UPDATE: Shuler Mine Worker Wills Half a Million Dollars to Waukee Public Library

When former Waukee resident Hiram Ori died last October, he set in motion a final tribute that would make his parents, and those associated with the Shuler Mine, proud.

In his quarterly report to the Waukee City Council Monday night, Waukee Public Library director Erik Surber told the council that Ori, 87, had left at least half a million dollars to the library in his will.

"They specified that we build a meeting room in honor of his parents," Surber said. "I think he wanted to honor not only his parents, but also the immigrant community in general."

Surber said Ori and his family lived in Waukee and worked in the Shuler Mine, which operated in the first half of the 1900s. The money Ori willed to the library — expected to be between $500,000 and $700,000 — was designated as a way to honor his parents, Ernest and Casimira Ori, Italian immigrants who lived in Waukee until their deaths in 1974 and 1982, respectively.

Hiram Ori died on Oct. 22, 2010, in Denver, Colo. He served in the Army in both World War II and the Korean War, then worked for Coors Brewing Co. in Colorado. He is survived by a brother, Richard, and two sisters, Olga and Yolanda. Ori never married and had no children.

Richard Ori of Clive said he wasn't at all surprised that his older brother Hiram, the oldest of the Ori's 11 children, wanted to do something like this for the library.

"I think Hiram felt the library was a place for younger people to learn and advance," he said. "I wasn’t sure what his plans were but it was something he wanted and I'm glad he did it."

The meeting room, once built, could also house some of the historic artifacts pertaining to the Shuler Mine. Richard Ori said he's working with a committee made up of people who lived in the Shuler camp who want to establish museum for the miners.

Surber said the total amount of the gift has not yet been determined due to legal fees and additional expenses. He also said this could be the largest single gift ever given to the Waukee Public Library.

Richard Ori said it's a fitting tribute not only for his parents, but also for Hiram.

"I think he would be very pleased," Ori said. "The recognition this will bring for our family and those from Shuler...he would be very pleased."