By John Olesky, Class of 1950

Lifelong friendships are common among Monongah High alumni.

Doris Carpenter Rogers and Sue Ahouse Schrader, both Class of 1971, have been friends since second grade, even though Sue lives in Piscataway, New Jersey, and Doris lives in Charleston, West Virginia. They often travel together.

The late Nancy Robinson Saunders of Hutchinson and Mary Bienkoski Domico of Monongah, both Class of 1950, were together continuously till death intervened.

Pat Meredith Wills, Class of 1950, who lives in Fairmont and St. Augustine Beach, Florida, and Leona “Duckles” Davis Schooley, Class of 1953, seemed joined at the hips at MHS and beyond.

Bob Kasper, who lives in South Lyon and Presque Isle, Michigan, and John Olesky, who lives in Tallmadge, Ohio, have been friends since first grade at Sts. Peter and Paul School and visit each other in Michigan and Ohio every year.

But Virginia DeMary Rossi and Christine “Tina” Tartell Arnett’s togetherness tops all those combined.

Virginia and Christine, both Class of 1953, were born on the same day – April 24, 1935 -- and died two hours apart on the same day – August 20, 1982 -- and were best friends for life.

If you saw one you saw the other at Monongah High. Hell, they were MHS Student Council representatives together for their senior class in 1953.

Tina was the maid of honor at Virginia’s wedding to James Rossi.

David Tartell was a pallbearer at Michael DeMary’s funeral in 2007.

Tina was Paula Rossi Wiley’s godmother.

Virginia DeMary Rossi is buried in Mt. Calvary Cemetery on Park Avenue in Monongah. Nearby are the side-by-side graves of Lee and Josephine Tartell, Tina’s parents, and Lucy and Anthony DeMary, Virginia’s father’s brother.

Virginia’s parents, Frank and Lena Duva DeMary, are buried in Grandview Memorial Park, off E. Grafton Road in Fairmont.

Anthony and Lucy DeMary are the parents of Ann DeMary Eates, married to Joe Eates, and Jimmy DeMary and Anthony “Plumber” DeMary, Jr. Ann and Joe live at the bottom of Bridge Street hill. Jimmy and Plumber are deceased.

Virginia’s brother was Joe DeMary, who passed away in 2007, and is the father of Kimberly Jo DeMary Clowers, who lives in Rossville, Georgia with husband Earl Clowers.

It was a recent Facebook post by Kim that put me on the trail of this fascinating birth-to-death connection between Virginia and Tina, even though they’ve been gone from this earth 32 years. Rod Serling couldn’t have dreamed up this one.

Other children of Joe DeMary are Sgt. 1st Class Joanne Mary DeMary of Ft. Meade, Md.; Joseph Allen DeMary and wife Yvonne of Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee; Julie Ann DeMary of Soddy; and Frank DeMary Jr. and his wife Peaches of Monongah.

Tina’s siblings are Eugene “Hammer” Tartell, Class of 1951, who lives in Dayton, Ohio; Liz Tartell Shultz, who also lives in Dayton and is recovering from a fall off her stool at home that put her in the hospital for a few weeks; the late Louis Tartell, famous for landing his flying machine on Claude Domico Hill in Monongah during his younger days; and David Tartell, who lives in Fairmont and worked in his father-in-law’s moving business.

Hammer, who married Fairmont East grad Helena, vividly remembers Tina and Virginia’s close friendship. “The DeMarys lived across the bridge on Water Street from our Front Street home,” he said.

So it was short trip from their births to their neighborhood friendship to school days to marriage and children – and, ultimately, passing away within hours of each other.

If you have memories of the DeMary, Rossi, Tartell or Arnett families, email John Olesky at jo4wvu@neo.rr.com and I’ll add them on this Monongah High Alumni blog.