Burying A Family Treasure Sons, Brothers, In-Laws Take Up Shovels To Dig Miner Andrew Kannegaard’s Grave
Their new shovels glinting in the sun, the Kannegaard boys traded one-liners as they dug their father’s grave.
It was an unorthodox task for family members, but as Ken, the oldest son put it, they wanted to be the ones to “sink his last shaft.”
Andrew Kannegaard, 64, died of lymphatic cancer July 7 in Spokane. He began and ended a 42-year career in mining at Kellogg’s Sunshine Mine, finally retiring as superintendent of underground operations in 1991.
He is survived by one sister and three brothers. One, Raymond, is a retired superintendent of the Lucky Friday in Mullan.
Kannegaard’s five sons joke that they can’t visit the Silver Valley without someone either buying them a drink or telling them to go to hell. There’s no question of remaining anonymous.
Two of the five sons are in mining. Jim serves on a management team at a mine in Indonesia; Matthew is president of an Arizona mine consulting firm. Ken, human relations supervisor of a large cement manufacturing plant in California, claims that since the process requires mining limestone, he’s also in the business.
John and Mark, the youngest twins, say they would have gone into mining if circumstances had permitted.
“Things were tough. Dad and Uncle Ray could hardly hire us when they were laying the others off,” Mark said. The two joined the Air Force instead.
Kannegaard was a master of the aphorism. One of his favorites: “Ain’t nothing can’t be fixed or throwed away.”
At Hecla Mining Co., where Kannegaard worked from 1957 to 1973, he is remembered for his sense of humor and magical ability to make things work.
Jon Langstaff, Hecla vice president, spoke of Kannegaard’s leadership ability and great pride in his children. Another Kannegaard saying: “If you want something done right, do it yourself - or have one of my boys do it for you.”
“He was the best hands-on operator I ever worked with,” said Harry Cougher, Sunshine vice president.
As part of the burial ritual, Kannegaard’s sons mounted brass plates with his name, birth and death dates on seven shovels - one for each son and for daughters Jillene and Trisha.
At about three feet, Ken paused to lean on his shovel and look up.
“If there’s a heaven, he’s probably up there pointing, saying, ‘I told you so. If you want something done right, do it yourself - or have one of my boys do it for you.”’
MEMO: Funeral services for Kannegaard will be held at 10:30 a.m. today at St. Rita’s Catholic Church in Kellogg. The family asks that donations be made to the Deaconess Medical Center Pediatrics Oncology Fund.