Happy birthday, John Todd Moats, 1985 North Marion High grad who lives in Lynchburg, Virginia and is 48 years old today!

Which is a miracle, really, since his mother, Bonnie Nicholson Moats, Class of 1960, who lives in Rustburg, Virginia, is “39”! We’re not saying how many times Bonnie has been 39, but you do the math. J Well, Jack Benny is dead, so he’s not using 39 any more, so why not? 

Todd and wife Michelle's 20th wedding anniversary is Nov. 19. They are going on a cruise the 22nd.

John Todd was born in Monongah, went to Thoburn Grade School, Monongah Middle School and then, because Monongah High had its last graduation class in 1979, had to go to North Marion to finish his education.

As you can see, he’s very athletic – basketball at Thoburn, football at North Marion, boating and motorcycling throughout his life.

Bonnie and Johnny was a classic American story: Football hero (for Fairmont State) and majorette meet, fall in love and live the game of life happily ever after. 

Bonnie’s husband was a 1955 Fairmont East High grad. After Fairmont State, John went into the Army (thus the photo) and, when he got out of the service, married Bonnie.

John was a construction engineer for Consolation Coal Company. They lived in Monongah for 15 years, later we built a house in White Hall.

Bonnie was a school principal for 21 years at White Hall Elementary, Dunbar Elementary, Jayenne Elementary and Blackshere Elementary. She was a Monongah Elementary Title 1 Math Teacher with Ramona Fullen Michalski, Class of 1949, who lives in Monongah, as Bonnie’s aide.

When John’s father passed away in 2005, Bonnie sold her house and, after two other residences and four years, she moved to Rustburg, Virginia, 5 minutes from son Todd and daughter-in-law Michelle. They gave her three grandchildren --  Ciara Brooke, Logan Wesley and Lucas Michael Moats. 

If you want to congratulate John Todd or Bonnie, go to her Facebook page. If you have memories of the Nicholson or Moats families, email John Olesky at jo4wvu@neo.rr.com and I’ll post them on this Monongah High Alumni blog.

Next up on the Monongah High Alumni birthday list: 

Hellen Snider Carpenter, Class of 1950, who has two “l’s” in her first name and who is enjoying the quiet life of Cottageville, West Virginia just outside Ripley and hopefully who will be joining the Class of 1950 at the 2015 Monongah High Alumni Reunion in Fairmont on Friday, May 22, 2015 in the Three Ways Inn (a combined dinner with the Class of 1955) and the all-classes Monongah High Alumni Reunion at the Knights of Columbus on Mary Lou Retton Drive in Fairmont on Saturday, May 23, 2015. 

We’re planning a major Last Hurrah blowout for the Class of 1950. After all, we’ll be 82 or 83, so this may be our last chance to hoot and holler and laugh together in this life.

If your name is not on this list, email John Olesky at jo4wvu@neo.rr.com  with your full name, including maiden name, your birthday date, your graduation year and your current hometown. 

November

1 – Tom Dean, Class of 1949

5 – John Olesky, Class of 1950

8 – Diana Pishner Walker

10 – Tony Orsini, Class of 1946

14 – Ann Marie Mascak Davis, Class of 1955

17 – John Todd Moats, North Marion Class of 1985

20—Hellen Snider Carpenter, Class of 1950               

20 – Kathryn Toothman Crim, Class of 1950

23 -- Antheai Justice Turner, North Marion 1982

25 – Gerald Nelson Hartley, Class of 1955

December

2 – Adam Michna, 1980 North Marion graduate

4 – Ronald Pearse, Classs of 1961

5 – Duane Harbert, Class of 1951

8 – Brenda Urban, Class of 1971

13 – Otis “Sarge” Shaver, Class of 1948

22 – Frances Wimer Miller, Class of 1951

January

6 – Jeanette Barr Baczuk, Class of 1940

13 – Beatrice Salisbury Mills, Class of 1951

17 – Susan Colaneri Monell, Class of 1949

18 – Arlene Marteney Decker Edgell, Class of 1951

?? – Marie Bee Zwiegel, Class of 1951

18 – Bertha Pazdric Sullivan, Class of 1954

18 – Greg Vandetta, Monongah mayor, husband of Debbie Manzo Vandetta, Class of 1973

19 – Joe Martin, Class of 1957

19 – Joann Thompson, Class of 1962  

22 – Jo-Jo DeMary of Monongah, who lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee and is married to Yvonne King DeMary

24 – Marcia Michalski Westfall, Class of 1974

24 – Mark “Hooch” Aldridge, Class of 1973

29 – Kitty Ahouse Morrison, Class of 1968

February

1 – Debra Manzo Vandetta, Class of 1973

2 – Sylvia Edwards, Monongah grad living in Idamay

3 – Debbie Weaver Hurley, Monongah grad living in Monongah with husband Milton Hurley

3 – Rebecca Urish Anderson, Class of 1971

8 – Tom Fleming, Monongah grad living in Bridgeport

9 – Bob Nichols, Class of 1964

10 – Bonnie Nicholson Moats, Class of 1960

11—Linda Renay Hess Postlethwait, Class of 1968

15 – Jerry Koloskie, Class of 1975

17 – Larry “Danny” Eates, Class of 1970

18 – Mark Tarley, North Marion grad

20 – Harold Dean Kniceley, Class of 1960

21 – Eva Huey Jarvis, Class of 1975

24 – Mary Kelly, Monongah & North Marion

29 – Betty Sikinow Cunningham, Class of 1954

 

March

5 – Phil Colanero, Jr., Class of 1963

5 -- Doris Carpenter Rogers, Class of 1971

6 – Karen Fitzwater Pausch, Class of 1961

9 – Richie Basagic, Class of 1975 

9 – Brian Evans, Monongah graduate married to Patty DeMary Evans

11 – Benny C. Morgan, Class of 1948

15 – Donna Colvert Davis, Class of 1961, married to 1958 MHS grad Bill Davis

22 – David Haines, Class of 1964

25 – Sandy Cook, Class of 1959

25 – Richard Fitzwater, Monongah graduate

 

April

4 – Charlotte Walker Cahill, Class of 1954

5 – Bernie Fullen, Class of 1963

9 – Paula “P.J.” Hickman, North Marion 1983

11 – Leo Kubiet, Class of 1942

12 – Linda Sawyer Duckworth, Class of 1966

14 – Lyla Cosner Howell, Class of 1958

16 – Becky Shelosky Carvillano, Class of 1961  

30 – Shirley Knight Ritterhouse, Class of 1954

May

4 – Freddie Jane Colosino Villers, Class of 1964

5 – Frank Franze, Class of 1950

6 – Jerry Loss, Class of 1956

12 – Arlene Kitchin, main squeeze of Joe Martin, Class of 1957

14 – Donna Post Swiger, Class of 1955

14 – Mike Jurasko, Class of 1957

14 – Virginia Belle Littleton Curtis, Class of 1957

17 – Colette Stanley Melton, Class of 1970

20 – Linda Tomlinson Stevenski, Class of 1955

21 – June Paxton Rogers, Class of 1948

27 – Ed Graffius, Class of 1971

28 – Terri Orsini Saye, Class of 1972

June

1 – Parma Kay Fetty, Class of 1973

3 – Jim Birdsell, North Marion grad from Monongah; married to Angela

7 – Kenneth Kincaid, Class of 1968

8 – John Koloskie, Jr., Class of 1944

8 – Pat Slovekosky Morris, Class of 1970

13 – C.L. “Roy” Parker II, North Marion Class of 1982

13 – Rick Morrison, son of Kitty Ahouse Morrison, Class of 1968  

14 – Pamela Bombardiere, Monongah grad

14 – Regina McCoy Murphy, Class of 1973

17 – Delmas Gene Hartley, Class of 1979

17 – Dennis Jones, Class of 1954

23 – Ramona Fullen Michalski, Class of 1949

23 – Kathryn Manuel Marshall, Class of 1960

23 – Ron Manzo, Monongah grad

23 – Frankie Vandetta, North Marion grad

July

3 – Susan Ahouse Schrader, Class of 1971

4 – Bob Fox, Class of 1948

4 – Barbara Fleming Marsh, Class of 1947

5 – David Gowers, Class of 1971

5 – Bill Meredith, Class of 1957

7 – Alex Fazio Huff, North Marion 2005 grad

14 – Ted Nagel, Class of 1954

14 – Bentley Evans, Class of 1978

18 – Larry Zickefoose, Class of 1968

21 – Robin Huffman Satterfield, Class of 1973  

16 – Jean Nagel Viglianco, Class of 1949

19 – Jane Pritchard Moore, Class of 1975

29 – Pete Basagic, Class of 1972

August

1 – Kim DeMary Clowers, Class of 1979

3 – (Agnes) Jean Larry DiLaura, Class of 1950

7 – Dorie Mike Whetsell, Monongah graduate

9 – Paula Kerns Fazio, Class of 1979

12 – Angelo Catania, Class of 1943

16 – Debby Morrison Harden, Class of 1966

18 – Jim McDaniel, Class of 1960

18 – John Fazio, Class of 1970

19 – Greg Postlethwait, Class of 1964

19 – Barbra Eller-Hanning, Monongah grad

20 – Irene Fazio Preolitti, Class of 1966

20 – Connie Warash, Monongah grad

29– Pat Meredith Wills, Class of 1950

30 – Beth Pritchard Brooks, Class of 1978

30 – David Harbert of Idamay, Farmington grad

September

6 – Dave Domico of Monongah, Fairmont West grad married to Andrea Justice Domico

7 – Mary Louise Orsini, Class of 1948 (honorary)

7 – Phillis Tarley, North Marion grad from Idamay living in Fairmont

8 – Fred Moorehead, Class of 1964 

8 – Jackie Olesky Straight, Class of 1955

13 – Karen Manzo, Class of 1974

14 – Suzanne Barr Loss, Class of 1948

14 – Jim Shaver, Class of 1954

15 – Bettie Hensley Lowther, Class of 1948

17 – Patti DeMary Evans, Class of 1972

20 – Greg Patrick, Class of 1970

23 – Sally Wood Tarley, Class of 1959

24 – Joe Fazio, Class of 1974

25 – Marylee Hertzog Gwinn, Class of 1948

25 – Jim Davis, Class of 1964

26 – Nathaleen Cameon Oliverio, Class of 1948

27 -- Bonita Lavencheck Waybright, Class of 1968

29 – Dietta Harden Goush, Class of 1959

October

7 – Sherry McIntire, Class of 1975

8 – Valerie Vandetta Aldridge, Class of 1973

9 – Mary Frances Miller Myers, Class of 1951

11 – Felix Colisino, Class of 1947

11 – Jay Holman, Class of 1971

12 – Brenda Manzo, wife of Danny Manzo, Class of 1957

20 – Leona “Duckles” Davis Schooley, Class of 1953

21 – Dorman Keith Beckner, Class of 1942

21 – Ken Slovekosky, Gilmer County High Class of 1976.

26 – Lori Hawkins Ice, Fairmont East graduate living in Carolina

29 – Robert Boydoh, Class of 1956

31 – Patty Steele McCombs, Fairmont East graduate who lives in Monongah