Harry Laviers
Harry La Viers was born August 26, 1929 to Harry and Maxie La Viers in Paintsville, Kentucky. He was an only child and everyone immediately started calling him Harry Jr. He attended elementary school in Paintsville and then went to high school at Culver Military Academy in Indiana. He attended Princeton University in New Jersey where he studied engineering. After college he joined the U.S. Army Signal Corps and was stationed in Washington, D.C. On October 25, 1952 he married Barbara Sue Purple in Corning, N.Y.
In 1953 he completed his tour of duty and Harry and Sue returned to Paintsville, where he began working with his father at South East Coal Company. While in Paintsville they became the parents of three children, Elizabeth Auxier (Owen), Harry La Viers IV and Donald Gregory. In 1959 the family moved to Irvine to build a cleaning plant for South East Coal. Irvine was chosen because of its location to the railroad and to water needed to clean the coal.
Harry and his family joined the Irvine United Methodist Church in 1959. He served on the Finance Committee and the Board of Trustees. He got a great deal of support and enjoyment from this church over the next 35 years. The Cleaning Plant went online in October 1961 with 50 employees. In November of that year his fourth child, Stephen Douglas, was born at the Estill County Hospital.
Harry participated in many civic activities. He was always supportive of projects to improve his community, often donating equipment, manpower, supplies and expertise. In 1961 he helped build the Estill County Golf Clubhouse, which was outfitted with the grill from the SECO mining house in Letcher County. When a tornado hit Ravenna, Harry brought crucial assistance to the rescue of victims and subsequent cleanup of the Ravenna Christian Church and surrounding area. In 1974 he donated the men and labor for the grading and tilling of the site for the Estill County Library, which could not have been otherwise built. South East Coal donated the labor and equipment to grade the Ravenna Kiwanis Softball Park, the Fair Board parking lot, the road out to Life Adventure Camp in rural Estill County and the swimming pool site.
In 1970 Harry became President of South East Coal Company, upon the death of his father. The company now employed 150 workers and was the largest family owned, Kentucky based coal company. During its peak South East provided many college scholarships and training programs related to education.
Harry served as President of the Kentucky Coal Association and was a member of King Coal Association. He served on the Council for Higher Education and took every opportunity to improve the economic and educational opportunities in Eastern Kentucky.
In the 1980’s South East became engaged in a bitter court battle with its major customer, Kentucky Utilities. In 1985 the Cleaning Plant celebrated its 25th anniversary. The long court battle forced South East into financial trouble from which it never recovered. In 1993 South East Coal Company went out of business. It was a very sad day. In 1994 harry donated 50 acres for an industrial site which became the new home of Carhartt Manufacturing Company.
Harry got a great deal of enjoyment from his ability to provide jobs to Estill County. He enjoyed working with his long time employees who also so willing contributed their time and energy to local civil projects. These friends made much of Harry La Vier’s public service possible.
In 1995 Harry retired, sold his home in Irvine and moved to his family’s long time home in Florida. He spends his time reading, working on computers and enjoying and teaching his grandchildren.
In 1953 he completed his tour of duty and Harry and Sue returned to Paintsville, where he began working with his father at South East Coal Company. While in Paintsville they became the parents of three children, Elizabeth Auxier (Owen), Harry La Viers IV and Donald Gregory. In 1959 the family moved to Irvine to build a cleaning plant for South East Coal. Irvine was chosen because of its location to the railroad and to water needed to clean the coal.
Harry and his family joined the Irvine United Methodist Church in 1959. He served on the Finance Committee and the Board of Trustees. He got a great deal of support and enjoyment from this church over the next 35 years. The Cleaning Plant went online in October 1961 with 50 employees. In November of that year his fourth child, Stephen Douglas, was born at the Estill County Hospital.
Harry participated in many civic activities. He was always supportive of projects to improve his community, often donating equipment, manpower, supplies and expertise. In 1961 he helped build the Estill County Golf Clubhouse, which was outfitted with the grill from the SECO mining house in Letcher County. When a tornado hit Ravenna, Harry brought crucial assistance to the rescue of victims and subsequent cleanup of the Ravenna Christian Church and surrounding area. In 1974 he donated the men and labor for the grading and tilling of the site for the Estill County Library, which could not have been otherwise built. South East Coal donated the labor and equipment to grade the Ravenna Kiwanis Softball Park, the Fair Board parking lot, the road out to Life Adventure Camp in rural Estill County and the swimming pool site.
In 1970 Harry became President of South East Coal Company, upon the death of his father. The company now employed 150 workers and was the largest family owned, Kentucky based coal company. During its peak South East provided many college scholarships and training programs related to education.
Harry served as President of the Kentucky Coal Association and was a member of King Coal Association. He served on the Council for Higher Education and took every opportunity to improve the economic and educational opportunities in Eastern Kentucky.
In the 1980’s South East became engaged in a bitter court battle with its major customer, Kentucky Utilities. In 1985 the Cleaning Plant celebrated its 25th anniversary. The long court battle forced South East into financial trouble from which it never recovered. In 1993 South East Coal Company went out of business. It was a very sad day. In 1994 harry donated 50 acres for an industrial site which became the new home of Carhartt Manufacturing Company.
Harry got a great deal of enjoyment from his ability to provide jobs to Estill County. He enjoyed working with his long time employees who also so willing contributed their time and energy to local civil projects. These friends made much of Harry La Vier’s public service possible.
In 1995 Harry retired, sold his home in Irvine and moved to his family’s long time home in Florida. He spends his time reading, working on computers and enjoying and teaching his grandchildren.