Recurring Characters

Husband of Margaret Gillespie Glass.  First appears in Pain #1A

Daughter of CC and Roxie. First appears in Not Again! #1B.

Father of CC. First appears in Endings and Beginnings #2A.

Child miner and one of the story’s early main characters. First appears in Endings and Beginnings #2A.

Boarding house operator, surrogate mother for CC. First appears in Endings and Beginnings #2A.

Son of Devil Anse Hatfield and Levisa Chafin Hatfield; mine guard and bootleg enforcer for the Hatfield clan. First appears in In the Mine #2D.

One of CC’s older brothers. He is 18 when he first appears in End of Shift #2F.

Another of CC’s older brothers. Homer is out on his own and 15 when he first appears in Payday #3A.

The son of Elizabeth and Tom Cooper and older brother of Roxie Cooper. John is 15 and living with his parents while working the mine when he first appears in Payday #3A.

After emancipation, a young Booker came to West Virginia starting work in the salt furnaces and later working in the mines. Booker first appears in Out of Slavery and into the Dark #5A.

Fred Mooney began work in a lumberyard at the age of twelve and moved to mining soon afterward.  Fred became a leader during the Paint and Cabin Creek War, making plans for armed resistance working with Frank Keeney and others.  He maintained a lifelong friendship with Mother Jones. Fred first appears in Timberyard Dust Up #6A.

Frank Keeney started out as a trapper boy also at age twelve.  Frank led his fellow miners in during the Paint and Cabin Creek War as they sought basic human rights, working conditions, and fair pay.   He eventually founded a breakaway union before being elected to run District 17 during a decade of warfare between miners and operators. He first appears in Everyone Starts Out as a Trapper Boy #7A.

As a young married woman, Bessie Keeney made house and raised children in a tent in the middle of an active field of battle for nearly two years.  Despite these challenging circumstances, through her own efforts she read, studied and gained enough education to become a teacher.  Bessie  first appears in Meeting Mother Jones #8A.

Mary Harris Jones, better known as Mother Jones, reinvented herself as an activist after her dressmaking shop was destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire.  Holding ideals most closely aligned with socialist direct action, she described herself as an agitator and fought unflinchingly for worker and particularly miner rights. She first appears in this narrative in Meeting Mother Jones #8A.

Elizabeth Cooper was a commanding woman who raised a garden, took in boarders and managed to create a savings on miner pay.  Her home eventually became a gathering place for the area youth. While she appears earlier in the narrative she is first identified in Bedtime Story #10A.

Tom Cooper moved with his young family from eastern Ohio to West Virginia to work the mines.  Coming home after dark, he would then care for animals, work the garden, and even make and repair shoes for his family. He and his wife eventually saved enough to build their own home. While he appears earlier in the story, Tom is first identified in Bedtime Story #10A.

Roxie is the daughter of Elizabeth and Tom. So as not to deal in spoilers, we’ll just note here that she goes on to be the matrarch. of large family. While she appears earlier in the story, Roxie is first identified in Bedtime Story #10A.

Ruth is one of the younger children of Elizabeth and Tom.  She and Roxie remained close throughout their lives. While she appears earlier in the story, Ruth is first identified in Bedtime Story #10A.

Clarence is the youngest son of Elizabeth and Tom whom we meet as a toddler. While he appears earlier in the story, Clarence is first identified in Bedtime Story #10A.

George is another of Elizabeth and Tom’s children. George first appears in Not Long Ago #12A.  While the couple had several more children, we’ll hold off on introducing them until we reach a story arc that calls for it.

Mrs. Cook was a neighbor of Elizabeth and Tom Cooper who watched their children on at least one occasion when Elizabeth was sick.  Mrs. Cook first appears in Sick Again #15A