Yatesboro Man Celebrates 100th Birthday Sunday

by Jonathan Weaver

 

A small-town coal miner, Tom Piscolish has a lifetime full of memories to share.

From working with his father and four brothers in the mine by night and playing baseball and bowling for company teams by day to establishing his own business and working the polls, Tom remembers fondly the past 100 years of his life.

“I was a lucky boy – lucky all the way,” Tom said.

Born November 2, 1914 in the coal mining town of Monarch (now Kaylor) to father John and mother Agnes (who came to America from Croatia about six years prior), Tom became the fourth of what would be nine children.

A “math wizard,” Tom would have liked to gone for further schooling after graduating from Rural Valley High in 1932 – and even his school principal tried to convince his father to send him to college -, but with such a large family and graduating during the Great Depression, Tom immediately went to work immediately in the coal mines with his brothers.

“We could’ve had a very different life,” daughter Anita said. “But, he wouldn’t have had as much fun.”

When he was about eight years old, Tom learned how to pitch a baseball – and he kept striking out batters half his age long after breaking his thumb (his secret for throwing a hard curveball).

“A little catalog had an ad in there that said about getting a pamphlet about how to throw a curve in baseball,” Tom said. “I liked baseball, so I sent for it and it said if you learn to throw a curveball, you win something. And I finally learned to throw a curve!

“I pitched until I was 50 years old. I played quite a bit.”

Piscolish (originally spelled Piskulic) would pitch up to four games per week while working in the mines five. He even still has the baseball from when he pitched Yatesboro to a win in the Alle-Kiski Valley league championship against Ford City in 1943.

At the time, coal miners were not drafted into the Armed Forces.

Tom also bowled for William Penn, Branch 88 –from when it was established in the 1940’s at McCutcheon’s Lanes on the second floor above a bar in downtown Kittanning until 2010 at Greendale Lanes.

Daughter Marina – of Oahu, Hawaii – also remember fondly his days of throwing horseshoes – all the while having fun while working in the mines and after setting up Shannock Valley Beer Distributor with wife, Ann, a few blocks from his 2nd Street home (where he’s lived since 1945).

“When I was very young, he worked both the mines and (the beer distributor). He worked 11PM-7AM (“the hoot-owl shift”) in the mines, came home, napped until about 11AM and then started loading the truck before delivering all by himself all the way up to Dayton. He would work until 6-7PM, sleep for a few hours and then go to the mines again,” Marina said.

Tom and Ann met as teenagers as she was working in her parents’ candy store within Avi’s Tavern. They were married 69 years until her passing in March 2009.

“What a crazy hundred years,” Marina said.

“He gets lost when he starts looking at pictures,” oldest daughter, Anita, added.

The former athlete and little league umpire was inducted into the Armstrong County Hall of Fame in 1977.

About 250 family and friends – including Tom’s four children, seven grandchildren and several teammates – will celebrate Tom’s birthday Sunday at an open house from noon until 2PM at St. Mary Mother of God Catholic Church in Yatesboro.

A lifelong Democrat, Tom received letters from former U.S. President Bill Clinton and wife, Hillary and current U.S. President Barack Obama and wife, Michelle.

Armstrong County commissioners have proclaimed his official birthday – this Sunday - “Tom Piscolish Day”.

Tom is the last surviving member of his high school class and family.

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  By jwilliams, October 31, 2014 @ 9:00 PM

  Congratulations to you Tom from Bill and Sherry Williams Family.

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