John Costanich was the son of a coal miner. His father, Bartal Jacob Kostanic (original spelling before emigrating from Croatia) worked for the South Willis Coal Company in Wilkeson and later Morris Brothers Coal Mining Company. Both firms were predecessors to Palmer Coking Coal Co. (Palmer) where John found long term employment. Born in Wilkeson in 1916, John graduated from Enumclaw High School in 1933, then worked as a logger in Carbonado. In November 1941, he married Dorothy (Briggs) but soon moved to Pearl Harbor after the bombing to work at Todd Shipyards. He joined the Army in 1942 and served as a construction engineer through World War II.
After the war John was a commercial fisherman in Gig Harbor; while also working part time for Dick Wetton’s Kummer Coal Co. In 1950, he joined Palmer where he’d once worked briefly in 1940. The next 27 years of John’s life were devoted to coal mining. Three of his brothers, Bob, George, and Jack were also coal miners for Palmer. John was a past president of the local chapter of the United Mine Workers of America, and a union member for 60 years.
The sticker on his hardhat reads, “UMWA – safety or else.” He retired from mining in 1976, living another 31 years before passing away in 2007 at age 91 in his hometown of Enumclaw. This photo of John was taken by Barry Kombol in April 1974 at the Rogers No. 3 in Ravensdale. It was the last underground coal mine in the state of Washington.
