Susan Staron Sanders, the angel of
Thomas Street, wrote that three people each purchased a Christmas street light for
Monongah and that five lights will be installed this year, bringing the total
to 21.
I’ll let Susan explain it:
“Good afternoon. An update on the Christmas Lights. As
you all know we can purchase 5 more lights this year which makes me so proud of
our wonderful town. This will make us a total of 21 lights. WOW is all I can
say.
“Now for very special Thank You’s to some of our
wonderful town people who are purchasing a light.
“John Olesky, Mari Lisa Johnson & Adam Michna. We the
committee thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
“The committee will buy two lights. We will be purchasing
replacement bulbs, too.
“I will be placing the order to receive a 15% discount
from Mosca,” which manufacturers the lights that cost $500 to $600 apiece.
“Again, please keep the donations coming. We couldn’t do
this without you.
“Sincerely,
“Susan Sanders”
Susan Staron Sanders, the angel of
Thomas Street, wrote that three people each purchased a Christmas street light for
Monongah and that five lights will be installed this year, bringing the total
to 21.
I’ll let Susan explain it:
“Good afternoon. An update on the Christmas Lights. As
you all know we can purchase 5 more lights this year which makes me so proud of
our wonderful town. This will make us a total of 21 lights. WOW is all I can
say.
“Now for very special Thank You’s to some of our
wonderful town people who are purchasing a light.
“John Olesky, Mari Lisa Johnson & Adam Michna. We the
committee thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
“The committee will buy two lights. We will be purchasing
replacement bulbs, too.
“I will be placing the order to receive a 15% discount
from Mosca,” which manufacturers the lights that cost $500 to $600 apiece.
“Again, please keep the donations coming. We couldn’t do
this without you.
“Sincerely,
“Susan Sanders”
Mari is a senior accountant at Fairmont Regional Medical
Center. She is a graduate of North Marion and attended both Fairmont State and
the University of West Florida.
Adam works at Guns and Ammo and is involved with the
Knights of Columbus. The 1980 North Marion graduate (after 3 years at Monongah
High before it closed) has two former Sts. Peter and Paul School nuns, Sister
Rose and Sister Dolores, in the family tree.
Adam’s father, Adam Michna and mother, Ethel Stevens
Michna, have three amazing coincidences involving June 11. In 1960 the
legendary Father Everett Briggs performed their wedding ceremony. Father Briggs
also handled the marriage of another couple on that day: Henry “Dinkle” Martin,
who kicked the extra point in 1955 that brought Monongah High one of its five
state football titles, and Gloria Jean Nichols.
The two couples remained friends till they
passed away. Dinkle died at the age of 53, Jeanie at 57,
Adam at 77 and Jeanie at 83.
And
Adam Michna’s parents, Francis "Frank" Michna
(1887 - 1947) and Katrazyna Dering Wegrzyn (1877 - 1947), died on the same June
11 day in 1947.
The third Christmas lights purchaser, John Olesky, will
see his shell and pearl version erected on Church Street, where he finished his
childhood in Monongah in the house at Church and U.S. 19 (Camden Avenue) next
door to the Sayre family that included daughter Mary Margaret Sayre Lewis, two
doors down from the Lushinski family with daughters Rosemary and Lorrain and
son John and sharing the same alley with the Feltz family of Coach Jim Feltz,
wife Betty Lynn Wilson Feltz and children Jay, Jonny Pat and Jaimie.
After Sts. Peter and Paul School and Monongah High, John
attended Fairmont State for a year, then graduated from West Virginia
University School of Journalism before embarking on a 43-year newspaper career
that took him to Williamson and Charleston, West Virginia, St. Petersburg,
Florida and Dayton and Akron, Ohio. He lives in Tallmadge with Paula Tucker
after a half-century with his late wife, Monnie Elizabeth Turkette of the
Cinderella, West Virginia coal camp adjacent to Williamson, where they met. The
relationship took them to Glendive, Montana, Charleston, West Virginia, Dayton,
Ohio, St. Petersburg, Florida and Akron, Ohio.
Susan Sanders, the angel of Thomas Street who lives one
door away (in the Mangino house next to the Catania house) from the Thomas
Street rental that housed the Olesky family till it purchased the Church Street
home from Consolidation Coal Company during World War II, and husband Ron Sanders, a Vietnam veteran, live
next door to Mayor Greg Vandetta and his wife, Janice Manzo Vandetta.
Susan,
Class of 1971, an administrative assistant at Personnel, has these angels on her
Charge of the Lights Brigade Committee:
Susan
is president, Shelly Yankie is vice president, Mary “Kitty” Ahouse Morrison,
Class of 1968, is secretary. The alternates are Josh Scritchfield, Brianna
Stewart and Bill McCombs, Class of 1969, Monongah’s water genius.
Previous
angels included Connie Warash, Valerie
Vandetta Aldridge, Class
of 1973, Linda McCauley, Sheila Mills, the late and legendary Good Samaritan Warren Sloan’s
companion for 17 years, Teena Field Ailstock, 1984 North Marion
grad, Tina Stevens and Monongah’s premier
photographer, Chris Martin, Class of 1970.
So 21 Christmas street
lights will make Monongah shine every holiday season. Doesn’t that just
brighten your heart and your day?
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