Robert was the oldest child of Robert William White and Bertha Ficks of Philadelphia. He was named after his father Robert White and his grandfather Martin Ficks. He was the husband of Eva Naugle and the father of three sons and one daughter (living). Robert lived most of his life in western Pennsylvania, so he was rarely able to visit his extended family in Philadelphia and New Jersey. Sadly, the last time he saw his siblings was at his mother Bertha's funeral in 1960. Many of his nieces and nephews never had a chance to meet him.

Robert worked in the Pennsylvania Civilian Conservation Corps during the 1930's. He met his wife and settled in Clearfield County and raised his family. As a boy he collected milk can labels to earn money for a Boy Scout uniform. He told his daughter that he remembered going to Penn Treaty Park for picnics with his family as a boy. He enjoyed watching boats when he "lived by the river" in Philadelphia. He later worked on a farm as a teenager after his father passed away at a young age. It may have been his great uncle Reinhold Eisbrenner's dairy farm in Bucks County (It is not known if one of his children continued the farming operation after Reinhold's death in 1927). At the age of 13, Robert was considered too old to enroll in the Girard School for Fatherless Boys in Philadelphia, as his two younger brothers did. After he got married he bought all six of his siblings Christmas gifts and mailed them to Philadelphia. His brother Lou said they were the only toys the children received for several years.

Robert was a timberman coal miner. According to his daughter he enjoyed his work (she asked him when he was in his 40's). Robert was a knowledgeable mechanic and could have also gone into the business of fixing cars like his father Bob. Perhaps his father taught him some of his skills. Robert died in a tragic coal mining accident attempting to rescue his fellow miners Samuel Frederick Gaul and Ronald (Lipsie) Moore. Moore and Gaul were overcome by black damp when an automated continuous miner drilled into an abandoned area of Dora Mine No. 2 at about 8:30 pm. Robert along with John Kramer and Hilton Neiswonger initially escaped harm but decided to return and rescue their friends. All five men were asphyxiated. Two other men escaped from the mine to seek help. There were 19 miners working in the Doverspike Brothers, Inc. facility, about one and one-half miles east of Dora and 15 miles west of Punxsutawney. Interestingly, the owners were listed as the Davenport Brothers on the government report. Robert and the other victims were about 4,700 feet from the mine opening. Miners later told the family that blueprints being used were inaccurate and that the management had been previously advised of this.

[I disabled the 3 links that were below because Findagrave doesn't allow linking to other websites. Just copy & paste instead.]

1-The original newspaper article is at:
http://www3.gendisasters.com/pennsylvania/20052/dora-pa-miners-asphyxiated-in-coal-mine-june-1966

2-The register record of the mine accident report is at:
www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/dam/rg/di/r45_MineAccidentRegisters/WsBituminous1933_1972.pdf

Look on the 5th page about one third of the way down.

3-You can also search at https://arllib2.msha.gov/awweb/main.jsp under simply Robert White. It will be the first of 4 Robert Whites under "Related Information".

The full version of the final report can be viewed on film #3602 at the Pennsylvania Stare Archives. It can also be ordered through the mail:

(Report # 10342; Dora Mine ID #36-00000)

Technical Information Center & Library
National Mine Health and Safety Academy
1301 Airport Road
Beaver, WV 25813

or Email: [email protected].

or Telephone: 304-256-3266



*Russell Doverspike, the father of the mine's owners James and Carl, died in a coal mining accident also.