Allegany County MD Archives Obituaries.....James Francis BROPHY, 1955 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/md/mdfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Shawn McGreevy shawnmcgreevy@geatz.com Billings Gazette, Billings, Montana, 6 May 1955: "Mine Operator In Carbon Dies-RED LODGE - James Francis Brophy, 83, early Carbon county coal mine operator and mining engineer, died at his home at 8 a.m. Thursday after a 10-day illness. He had been under treatment for uremic poisoning. Mr. Brophy, who first came to Montana as a miner in 1889, was born April 23, 1872, in Pittsburgh. In 1875 he moved with his parents to Keyser, W.Va. After attending schools in Maryland and West Virginia, he came to Montana and worked in coal mines in Gallatin county. He later worked for three years in the Granite Mountain Silver Mines near Helena. Mr. Brophy went to Columbus Ohio, and entered Ohio State University in 1893. He interupted his formal training to work in coal mines and oil fields in West Virginia and returned to Montana for a year to work in copper mines in Butte. He received his degree in mining engineering from Ohio State in 1899. While at the university, he played halfback on the school's football team for two years. After graduating from the university he became an engineer for the Cooper Mines near Bluefield, W.Va., In 1902, he married Kate Cooper of Coopers, W.V. His wife died in Rod Lodge in 1945. Mr. Brophy moved to Big Four W.Va., where he and his brother operated a coal mine. He returned to Montana in 1906 and started the Brophy Coal Co. at Bearcreek. He had maintained an active interest in the mining company until his illness. In addition to coal mining activities, Mr. Brophy pioneered chrome mining development in the Beartooth Mountains south of Red Lodge. He also served as a consulting engineer for the Ohio Oil Co. in the Red Lodge area for many years. He served on the Red Lodge City Council for three years and was a member of the city's library board for three years. He was a member of Star in the West Lodge No. 40, AK & AM, at Red Lodge. He held membership in the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers. In 1954 he was advanced to the institute's Legion of Honor for 50 year members at its national meeting in St. Louis. Survivors are two sons, James R. of Red Lodge and Rosser C. of Rivermines, Mo.; two daughters, Mrs. Richard Edwards of Columbus, Ohio, and Mrs. Raymond Hertel of Sacramento, Calif.; nine grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Saturday in the Red Lodge Methodist Church. The Rev. C. R. Means, pastor will officiate and burial will be in the Red Lodge Cemetery." This file is located at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/md/allegany/obits/b/brophy-jf.txt