Mike Ross, husband of Joanna Hewitt Ross, granddaughter of Monongah’s Thomas Hewitt (Charles Shultz’ stepson), is spending his 37^th birthday on a father-son kayaking trip in the Adirondacks.

Writes Joanna: “I met Mike in the drama department when I was a junior and he was a senior in high school. We've been practically inseparable since.”

Joanna’s father is Mark Hewitt, the son of Thomas Hewitt of Fairmont who

grew up in Monongah.

Joanna is involved in preserving and promoting North Central West Virginia coal heritage with Fairmont State's Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center. They work with community partners through the use of technology (social media, crowdsourcing, way finding) to promote local businesses and local coal heritage sites.

Joanna and Elaine Hewitt Monell, Class of 1949, the widow of Raymond “Soak” Monell, Class of 1945 who lives in the Dayton, Ohio suburb of Riverside, are cousins.

Charity Morris, daughter of the late Danny Morris, Class of 1947, is related to Joanna and Elaine through Sallie Ann Edwards, who came to America from Wales.

Sallie Ann was the half-sister of Danny’s mother, Katherine Grace Morris. Her parents were Margaret Elizabeth Jones Edwards and Edward Edwards. Thomas Hewitt was Sallie Ann’s son.

If you have memories of the Ross of Hewitt families, email John Olesky at jo4wvu@neo.rr.com and I’ll add your information to this Monongah High Alumni blog.