Hanna Basin Museum
  • Museum
    • 2020 Carbon Cemetery Association and Hanna Basin Historical Society ​Spring Newsletter
    • 2019: Hanna Basin Historical Society and Carbon Cemetery Association Newsletter
    • Visitors to the Museum
    • Books and Magazines to Read Online about the Hanna Basin
    • Books Available for Purchase at the Hanna Basin Museum
    • Order Form for Materials Available for Purchase at the Museum
    • Membership and Support
    • Links to Other Wyoming Museums >
      • Medicine Bow, Wyoming, Museum and Hanna Basin Neighbor
      • Rock Springs, Wyoming, Historical Museum
    • Copyright Infringement Notification
  • Carbon
    • Hanna Basin Museum - Time Line
    • CARBON CEMETERY RECORDS
    • Carbon Mine Fatality Records
    • Visitors to the Carbon Cemetery
    • Carbon - Wings of Imagination - A Letter From Old Carbon
    • Carbon - A Poem by Mrs. C. E. Ellis
    • 2003: Carbon Cemetery Restoration
    • 2011: Carbon, Carbon County, Cemetery Restoration 2011
    • 2011: Bow River FFA Community Service Project: Carbon Cemetery
    • 2014: The Carbon Cemetery
    • 2015: The Old Carbon Cemetery Privy
  • Hanna
    • HANNA HAPPENINGS
    • THE HANNA CEMETERY: From the Bottom of the Mine
    • HANNA CEMETERY RECORDS
    • Hanna Burial Plots and Lots >
      • Hanna Blocks and Lots 1 - 6
      • Hanna Plots 1 - 50
      • Hanna Plots 51 - 80
      • Hanna Plots 81 - 129
      • Hanna Plots 130 - 175
      • Hanna Plots 176 - 209
      • Hanna Plots 210 - 298
      • Hanna Plots 299 - 349
      • Hanna Plots 350 - 379
      • Hanna Plots 380 - 419
      • Hanna Plots 420 - 500
    • Hanna Early Churches >
      • Introduction to Hanna’s Early Churches
      • Episcopal Church - History, Bell and Cross
      • Methodist Church - Organ
      • Colored Baptist Church
    • Hanna Military in the Hanna Cemetery >
      • Hanna Cemetery - In The Military
      • Arthurs, Peter Killed in Action World War I
      • Love, Michael V. Killed In The Line Of Duty
      • Jones, William D. Died of Wounds Received In Action World War I
      • Lucas, Bernard R. Killed In Action World War II
      • Lucas, William C. Died of Wounds Recieved In Action World War II
      • Luoma, Arvo A. Killed in Action World War II
      • McAtee, William J. Killed in Action Vietnam
      • Saari, John Killed in Action World War II
    • Hanna Cemetery - Japanese Monuments Transcribed
    • Grave Headstones for Hanna Miner Fatalities Buried Elsewhere than Hanna
    • Hanna Where Did They Come From?
  • The People
  • Schools
  • Coal Mines
    • A History of the Hanna Coal Miner from 1868 to 2017: Bob Leathers' Notebook
    • Hanna Basin Mining Companies and Mines
    • Men Injured in the Hanna Mines
    • 1903 June 30: Explosion of the Union Pacific Coal Company's No. 1 mine in Hanna >
      • Hanna 1903 Explosion Explained
      • List of Miners Killed in the June 30, 1903 Explosion
      • 1904 State Mine Inspector's Report for 1903 Explosion
      • 1903 Explosion Coroner's Inquest
      • 1903 Explosion - Earle Holmes Letter to Wilson Gobble
    • Hanna 1908 Mine Explosions Explained >
      • List of Miners Killed in the March 28, 1908 Explosions
      • 1908 Explosion Coroner's Inquest Report
      • Noah Young's 1908 Hanna Explosion Report to Governor B.B. Brooks
      • 1908 State Coal Mine Inspectors Report - 1908 Hanna Mine Number 1 Explosion
      • David M. Elias - State Mine Inspector Killed in 1908 Explosion
      • 1908 Explosion - Gov. B.B. Brooks Communiations
      • April 3, 1908 Chums From Boyhood Died Side By Side
      • April 16, 1908 U.P. May Not Be Liable
      • 1908: Newspaper Articles from The Wigan Observer in England About the March 28, 1908 Explosion of the Union Pacific Coal Company's No. 1 Mine in Hanna
      • Death of Noah Young - State Mine Inspector for the 1908 Explosion of Mine No. 1
    • 1916 Labor Agreement Between the United Mine Workers of America and the Southern Wyoming Coal Operators
    • 1917 Labor Agreement Between the United Mine Workers of America and the Southern Wyoming Coal Operators
    • 1970 - 1980: Bill Becker's Hanna Strip Mine Blasting Videos
  • Gallery
    • 1889-1912: ​ Elmer Larson - The Butvier Collection from Sally Hafdell and David Eriksson in Sweden
    • Images from Early Hanna Basin and Wyoming
    • Early History of the Union Pacific Railroad
    • 1910-1920: McNulty Family Photo Collection ​Albert Film - Hanna Basin Adventurer
    • 1920 -1930: Gert Milliken's Photo Collection of Unknown Children, Women, Men, and Families in Hanna
    • 1963 October 2: A Large Cattle Drive from Palm Livestock Company at Elk Mountain ​ to Hanna's Union Pacific Railroad Stockyard
    • 2017 April 18: Un​ion Pacific Steam Engine 844 Stopped at Hanna, Wyoming
    • 2019 May 17 and May 4: Big Boy​ 4014 and Engine 844 Were Running the Rails Again
    • Images of Old Carbon Today
  • Notebook

John Sr. and Lousia (Roberts) While

Images and notes from Bob Leathers

John While was born on August 3, 1856, in Netherton, Worcestershire, England, his father, Henry, was 34 and his mother, Sarah, was 32. He married Louisa Hadley on October 26, 1891, in his hometown. They had eight children in 14 years. He died on October 21, 1934, in Hanna, Wyoming, at the age of 78, and was buried in the Hanna cemetery.
Louisa Hadley was born on September 26, 1864, in West Bromwich, Staffordshire, England, her father, John, was 32, and her mother, Sarah, was 30. She married John While on October 26, 1891, in Netherton, Worcestershire, England. She died on December 15, 1942, in Hanna, Wyoming, at the age of 78, and was buried in the Hanna cemetery.
John While Sr. was recruited to Carbon, Carbon County, Wyoming from the Black County in England in 1885 by his Aunt and Uncle Elizabeth and Richard Cox to work in the coal mines at Carbon.  He returned to England in early 1891, married, and returned with his bride Lousia in December of 1891where they lived for the rest of their lives. All their children were born in Hanna. James, William, Joby, John Jr., John Sr. and Lousia are all buried in the Hanna Cemetery. Sarah and Robert are buried in Laramie. Edward is buried in California.
Mr. And Mrs. John While, Sr., of Hanna
Picture
LOUISA AND JOHN WHILE (WHILE FAMILY Collection from Bob Leathers)
Picture
(STANDING) JAMES, WILLIAM, JOBY, SARAH, JOHN JR. , EDWARD, (SITTING) JOHN SR., ROBERT AND LOUISA. (WHILE FAMILY Collection from Bob Leathers)

1920

John and Louisa While returned to England in 1920 and took their youngest son James "Jimmy" While with them. (BL)

1927

Picture
(Union Pacific Coal Company Employe's Magazine, December 1927)
​Mr. John While, Sr.
Seventy-one years old and still known to all and sundry in the community as “Jackie” bespeaks a community’s understanding of one who is wholly a part of it. And thus, it is with Mr. Jackie While, member of the Old Timers’ Association, who was born and grew to young manhood in England. He came to the United States and has worked in Dana and Old Carbon and later in Hanna when it succeeded the now closed but not forgotten towns.
Three years after coming to America Mr. While went back to be married and to bring his bride to the New Land, returning directly to Hanna where has been his home ever since. In 1920, he returned to England with his eldest son, a trip he thoroughly enjoyed. But he missed friends who had gone from the old haunts (UPCCEM, December 1927)

1928

Picture
(WHILE FAMILY Collection from Bob Leathers)
Snowing Outside: (Back) Job While, Jessie (Tennant) While, holding Dorothy While, Bill While, Sarah (While) Cummings, holding Bobby Cummings, Bob Cummings, John While Jr., James While, Bob While, Caryle (Weinbrant) While, Edward While (Front) Elizabeth Cummings, John While Sr., Lousia (Hadley) While, Eleen Cummings, Violet While and Dog Dan ​(Christmas Day 1928) (While Family Collection from Bob Leathers)

1940

Mr. and Mrs. Prescott, of Pennsylvania, visited here for two weeks with relatives and friends, Mrs. Prescott was a resident of Hanna at the time of the 1903 explosion, she will ve remembered y he maiden name, Mary Ann While. Mrs. John While Sr., mrs. Jean Massey entertained at the Community Hall in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Prescott. (UPCCEM, Sept. 1938)

1942

Picture
Seated is Mrs. Louisa While. The picture is of four generations, Mrs. Robert Cummings, daughter of Mrs. While, standing at left; Mrs. Cummings’ daughter, Mrs. Lawrence Cheesbrough, standing at right; the baby is Mrs. Cheesbrough’s daughter, Mrs. While’s great-granddaughterr (UPCCEM, Feb. 1943)

Hanna Cemetery Record

While, John Sr.
Link: Headstone: "1856 - 1934; Father; Rest in Peace" Shares a stone with Louisa While.
Plot: 91
Age: 78
Note: The death of John While, Sr., on October 21, 1934, marks the passing of one of the oldest old timers in Hanna. He was born in England, August 3, 1856, and came to old Carbon the early part of 1888. Later, upon coming to Hanna, he worked in Nos. 1 and 2 mines. He also was employed at Dana. In 1891, he went back to England to visit relatives and was then married to Miss Louisa Hadley. The couple returned to Hanna the same year and resided there ever since. He leaves a widow and six sons, Job, John Jr., William H., Edward, Robert and James, one daughter, Mrs. Robert Cummings, and nine grandchildren. Funeral Services were held at the Episcopal Church, October 24, with Dean Kraft officiating, interment in the Hanna cemetery.  (UPCCEM, December 1934)
While, Louisa
Link: Headstone: "1864 - 1942; Mother; Rest in Peace" Shares a stone with John While.
Plot: 91
Age: 80
Note: The passing of Mrs. Louisa While on December 15th, at 8:30 p.m., at the age of 78, removed from our midst another beloved old timer who will be greatly missed. Mrs. Louisa Hadley While was very active until last April, when she had a heart attack and was taken to the Hospital, where she remained under treatment for fourteen weeks, being then able to return home. She stayed with her daughter, Mrs. Robert Cummings, for a time, and had been in her own home but for a short period when she suffered another heart attack and was taken to the Hospital again on September 5th, where she was confined to her bed, steadily growing weaker until death relieved her suffering.
Born in Westbromich, England, on September 26, 1864, she came to this country 51 years ago, and had resided in Hanna ever since. Surviving relatives are one daughter, Mrs. Sarah Cummings, six sons, Job, John, Edward, Robert, and James, all of Hanna, and William, who is in the U.S. Army, as well as fourteen grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Funeral services were held at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church December 18th, at 10 a.m., with Rev. H. Heard officiating, and burial was made in the Hanna cemetery.
Out-of-town relatives who attended the funeral were Mrs. Ted Gill, a niece, and Lester Cox, a nephew, of Hilrose, Colorado, and Mr. And Mrs. Thos. Armstrong and Mrs. Lizzy Rouzi, of Rock Springs.  (UPCCEM, February 1943)

Hanna Basin Museum Website – A Connection To The Past