Ely miner Joe Glinsek, Jr. died in an accident at the Pioneer Mine on September 30, 1955. He was the much-loved husband of Julia and dad to Big Joe and Jo Ann.
In a tribute to his dad, Big Joe shared his memories about his family with the Ely Heritage Preservation Commission as part of an oral history series.
As is the custom in Ely, there were nicknames – son Joe was affectionately known by his buddies as “Big Joe” because he was over six feet tall in grade school while the family called him by his middle name Jerry. His dad earned the nickname “Lagger Joe” from his mining friends because of the work he did at the mine.
Joe Jr. was born in Ely in 1913 to Joseph and Johanna Glinsek who had immigrated from Slovenia in the early part of the 1900s.
There were many miners in the family including Grandpa Glinsek and all of his sons; Joe Jr., Rudy, and Stanley. In 1938, Joe Jr. married Julia Kolek. Julia’s parents had immigrated from Slovakia to Superior, WI.
Big Joe said, “His parents got along really, really well and that almost every Saturday night they went out dancing. There was polka music at that time and my mother’s favorite tune was the Blue Skirt Waltz. At home, they would put the music on the phonograph and dance in the kitchen. My mother was devastated when my father got killed because she was, you know, she was in love.”
The Glinsek home was at 317 S. Central Avenue and it had an apartment on the upper floor.
Teachers were frequent renters including Norma Gourley and later John Penninger.
Big Joe’s parents also owned the Hilliard Apartment building which was next door at 311 S. Central Avenue.
Big Joe shared that “my father was a carpenter and he would keep the apartments fixed up and store his tools in the basement. I remember there was a tunnel between the basements of the house and the apartment building and when my friends came over, they were excited about walking through it. Ricky Leino used to think that was the greatest deal.”
When Joe, Jr. was not working at the mine, the family always spent time together.
In summers, Big Joe recalled that “we would drive the car downtown, park on Main Street (Sheridan Street) and sit in the car and watch people. And sometimes, we would get popcorn from the theater.”
Another pastime for the family was visiting relatives.
“I don’t remember hardly ever being home on a Sunday because we were visiting relatives like my Aunt Rose (Joe) Baudek in Aurora.”
Once a month, the Glinseks traveled to Superior to see Julia’s family. The trip would start on a Saturday morning with a stop in Duluth for Julia to shop while my father and I would sit in chairs and wait patiently for her.
“About noon, we would go to Joe Huie’s in Duluth for lunch and then afterward head across the bridge to Superior.”
Milwaukee was also a place they visited, and it was here that Big Joe’s lifelong passion for baseball took hold.
“We went to Milwaukee Braves baseball games a couple of times and we’d picnic on the shores of Lake Michigan. It was fun, a lot of fun,” said Big Joe.
Joe Jr. never talked about his work at the mine. It was shift work; the miners worked the day shift one week, 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. the next week, and the night shift from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. the following week.
According to Big Joe, his father’s dream was to not have to work in the mine anymore and just run the apartments.
However, Joe Jr. never realized his dream because he died in a cave-in at the Pioneer Mine early the morning of September 30, 1955. He was 42 years old.
Left to cherish his memory were wife Julia, 10-year-old son Big Joe, and 16-year-old daughter Jo Ann.
After his father’s death, school became a refuge for Big Joe because that was where people were and he was not alone.
Other help came from the Kelly Horvat family. Big Joe went on to be an elementary school teacher in the Twin Cities. With his wife Mary, they raised three children; Elizabeth, Robert, and Jamie.
There were many Ely miners like Joe, Jr. who never came home to their families.
In total, the Ely area had 218 miners who lost their lives while working in the mines.
In remembrance of the lives lost, on June 14 at 2 p.m., the dedication of the Ely Miners Memorial will take place at the Historic Pioneer Mine, 401 N. Pioneer Road.
The memorial is inscribed with the name of each miner. Big Joe, his sister Jo Ann, and their families will be among those who will attend the service.
Acknowledgment: Ely Heritage Preservation Commission serves the community by promoting its heritage and culture. They have a Facebook page to follow. We thank the Glinsek family for being part of this oral history series, sharing memories and photos. Margaret Egan, Commission co-chair.
