Louellen “Boots” Saunders Manzo, Class of 1946, widow of Joe Manzo, Class of 1950, passed away in Tucson, Arizona.

Boots and Joe were married after Joe's tour in the Army that took him to the Korean War.

At Monongah High, Louellen was senior class secretary-treasurer, Craft Club secretary-treasurer and Servicemen’s Informer typist for sending news from back home to troops with MHS ties. She lived in Everson during her Monongah High years.

Debbie Manzo, the granddaughter mentioned in Louellen’s obituary, is not the Debbie Manzo Vandetta married to Monongah Mayor Greg Vandetta.

Joe Manzo was in our facietiously named Gang That Terrorized Marion County which roamed during our teen years before we went our separate ways.

Frank “Bruno” Franze of Everson and Donald “Jake” Halpenny of Jackson Street in Monongah drove the getaway cars. Their fathers’ cars, actually.

Jake was clarinetist supreme for United Mine Workers and Vingle bands and lives in Fairmont. Frank lives in Slidell, Louisiana and has been widowed twice.

Others in the “gang” were Duane Harbert, who today lives in Marlton, New Jersey; the late Lawrence “Sonny” Godby, Lawrence and Regina Boone Godby’s son and the late Jackie Godby Lusczynski’s brother who survived two tours of duty in Vietnam as a Marine pilot; Steven “Bucky” Satterfield, who lives in St. Albans after retiring from a long career as a West Virginia Highway Patrolman; Anthony “Tony” Eates, who is retired and living in Fairmont with wife Lucy; Robert “Satch” Kasper, who had a successful career at Ford Motor Company before retiring to his homes in South Lyon and Grand Lake (Presque Isle), Michigan; the late Tom “Judge” Starcher, who began his prowling in Carolina; and me, John Olesky, retired after a 43-year newspaper editor career who alternates between homes in Tallmadge, Ohio and The Villages, Florida when he’s not traveling to 55 countries and 44 states with Paula Tucker.

There has been a Manzo at Monongah High from 1935 through 1950 and 1969 through 1978 (the year before the final 1979 MHS graduation class that preceded the consolidation into North Marion High).

That includes:

Phyllis Manzo Berardo, Class of 1935.

Genevieve Manzo Lopez, Class of 1937.

Mike Manzo, Class of 1941, on the 1948 world champ coal-loading crew at Monongah Mine No. 63 which loaded 1,536 tons on one shift on June 14.

Patsy Manzo, Class of 1942.

Helen Manzo Raspa, Class of 1945.

John Manzo, Class of 1945.

Raymond “Pigeon” Manzo, Class of 1947.

Mary Manzo Tiburzi, Class of 1949.

Ronald Manzo, Class of 1969, of Morgantown, son of Helen Cecelia Manzo and Phil Manzo; brother of Monongah’s First Lady, Debbie Manzo Vandetta; nephew of Ernie “Frog”, Joe, Duke and Raymond “Pigeon” Manzo.

Nancy Manzo Bolyard, Class of 1970.

Pat Manzo, Class of 1973.

Debbie Manzo Vandetta, Class of 1973, married to Monongah Mayor Carl Vandetta.

Karen Manzo Tennant, Class of 1974.

Lisa Myers Manzo, Class of 1977.

Tina Manzo Prodanovich, Class of 1977.

Jim Manzo, Class of 1978.

Kim Sapp Manzo, North Marion 1980.

Louellen’s obituary:

Louellen “Boots” Saunders Manzo.

Died in Tuscon, Arizona. Dear wife of the late Joseph R.

Dearest mother of Larry J. and Beverly (Bill) Deitrick.

Grandmother of Debbie Manzo, Joey Dietrick and Vincent Lazos Manzo.

Great- Grandmother of Dylan and Jacob Osolin.

Sister of Catherine Soles and the late Paul and Ray D. (WV).

Louellen had 30 years of service at Mary Mavec School. In 1979 she was a Charter Member of the Ladies Auxiliary of the VFW Post 1056 and had more than 2,000 volunteer hours at Tucson Medical Center.

Gathering of friends at Brickman Bros. Funeral Home, 37433 Euclid Ave., Willoughby, on Thursday, June 15, 2017 from 2-4 and 6-8 P.M. Everyone is invited to meet at church for the Mass of Christian Burial on Friday, June 16, 2017 at 10:00 A.M. at St. John of the Cross, 140 Richmond Rd., Euclid, OH. Burial All Souls Cemetery.

Published in The Plain Dealer from June 13 to June 14, 2017