Miner's final note: What a Gift
"TALLMANSVILLE, West Virginia (CNN) -- 'It wasn't bad just went to sleep.'Full story here.
Those were the words that 51-year-old Martin Toler Jr. scrawled on a piece of paper in a note to his family, as he was dying in the darkened Sago coal mine where he and 11 other miners perished after an explosion early Monday.'Tell all I see them on the other side JR I love you,' wrote Toler, a section foreman who had spent 32 years working in coal mines.
Toler's nephew, Randy Toler, said his uncle meant to say 'I will see them.'
'But he, of course, in his distress left the 'will' out,' the nephew said.
The piece of paper also has light pen marks on it where it appears Toler scribbled on the paper in an effort to get the pen to work.
The note was released Thursday by Toler's family, who had received it from the coroner.
Randy Toler said the note, written on the back of an insurance form, 'was the most precious thing that I believe I've ever seen.'"He also said that his uncle was a religious man.
"His last scripture in church Sunday night was 'save your affections on things above, not on Earth,' " Randy Toler said.
Labels: David C. Price
posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 1/06/2006 10:05:00 AM
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2 Comments:
From blogger Ron Franscell at http://underthenews.blogspot.com ...
So imagine this: You're a mile below ground, huddled in the dark, cut off from rescue and all you can do is wait to die. You have a pencil and a piece of paper the size of a pay stub.
What will you write?
I've made a place at my blog where you can write ...
In the distress of the moment knowing that these were the last words he'd ever write -- I believe this man wrote exactly the words he wanted to say -- no more no less.
I believe he said "I see them on the other side" precisely because that is what he saw. There is story after story of experiences at the time of death as Christians are encouraged in their walk through the dark shadows of death into the arms of Jesus.
I am convicted this is one such example and we should take it as such. Thank you for the post.
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