As Shoshone County Clerk Peggy White drives past the Big Creek exit on Interstate 90 each day to and from work, she sees the towering, jackleg drill-wielding reminder of the sacrifices made by 91 - including her father, uncle and brother-in-law - of the Silver Valley's finest 41 years ago.

"I look at that statue every day. It brings back so many memories - some beautiful and some sad," White said.

The Sunshine Mine Memorial has been a landmark in Shoshone County honoring the victims of the miners who lost their lives in the Sunshine Mine Fire of 1941 since the memorial was erected in 1972.

However, the memorial is in need of some serious work after decades of beatings from the weather and rock slides. And getting that work done is proving to be a challenge to White and the county.

A rock slide during the winter left part of the sidewalk destroyed and large boulders were scattered around the vicinity of the memorial. The goal is to clean up the site in time for the memorial service May 2, but the funding doesn't come easy.

White said insurance coverage will pay for up to $50,000 in repairs. Unfortunately, Shoshone County Public Works Director John Thomas told White the total cost of all the repairs would be around $150,000.

White said they are working on lining up funding through the Historical Society and other departments, but they won't fund the project until the area has been remediated. White said the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality would remediate the sections not covered by concrete, but not the cemented portions of the memorial site.

"It's convoluted right now. We don't know who will do what," White said. "We don't know where the funding is going to come from."

Meetings are continuing with various governmental agencies - DEQ, Panhandle Health, Idaho Transportation Department, etc. - and White said she's hopeful they'll at least have the area stabilized by May 2.

To a great deal of people in Shoshone County, the memorial is more than just a statue. White said it's not just a reminder of the 241 young ones that lost their fathers 41 years ago, it's a reminder of the importance of life.

"It's a reminder that life in itself can be gone in an instant," White said. "How do you pass down what you went through? You can't, but you can try to show them the sacrifices made by miners here in the Silver Valley - 241 children learned that very quickly."

It's a reminder to the Silver Valley that mining is more than just the economic backbone of Shoshone County. Mining is a dangerous challenge with fantastic returns and tragic downfalls, and the work done by miners has an impact across the world.

"Those miners gave their lives to help us all," White said. "Mining is important. It's important to everyone and helps us all."

Those who would like to help support the Sunshine Mine Memorial or get involved in this renovation process can contact Peggy White during the day at 752-1169.