Friends and families gather to mourn miners in private

A LARGE photograph of Jerry Lee Groves in a mine sat next to his closed casket, along with dozens of flowers carrying notes of sympathy.

Paying their respects, a group of emergency workers wore black patches on their uniforms with yellow lettering that read: “In memory of our fallen Sago miners.”

Grove was one of 12 miners killed last Monday in the Sago Mine explosion. Friends and families of the victims began grieving on Saturday in private visitations, with funerals scheduled from yesterday through to tomorrow.