A Model Miner

My Views of My Uncle Jesse Ramage

Inspiration for me came from my great uncle, Jesse Ramage. My Uncle Jesse Hall was named for him. Jesse Ramage had a hard life. His father John Ramage was a miner. His grandfather’s family were miners with his uncle, Decker A. Rolison, working in the Stickle Mine in Byram after his service in the Union cavalry during the Civil War. And Jesse’s father John dug for iron in the Hurd Mine in Jefferson. After its closing in the 1880s he then went to the Franklin mines where worked until 1936. So Uncle Jesse Ramage worked his life following his heritage in the Franklin zinc mines his whole life. His wife had died and he ended up in his late father’s house with his also elderly sister, my Aunt Stella. Before he died in the late 1960s I had the good fortune to spend times with him when I was a young teen.

He impressed me, despite his hard life, as being a strong person, having worked his way up to be a work gang boss and shift boss. He was the kind of person who would get things done. He had the stamina and fortitude to make sure of success and that goals were achieved.

Most of all Uncle Jesse Ramage was a happy man. He seemed to always be laughing and joking. All the photos of him from the mines showed a big and contagious smile.

So there were several good qualities I gained from Uncle Jesse Ramage. These were the idea that being in hard and troubling conditions mean that you respond with hard work. That difficult work can be accomplished by perseverance and diligence. Most of all, his ever present gladness for life has influenced me t enjoy what life brings as this is our time. This profile in these qualities showed a Profile in Character exemplified by my Uncle Jesse Ramage that has helped me get through life.