Jeannette Barr Baczuk, Mike Wardwell

Mountain Man meets 


Mountain Mamma

Jeanette Barr Baczuk, Class of 1940, who lives in Ashland, Ohio, found herself a real mountain man. Just check out the photo.

The NFL defensive-lineman-sized guy towering over Jeannette is Mike Wardwell, who became friends with Jeannette’s son, Jim Baczuk, after Jim and wife Rachelle moved to the West Virginia mountains.

Explains Jeannette:

“Mike is a contractor who does a lot of Jim's work in the Abandoned Minelands Reclamation.  The first Thanksgiving after Frank (Baczuk, Jeannette’s husband) died I went to Mike and Ann's for the holiday with Jim.  Had a great time, and they want me to come again.”

This photo of feisty Jeannette and West Virginia’s version of Grizzly Adams was taken at the annual Baczuk family union, held every year in Blackwater Falls State Park. They’ve already reserved a pavilion for June 27, 2015. 

Jeannette is thinking of driving from Ashland, Ohio to the Monongah High Reunion in 2015 at the Knights of Columbus on Mary Lou Retton Drive in Fairmont, although she concedes the thought is “a bit scary.” Last year Jeannette bought a new car, a Honda Accord, the same auto that I purchased last year (great senior citizens think alike), in Butler, Ohio, and got her picture in the newspaper with the car.

Jeannette is the widow of Frank Baczuk and the sister of Suzanne Barr Loss, Class of 1948, the widow of Arnold “J.B.” Loss, Class of 1947. Their brother is Harrelson Barr, Class of 1939, whose daughter, Marcie Barr Marsh, is Class of 1966. Harrelson was a long-time pilot and all-round daredevil, going back to his Worthington youth as the son of the famous Dr. Barr of Worthington.

Jeannette, Suzi and Harrelson are the children of Dr. James Monroe Barr, who delivered nearly the entire population of Worthington. The are known collectively as the Barr Babies.

Jeannette is on the board of the Ashland Seniior Center and a volunteer in the thrift shop. The Golden Agers take a monthly trip. Jeannette and I are hoping there’s something near Akron that might attract her group, so that Jeannette and I can have a Monongah High Alumni Reunion of our own. Just a pair of old codgers who refuse to curl up in a rocking chair and wait for the Grim Reaper.

Jeannette is the grande dame of Monongah High Alumni newsletter recipients/blog viewers, as the oldest living graduate still poking through the MHS Alumni blog. Only Leo Kubiet, Class of 1942, who lives in the St. Petersburg, Florida suburb of Largo (after growing up near the Kasper family in Frogtown outside Monongah), comes close. Leo retired as vice president of the St. Petersburg Times.

That would make Jeannette and Leo the Queen and King of Monongah High alumni, in my book. If you want to re-connect with Jeannette, her email address is jbaczuk@zoominternet.net

To get in touch with Leo, his email address is leokubiet@tampabay.rr.com