded memorial where they can be closer to their loved ones.
Murray Energy Corp., which owns Crandall Canyon, said today it will build the memorial in a small, elevated meadow just uphill from the mine.
Protected by flanking trees, that isolated perch will enable mourners to see the mountain in which the victims are entombed while looking at the memorial, designed largely by Sheila Phillips. Her son, Brandon, was one of the six miners fatally trapped by the catastrophic collapse of the mine's walls on Aug. 6.
"It's pretty up at that end of the canyon," said Phillips, of Orangeville.
The solemn site will have a semi-circle of six stone monuments inscribed with the names of the still-missing six - Phillips, Juan Carlos Payan, Kerry Allred, Manuel Sanchez, Don Erickson and Luis Hernandez. Visitors may meditate on them while seated on three benches bearing the names of would-be rescuers Gary Jenson, Brandon Kimber and Dale Black, all of whom were killed Aug. 16 in a second implosion of the mine's walls.
"It means a lot to us, that we will have a place to go to," said Nelda Erickson, Don's widow, who worked closely with Phillips in her consultations with Dave Shaver, a project engineer with UtahAmerican Energy, Inc., the Murray Energy subsidiary that operated Crandall Canyon.
Noting that the killed rescuers' families at least had a chance to bury their loved ones, she said "the rest of us families needed that to. And we can see the mountain where they're at in the background."
Shawn Clapp, a minister from the Emery County town of Ferron, informed the families today that memorial plans had been finalized and read them a statement from Murray Energy president and CEO Robert Murray.
"This memorial, at this serene place, will be an enduring symbol of our miners' sacrifices and our devotion to them and their families," Murray said.
Erickson praised Shaver for finding a suitable location on company property and working out other details. The memorial will be reached via a 300-foot walking trail from a parking lot just up-canyon from the mine site.
"We pretty much knew what we wanted and Dave really helped us out a lot, [telling us] these are the steps you need to take," she said. "The company stepped up to the plate and they've really come forward to get this done."
Mike Mower, Gov. Jon Huntsman's aide and a key figure in helping organize plans to build this memorial and a more-public monument on the outskirts of Huntington, said "we appreciate the company and its employees working so closely with the families in designing and building the kind of memorial they envisioned."
He said private fundraising is ongoing for the Huntington memorial. Murray officials declined to reveal the cost of the memorial in Crandall Canyon. Construction will begin when weather allows. "Dedication services will be held at the earliest possible time," the company statement added.
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