Sue Ahouse Schrader, Class of 1971, whose main home is in Piscataway, New Jersey but whose heart and second residence is in Monongah’s Stoney Lonesome, put aside her partying and traveling to become an angel of mercy for flood victims in southern West Virginia.

Tingley Rubber Corporation is in Piscataway. Tingley President/CEO Michael Zedalis took Payroll Administrator Cathy Donham Boleyn into Tinley Human Resources Manager Sue Jenkins’ office and said: “The people of West Virginia are hurting and I want Tingley to help them. Please find out what they need and get back to me.”

Cathy is from Grafton and, like most people who have met her, Sue’s friend.  Explains Sue: "We met because she had her girls at the same babysitters. One day when I came to pick up my son, her girls had WV T-shirts on and I said I need to meet their parents.”

Sue called Doris Rogers, who told her husband, Scott Rogers, who had been working on getting a contact for a donation. Scott called his contact and gave him all of Cathy’s information.

Tingley didn’t want to go through an organization, but someone at the flooding relief sites so that the boots would go directly to those in need.

Sue connected Cathy with West Virginia State Senators Chris Walters of Putnam County and Greg Boso of Nicholas County.  

Nancy and Cathy spoke to Senators Walters and Boso who told them that the greatest need that Tingley could help with were for boots that went over the sock.  "Many of the flood victims don’t have shoes (they were lost in the flood) to put rubber boots over so Senator Walters felt our PVC boots would be the best thing for their people," Cathy wrote. 

She added: “Senator Walters said to Nancy and me that the flood just came, there was no preparing, the water didn’t rise slowly, it was just all of a sudden there.  He said people didn’t have time to grab belongings or put on shoes; it was a mad scramble just to get out alive.” 

Old Dominion Freight Lines transported seven pallets of boots to Clendenin and another seven pallets to Summersville, two of the towns hardest hit by the floods.

Cathy said both state senators “thanked us profusely and are very grateful that Tingley was willing and able to help.  As Senator Boso said to me, ‘the recovery is not a sprint, it is a marathon and many people are needed to help run this marathon.’ “ 

Sue, who spent a few decades in the military, drove down to Clendenin and organized and set up the boots and distributed them.

Cathy wrote:

“Sue said that she did not get to meet Senator Walters because, as soon as our boots arrived, he loaded up his pickup with about 200 pairs and drove them to another flood relief distribution center that needed boots.  He was then running other errands and their paths didn’t cross.” 

The next morning Sue “loaded up her car with Tingley boots and drove them to Queen Shoals Full Gospel Church as they had posted in the comments on Facebook that they were in need of boots.  At one point on her drive she had to turn around and go back and find a different way to the Church as the road was closed due to being washed away in the flood.  Luckily she found a State Trooper who directed her how to go. 

“The minister at the Church ran after her as she was leaving to shake her hand and thank her for delivering the boots.  She said he was very grateful. 

“She then made her way to Summersville where the other half of Tingley’s shipment was delivered.  She said the setup at Summersville was very well organized. 

"The boots and everything else for that matter are being stored in an air-conditioned building and they bring the items out as people come who need them.  They also were very thankful for having received them.

“Thank you, Sue, for being Tingley’s ambassador!  Though none of us could be there, you represented us very well and you aren’t even a Tingley employee!”

No one who knows Sue is surprised. She may be the life of the party wherever she goes, whether it's in Philadelphia or Arizona or Florida or Cozumel, along with sister Mary “Kitty” Ahouse Morrison of Monongah, and one of Monongah’s most frequent travelers to fun places.

But she’s typical Monongah: You help out your neighbors, even if you have to drive hundreds of miles to do it.

You make me feel inadequate, Sue. All I did was write out a check to the Halo Foundation in Akron, which drove a truckload of supplies to the flood victims in southern West Virginia. You added your body and organizational skills to the donated materials. I couldn’t think of a better example of West Virginians helping West Virginians.

You also served your country in the military for a few decades.

Hell, Chris Schrader, Sue’s son, put it far better than I could:

“This makes me so proud to be your son. You have the biggest heart on the planet. This is not a son exaggerating. Everyone who knows you agreed and has told me those exact words countless times. You are an inspiration to me and to more people than you know. The world needs more people like you, badly.”

Amen, Chris.

I am honored just to have met and hugged Sue, at the 2015 Monongah High Alumni Reunion. My accomplishments pale next to hers.