[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 6]
[House]
[Pages 7451-7452]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        REMEMBERING BEN HATFIELD

  (Mr. JENKINS of West Virginia asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. JENKINS of West Virginia. Madam Speaker, I rise today with a 
heavy heart and with profound sadness to remember West Virginian Ben 
Hatfield, who we tragically lost last Sunday.
  Born and raised in Williamson, Ben knew the value of hard work. He 
went into the mines to help pay for college and then continued his work 
in mining for the rest of his life. He was a mentor to so many in the 
coal community who remember him as a friend and as a brother.

[[Page 7452]]

  Ben cared deeply about giving back, donating anonymously to many 
charities and causes. He was also a man of deep faith, attending River 
Ridge Church and supporting the Ambassador Christian Academy in 
Williamson.
  Ben lived for his family. For more than 12 years, he stood by his 
wife Debbie as she battled cancer. You might say he never left her side 
and was with her to the very end, where she lay waiting for him.
  I send my prayers to his children, his mother, his brothers and 
sisters, and everyone who called him a friend. Ben will be laid to rest 
this weekend. We will miss him. May he rest in peace.

                          ____________________