The man killed in last week's elevator malfunction at the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine was honored in Cripple Creek with a procession down the city’s main street Thursday.
At its head, a local chapter of the American Legion marched holding flags to honor 46-year-old Patrick Weier, an Air Force veteran and tour guide at the mine. He died while leading a group of tourists underground when the 1,000 foot mine elevator malfunctioned. Four others were injured and a dozen people were left trapped for hours.
Behind the legion, a crowd of mourners walked up Bennet Avenue, trailed by a line of police and fire vehicles. Others stood on the sidewalk with hands or hats over their hearts as the procession passed.
"It's like losing 10 family members, not one," Patrick’s brother John Paul Weier told the crowd that gathered afterward for a memorial at Cripple Creek City Park.
The park’s fence was ringed with bright blue ribbons to honor Patrick’s beloved Chicago Cubs. Many who flew in from out of state fondly remembered years of attending games with him at Wrigley Field.
“That’s kind of what brought this whole crew of people that are here together,” said Otis Varden, gesturing to the front row of longtime friends. “We got to see a World Series Championship .… I just miss him so much.”
The Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine was discovered in 1891 and has been conducting tours since the 1930s. During the memorial, Mary Bielz of the Community of Caring Foundation spoke of the region’s mining heritage while referencing Weier’s Catholic faith.
“From its beginnings of the Gold Rush, this district knew a lot of suffering,” Bielz said. “We believe that through suffering we are perfected, even though that is a very, very hard belief."
Patrick is survived by his 7-year-old son Anthony. He was described by many as an attentive father devoted to raising his son. Jeremy Mederich, an old friend of Patrick’s, was in Colorado in August and met Anthony for the first time this week.
“(Anthony) ran up to me and gave me a hug before I even said my name,” said Mederich. “He knew me as Mr. Jeremy, and that says all you need to know about Patrick.”
John Paul said he used to be curious why his “city boy” brother would move to the Colorado Mountains. On Thursday, staring out at the small town that turned out to remember Patrick, he said it all made sense.
“This was the place for him to raise his son,” John Paul said. "You should all feel very proud of your community. I'll never forget what everyone has done here for us these past few days."
Cripple Creek Mayor Annie Durham had no comment Thursday other than to point people toward a GoFundMe page for Anthony.
Details of how Patrick died have not been released. The mine remains closed while an investigation into the incident continues.
