Talk about picking a name that was written in blood!

When the oldest son of Ramona Fullen Michalski, Class of 1949, and Frank Michalski, who started with the Class of 1949, was born, Ramona needed blood.

Frank’s former Monongah High football teammate James Michael Commodore, Class of 1950, donated blood for Ramona. So the son was named Frank Michael Michalski. It probably didn’t hurt that Michael and Michalski sound like they belong together.

Mike Michalski lives in Monongah with wife Janet Sauro Michalski.  Their children are Brandon Michael (of course) Michalski, married to Lynisa King Michalski and living in Arlington, Virginia; and Tony Michalski, married to Holly Turkett Michalski and living in Fairmont. (As an aside, I married Monnie Turkette Olesky of Cinderella, West Virginia; we spent a half-century together till her 2004 death.)

Brandon Michael’s children are Jacob and Ava Michalski. Tony’s children are Sydney Michalski and Anthony Dean Michalski. Tom Dean is a long-time friend of Ramona’s, so that middle name may or may not be coincidental.

Ramona and Frank’s children:

Marcia Michalski Westfall, married to David Westfall and living in Fairmont, when they aren’t riding their Harley motorcycle all over the United States. Their children are Brandy Westfall Haney, married to Kiley Haney, living in Fairmont and the parents of Caleb, Kiley and Aiden Haney; Amy Westfall Raines, living in Fairmont with Chad Raines, and the parents of Brevon Westfall, Alley and Erhan Raines; and David Westfall II, living in Morgantown with Nichelle Westfall and their children are Lucille Marie and Forrest Westfall.

Carol Michalski Drake, living in Shinnston with husband Robert Drake.

Ramona Marie Michalski, who lives in Monongah with her mother, Ramona Fullen Michalski.

Jay Michalski, who lives in Monongah with wife Debby Mason Michalski. Their children are Brad Ross, married to Brittney Ross, living in Fairmont, and their child is Bryce Ross; Michael (that name again!) Frank Michalski, father of Caden Michael (yep!) Michalski.

Ramona and Frank’s daughter, Mary Frances Michalski Hulderman Gapen, passed away after a fantastic career as a teacher in Barrackville schools. She was married to Rick Gapen. They lived in Barrackville.

Mary and Rick’s children are Tammy Hulderman Weintraub, married to Jacob Weintraub and living in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil with three children, Dina, Samuel and Mariam; Tracy Hulderman Eye, living in Morgantown with husband Josh Eye and their child, Liam Eye; Mathew Gapen, who spends his time in Morgantown and Pittsburgh; Eric Gapen, who lives in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania; and Mark Gapen, living in Severn, Maryland with wife Heather Gapen, the mother of Katie and David Gapen.

Ramona, my Monongah Bureau Chief who provides me with a ton of information for this Monongah High Alumni blog, tells me she has 23 great-grandchildren. If you count the names, as I did, she’s right. But I’ll be darned if I know how she keeps track of them!

The 23 great-grandchildren were supplied by 12 of Ramona’s grandchildren.

I thought I did well with 3 children, 7 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren, but Ramona has me beat all to pieces.