Lois Lee of Koon Swisher Hill dynasty passes away

Lois Florence Koon Lee, wife of George Lee, Class of 1941, passed away Tuesday, July 8.

Lois and George’s sons are both Monongah High graduates, too, and live on Swisher Hill, which is where the Koon families have lived for a century.

Lois Koon Lee

David Lee, Class of 1967, married Nancy Levelle Lee, Class of 1969. Curtis Lee, Class of 1970, is married to Karen.

Lois was a familiar face at the First National Bank of Monongah for 27 years, till her retirement.

Monongah High history is littered with Koons and Lees.

There’s Weaden Koon, Class of 1929. 

Bob Kasper, Class of 1950, who lives in South Lyon, Michigan and on Grand Lake in Presque Isle, Michigan, remembers working on Weaden’s Swisher Hill farm within walking distance of Bob's Frogtown area home, along with maybe six boys, baling hay and slinging manure, when he was 12 or 13 years old and in 7^th or 8^th grade at Sts. Peter and Paul School with me as his classmate.

Other Lees and Koons in Monongah High history:

Thomas Koon, Class of 1939.

Robert E. Lee, Class of 1940.

Martha Koon Levelle, Class of 1942.

Dorothy Koon Ice, Class of 1948.

Allen Lee, Class of 1971.

Sabrina Postlethwait Lee, Class of 1974.

Adam Michna, North Marion Class of 1980, wrote: “I remember this lady when she worked at the First National Bank of Monongah when it was located on Main Street, and at the Camden Avenue location. I can still recall the interior of the old bank.” 

Joanna Lee Hewitt Ross of Fairmont, distantly related to Elaine Hewitt Monell of the Dayton, Ohio suburb of Riverside, and Robert Tinnell, who produced a film documentary about Nick Saban, Sr. and the Idamay Black Diamonds Pop Warner football team that included Alabama football coach Nick “Brother” Saban, are descendants of the Koon dynasty.

If you also have memories of the Lee or Koon families, email John Olesky at jo4wvu@neo.rr.com and I’ll add them to this Monongah High Alumni blog article.

Lois Koon Lee’s obituary:

Lois K. Lee, 86, of Fairmont, passed away on Tuesday (July 8, 2014) at the Fitzwaters Gracious Living in Fairmont. She was born on Aug. 13, 1927, in Worthington, a daughter of the late Charles and Hazel Swecker Koon.

Lois is survived by her husband of 67 years, George W. Lee, whom she married on Feb. 22, 1947. Also surviving are her children, David Lee and his wife Nancy and Curtis Lee and his wife Karen, all of Swisher Hill; her grandchildren, Holly Lyle, Tim Lee and his wife Susan, and CW; great-grandchildren, Saccara Lee, Kaitlyn Georgie and Andrew Lyle; her stepgrandchildren, Gary Dodrill and Abby Messenger; stepgreat-grandchildren, Clara and Ashlynn Dodrill; brother, Russell Koon and his wife Lois of Morgantown; and her sister-in-law, Sylvia Koon of Michigan.

In addition to her parents, Lois was preceded in death by her brother, Orhen Koon and his wife Arlene from Point Marion, and her brother, Carroll Koon.

Lois was a Past and Worthy Matron of the OES chapter 103 of Shinnston. She was a member of the Everson Baptist Church. Lois worked for 27 years for the First National Bank of Monongah before her retirement.

The family would like to say a special thank you to Don Fitzwater and his employees, Mike and Dave, from the Fitzwaters Gracious Living in Fairmont, as well as the Amedysis Hospice Care of Anmore, for doing an outstanding job in taking care of Lois. 

Friends will be received at the Harmer Funeral Home, 300 Pike St., Shinnston, today from 2-8 p.m. A funeral service will be held on Thursday at 10:30 a.m. with Rev. Robert Tennant officiating. Interment will follow at the Enterprise IOOF Cemetery. 

Online condolences and memories can be shared at www.harmerfuneral home.com. A service of the Harmer Funeral Home, Shinnston.