Many spent the Memorial Day weekend honoring those who have lost their lives fighting for our country. Now an Eastern Kentucky town is honoring those who have lost doing their jobs in the coal mines.

Harlan County has suffered more than a thousand coal mining related deaths in the last hundred years. Now a Harlan County woman is memorializing the men and women who have died in the mines, including her husband.

"My husband got killed 27 years ago and seemed like don't nobody take and recognize the miners that's got killed," said Betty Widner.

Widner says a year ago on Memorial Day weekend, she decided she wanted to organize a miner's memorial service to honor all who have lost their lives in Harlan County's mines.

"There's a lot of widows that have to get out and work and strive themselves, just to make a living for their kids," Widner said.

Dozens attended the first ever memorial service in Downtown Harlan including several political figures showing their support for increased mine safety regulations.

"We need to be proactive instead of reactive to these types of events, but we want to make coal mining as safe as possible," said Senator and Candidate for Lieutenant Governor Daniel Mongiardo.

Former miner Gary Grubbs says its heartbreaking to see a coworker die doing something they love.

"They died for a cause, doing a job that a lot of people wouldn't want to do, takes a special person I think," he said.

Widner says the last 27 years have been hard without her husband, but she knows she will see him again one day.

"It's like that song Tears in Heaven. I always loved that song. There won't be tears up there and I'll be glad," Widner said.

Widner hopes people never forget the dangers coal miners face every day at work. She says she plans to make the miner's memorial an annual event in Harlan County.