My great grandfather’s obituary (born 1840 in Kilkee, Ireland; died Osceola in PA in 1895) noted that he was honored in his community for teaching other young, Irish immigrant coal miners to read and write. Although he was retired from the mines because of lung problems at the time of his death, he was noted for “reading extensively and discussing the news of the day with his neighbors and all who stopped by.”
It’s almost like FreeRepublic.
He made sure that his 13 children were all educated, although he didn’t live to see them all grow up.
My grandmother emigrated from Co. Clare in 1918. The rest of my ancestors, presumably all Irish, are still a bit of a mystery.