Give Donald and Jonathan a Dignified Farewell

We are heartbroken to share the devastating and unexpected news of the passing of our beloved family members, my cousins better known as "the boys", Donald and Jonathan. They tragically lost their lives together late Christmas evening while attempting to mine and collect coal to use for heat in their homes, at an abandoned coal mine in Southeastern Kentucky. This loss is immeasurable and has left all of us, especially their mothers and children with unspeakable heartbreak.

Where do I begin to explain and make this tragedy make sense? For generations our family has relied on the land within the Appalachian mountains to provide us with all our needs for survival. Not only do we rely on our gardens and livestock, but we also use coal in our coal burning stoves to heat our homes. Losing the coal mines pushed our communities further into poverty, causing compounded financial strains like heating and food insecurities. Like many other Appalachian families, converting heating systems to another energy source is an unrealistic expectation. Being in one of the poorest counties in the region, the people are extraordinarily vulnerable with little to no economic relief. Luxuries are often unattainable, and necessities are hard to come by. When the mines closed the world moved on and forgot about all the people who depended on this lifeline. Although the rest of the world is evolving at light speed, the people in the mountains of Southeastern Kentucky are not. Some are struggling to eat and make ends meet after the coal mines closed and the frail job market dried up.

Donald and Jonathan left on Christmas evening to dig for coal. They loaded their buckets and hand tools and said they would be back home in a couple of hours. They traveled to an area called Big Wildcat where they would use their picks to dig coal out of the coal seams. The following day, realizing they hadn't made it home, family members started searching for them. They were found a day later by Donald's older brother Richard. While retrieving the coal, the coal mine collapsed causing the mountain to slide, both Donald and Jonathan were overcome with mud and rocks. Richard worked feverishly to dig them out with his bare hands but realized they had lost their lives and he would need help retrieving their bodies. He shared with the family through his tears that there was a bucket of coal already in the truck and it seemed as if Donald had realized the rocks were shifting and had begun running toward the mining area to save Jonathan.

Donald and Jonathan were simply good ole country boys. Some of my fondest memories when we were kids are both of those blonde headed boys running through the corn fields on the farm playing tag, playing batman and robin, or finding worms to throw on the girls, and swinging from ropes then jumping way to close to the rest of us playing in the creek. They followed their upbringing, stayed close to home and family, working and surviving off the land and helping others whenever needed. They were daredevils and I don’t think either of them had an ounce of fear in their body and would gladly tackle any challenge put before them. Sadly, they did not have life insurance, leaving their families struggling to pay for their homegoing.

During this painful time our family wants nothing more than to give them both a proper burial as they were only trying to heat their homes through the holiday season. Their mothers, my aunts, wish to bury them beside our family who went before them, including Jonathan’s dad who passed away from cancer only 7 weeks ago. Our goal is to ease the burden of the people Donald and Jonathan loved the most, especially their mothers, as they cope with sorrow of burying their sons.

Donald and Jonathan will funerals together on Friday, January 3, 2025 in Manchester, Kentucky. We will receive family and friends at Brown Mission Church on Thursday where we will honor our culture and tradition by sitting by their side throughout the night until services begin Friday afternoon laying them to rest.

We are reaching out to our community, family, friends, coworkers or anyone who finds it in their heart to help. Your generosity, no matter how small, will be deeply appreciated and make a significant difference in helping give the boys a burial with dignity and respect. Please consider contributing and sharing this link with your network.

Thank you for the love, support and compassion as we continue to pray for comfort and understanding during this tragic time.

With gratitude,

The loving family of Donald Short and Jonathan Hoskins