Debbie Prunty Poluck, Louis Poluck and Pete Basagic were friends at Monongah High. They’re still “good friends today,” Pete says, and Pete and Debbie both work at Davis Electric.

Debbie married Louis, both Class of 1973, and Pete, Class of 1972, married Cathy Martin Basagic, also a Monongah High grad, on August 10, 1974.

Pete and Cathy wed in St. Stanislaus Church, where Pete once was an altar boy.

I haven’t been able to find out where Debbie and Louis married.

My parents – John W. Olesky, Sr. and Lena Futten Olesky – and their best friends – Ruth and Julius “Gee Gee” Domico – celebrated their wedding anniversaries together every year at the March of Dimes Dance (to benefit the fight against polio) because their anniversaries were in the same month, January, but not necessarily the same year. The Polucks and Basagics blow that one away big-time.

Pete started at Farmington High but graduated from Monongah High. So did Cathy, who was from Rachel, after Farmington High closed. Pete and Cathy live in Monongah.

Debbie exclaimed: “Happy Anniversary to my forever best friend! 💗 Wow, 42 years! XO”

Debbie and Louis live in Idamay. Debbie went to West Virginia Business College and is a Mary Kay beauty consultant.

Their son is Todd Poluck, married to Kirsten Poluck. Debbie’s brother is John Prunty II, 1980 North Marion High grad, married to Geneva. He works at Quality Hydraulics and lives in Monongah. John II’s father, John Prunty, Jr., is Monongah Class of 1949.

The Basagic family ran the beer tavern just across from Consolidation Coal Company’s Champion grocery store, which once was the Frank Lowe Meat Market, and named it the 52/20 Club. For the youngsters among us, that referred to the GI Bill for World War II veterans that provided $20 a week for 52 weeks for unemployed veterans. It doesn’t sound like much today, but it was more than walking-around money in the late 1940s.

Pete’s father was the late Richard Basagic, Class of 1948, who was a guard on the offensive line for Monongah High football under Coach George Ross.

The Basagic family is all over Lion Country history.

Richard “Richie” Basagic, Class of 1975, works at FirstEnergy and lives in Fairmont.

Cathy Basagic, Fairmont State catering programs coordinator, is a sister of 1973 Farmington High graduate Cora Martin Fazio,  who is married to David Fazio, Class of 1968, and runs Fazio Eldercare on Stoney Lonesome in Monongah.

Former Monongah High cheerleader Goldie Basagic Huffman, Class of 1974, once worked for the federal government and lives in Monongah with husband John Huffman, who retired from coal mining after 38 years.

Goldie’s cheerleader team included Barbra Eller Aldridge Hanning, Class of 1974; Patty DeMary Evans, Class of 1972; Debbie Manzo Vandetta, Class of 1973, Monongahfest president and married to Monongah Mayor Greg Vandetta, Class of 1975; and Debbie Basagic Bragg, Class of 1970 or 1972.

Sandra Basagic, after Parkersburg High, Fairmont State and West Virginia University, works for the Marion County Board of Education, is married and lives in Fairmont.

Hassan Basagic, Class of 1963, attended the 2013 Monongah High Alumni Reunion with Marlene Sandy. Hassan Basagic, Jr., Class of 1941, died in 1980.

Julius Basagic is listed both as Class of 1943 and Class of 1945 in my Monongah High graduation lists but as Class of 1945 in the North Marion High alumni directory.

Then there are:

Goldie Basagic Myers, Class of 1943.

John R. Basagic, Class of 1966.

Bruce Basagic, Class of 1969.

Deborah Basagic Berry, Class of 1970.

Tammie Poluck Shumate is Class of 1977.

And Justin Basagic and Debbie Puluha Basagic

If I got any Basagics wrong, which isn't hard to do because there are so many of them, email John Olesky at jo4wvu@neo.rr.com and I'll correct the information.

You can’t have much more togetherness than Debbie and Louis and Cathy and Pete. At least they didn’t go on their honeymoons together . . . that I know of. J