FRONT ROW
Joe Martin, Arlene Kitchin Martin, Lloyd Schell, Patty Timms Davidson, Lyla Cosner Howell
SECOND ROW
Sandy Weils Cook, Roleta Meredith, Merlin Davidson
THIRD ROW
Louis "Kipper" Fabian, Bill Meredith, Len Howell

From left: Len Howell, Sandy Weils Cook, Roleta Meredith, Arlene Kitchin Martin, Joe Martin, Lloyd Schell
Bill Meredith, Louis "Kipper" Fabian, Merlin Davidson, Patty Timms Davidson, Lyle Cosner Howell, Bob Cook

Another Monongah High reunion in Florida – Punta Gorda this time

Another pride of Lions gathered in Punta Gorda, Florida on Monday, March 23.

This Monongah High alumni reunion involved:

Lyla Cosner Howell, Class of 1958, and Len Howell, who live in Elkins and Fort Myers Beach, Florida.

Patty Timms Davidson, Class of 1958, and Merlin Davidson, Class of 1957.

Louis "Kipper" Fabian, Class of 1957. Kipper lived on Riedy Street in Monongah with siblings Connie, Class of 1960, and Mark, Class of 1967.

Joe Martin, Class of 1959, and Arlene Kitchin Martin, a Nova Scotia, Canada native. They live on Treasure Island, Florida, near St. Petersburg.

Lloyd Schell, Class of 1957, who lives in Pompano Beach, Florida.

Sandy Weils Shaffer Cook, Class of 1959, and Bob Cook, who live in Fort Myers, Florida. They sold their other home in Punta Gorda in 2013  and kept the one on Fort Myers Beach.

Sandy’s first husband, Michael Shaffer, Class of 1957, was a pitcher on Monongah High’s 1955 state champion baseball team. Michael passed away in 1982.

Bill Meredith, Class of 1957, and Roleta Meredith, who live in Sarasota, Florida and Buckeye Lake, Ohio.

Reports Bill, who emailed the photos to me and provided the identifications:

“John, 

“Eight graduates of Monongah HS gathered for lunch in Punta Gorda FL on Monday, March 23. Including spouses, we had an even dozen.  We talked about the good old days and what we were doing currently.  It was a great time.” 

It always is when former Lions get together, Bill.

Just as it was in Sarasota in February, at Bill and Roleta’s home, with Bob Arnett, Class of 1957, and Barb Enoch Arnett, Class of 1960, who live in Scherr, West Virginia; Lyla and Len Howell; Sandy and Bob Cook; Joe and Arlene Martin; and John Olesky, Class of 1950, and Paula Stone Tucker.

And when Pat Meredith Wills, Class of 1950, and John Olesky got together in The Villages, Florida for the West Virginia Day Picnic. Pat came with husband Don Wills, a Fairmont West graduate, and son Barry. Jean Piggott, widow of George Piggott, famed World War II pilot, also was there.

At the 2013 MHS alumni gathering at the Meredith home in Sarasota were Bob and Barb Arnett; Lloyd Schell; Lyla and Len Howell; Sandy and Bob Cook; Joe and Arlene Martin; and John Olesky, Class of 1950, and Paula.

Even before I got to Florida, on my way to the auto-train in Lorton, Virginia, I had a reunion Dec. 30, 2014 at the Three Ways Inn Restaurant in Fairmont with Rose Commodore Cain, Class of 1950; Leatrice Yokay Greaser, Class of 1950; Arlene Martney Edgell, Class of 1951, and Okey Edgell, Class of 1944; Ramona Fullen Michalski, Class of 1949; her daughters, Marcia Michalski Westfall, Class of 1974, who lives in Kilarm with Dave Westfall, Class of 1948, and another Ramona Michalski; June Paxton Rogers, Class of 1948; Donald Halpenny, Class of 1950; Linda Tomlinson Stevenski, Class of 1955, who lives in Monongah, and her husband; Tony Orsini, Class of 1946, and Mary Louise Baker Orsini, who began with the Class of 1948 (they live on Swisher Hill); and my sister, Jackie Olesky Straight, Class of 1955, and her 3 daughters and two sons-in-law.

But, you know, no matter how many times you get together with former Monongah High classmates, it never gets old – even though we have.