PHILIPPI -- There was silence Thursday morning as friends and family members remembered the 12 miners who died in the Sago Mine explosion in 2006. They gathered for the unveiling of phase one of a Barbour County memorial to the miners, which family members say means a lot to them.

"We really appreciate the fact that somebody still remembers what happened and recognizes the men at Sago and all coal miners," says Sara Hamner, fallen miner George Hamner's daughter.

Governor Joe Manchin helped uncover the monument, which depicts the fallen miners in bronze.

"I think it'll help remember each and every individual. If it was someone they were close to that they'd known for awhile," says Lily Bennett, fallen miner Jim Bennett's wife.

The memorial's artist says it depicts the types of emotions the men might have been going through during their last hours.

"The two closest to you on the right are comrades so to say, helping each other get through. And there's one taller one who's giving the prayer, the miners' prayer," says the memorial's artist Russ Straight.

Fallen miner Jim Bennett's daughter says she hopes the memorial will help people remember the miners and keeps miners' safety at the forefront.

"Safety is an issue when it comes to the mining industry and hopefully when a passerby sees it, they're going think about the safety and what happened to these men," says Ann Bennett, Jim Bennett's daughter.

Money is still being raised for phase two of the project, which will put the bronze work into African black granite with all of the miners' names etched in it.

If you'd like to make a donation, you can deposit money into the Sago Miners Memorial Fund at the First Central Bank in Philippi.