A tale that makes your face light up

Susan Staron Sanders, Class of 1971, the angel of Thomas Street, and her Charge of the Lights Brigade are off to a great start with their Easter fundraiser to add more Christmas street lights to Monongah.

The Town Council approved adding 4 more lights to the 16 already, thanks to previous fundraising efforts of Susan and her cadre of angels.

Let Susan tell you about it:

”Good Morning, Monongah Family & Friends: “As you all know, our Easter Fundraiser is next Saturday the 8th. From 9:00 to 4:00. “I'm proud to say this is our biggest one yet. Tables are filled plus people are bringing extra tables.   “We will be selling homemade pepperoni rolls, plain or with sauce & cheese, hotdogs,  macaroni salad, chips & drinks.   “A special thank you to the Dairy Kone, which kindly donated their delicious sauce to us. “We also will have fresh coffee and desserts which are being donated by so many wonderful people in this town. God Bless you all. “Thanks to Kitty Morrison, our new Secretary. She made the beautiful baskets for our drawings.   “We will also do a 50/50 drawing this year. And one of my Easter wreaths also will be in the drawings. “We all have worked very hard to make this a huge success to help the town. So please come and support us. “Letting you know: Mareca Savonarola is no longer with us. “Thank you all “Susan Sanders - President “Shelly Yankie - VP “Linda McCullough - Treasure “Kitty Morrison - Secretary. “Josh Scritchfield - Alternate. ”Lenny White - Alternate."   Kitty is Mary Ahouse Morrison, Class of 1968, who lives on Lyndon Avenue in Monongah when she’s not traveling around the nation and the world, often with her sister, Sue Ahouse Schrader, Class of 1971, who has homes in Stoney Lonesome and Piscataway, New Jersey.

Their brother, Mike Ahouse, a North Marion grad and Monongah mailman who lives in Monongah, is no slouch when it comes to traveling either. But it’s tough to top his sisters when it comes to traveling and parties.

The Dairy Kone help came from owners Lloyd and Sandra Parrish. They are the latest in a long line of DK owners of the building contructed in 1968 for Bruce Zentz and wife Amelia Shenasky Zentz, daughter of Pete Shenasky and Nell Shenasky of P.P. Shenasky Grocery fame in Monongah.

Amelia and Bruce sold it to Chris Martin, Monongah’s #1 photographer, who sold it to Patty McCombs, who sold it to Milton Hurley, who sold it to Milton and Donna Anderson, who sold it to Gary and Diane Masters, who sold it to Lloyd and Sandra. Whew!

Mareca Savonarola and Teena Field Ailstock, 1984 North Marion grad, have been Susan’s lieutenants since the beginning of the drive to light up Monongah.

Mareca isn’t even a Monongah High grad. She’s a 1992 Fairmont East grad but caught the fever from Susan after Mareca moved to Monongah.

IF I remember correctly, Mareca is dealing with health problems.

Anyway, Monongah will be lit up even brighter for Christmas 2017. The Grinch must be so furious. He can’t steal Monongah’s Christmas.