The Michalski family is the Kennedy family of Monongah – without the millions of dollars.

They are rich in love and togetherness and helping others.

Monongah High alumni who travel to Monongah from other states wind up at Ramona Fullen Michalski’s house with its swimming pool and a treasure of Monongah High and Monongah mementoes. Ramona is the hostest with the mostest that Ethel Merman sang about in “Call Me Madame.”

Ramona, Class of 1949, is my “Monongah bureau chief” for this blog. I phone her often for guidance when I’m working on an article about Lions.

Ramona’s late husband, Frank, was my protector when bullies made fun of me because of my distorted speech caused by being born with a cleft palate. One menacing scowl and drawn fists from Frank and then NO ONE made fun of the way I talked any more on the Sts. Peter and Paul schoolgrounds.

You never forget that kind of help. I tried to pay it forward the rest of my life by helping others, such as having children of color play in the first integrated baseball program in southern West Virginia's Mingo County that I formed and ran before Brown vs. Board of Education said you couldn’t separate kids by color, and having girls play baseball with boys in Dayton, Ohio. The Michalskis taught me that.

This is a family who will do anything to help you. And they don’t forget favors for them, either.

When the oldest son of Ramona and Frank Michalski was born, Ramona needed blood. Frank’s former Monongah High football teammate, the late James Michael Commodore, Class of 1950, donated blood for Ramona. So the son was named Frank Michael Michalski.

Ramona and Frank’s DNA and character traits are imbued in their children, who saw its value first-hand during the 52 years their parents were married.

One of the six, Jay Michalski, and Debby Mason Michalski are celebrating their 31^st wedding anniversary today. They live in Fairmont.

Debby wrote:

“Happy Anniversary, Jay. It's been a great 31 years and I'm looking forward to many more!”

They probably locked eyes at the Tom Tom, a teen hangout in the building that once housed Patsy Forte’s drug store in the center of East Monongah.

Debby is a sales representative for the United Security Agency, a former agency assistant at Horace Mann and a graduate of Grafton High and Salem College. Her parents are Linda Mason Williams and John Mason of Folsom, the one near New Martinsville and not the prison that Johnny Cash sang about.

Jay works for a Fairmont recyling company.

Their children are Brad Ross, married to Brittney Ross, living in Fairmont, and Brad and Brittney’s child is Bryce Ross; and Michael Frank Michalski, father of Caden Michael Michalski.

Mike Michalski lives in Monongah with wife Janet Sauro Michalski.  Their children are Brandon Michael Michalski, married to Lynisa King Michalski and living in Arlington, Virginia; and Tony Michalski, married to Holly Turkett Michalski and living in Fairmont. Brandon Michael’s children are Jacob and Ava Michalski. Tony’s children are Sydney Michalski and Anthony Dean Michalski. Tony Michalski is Marion County Parks and Recreation Comission executive director.

Ramona and Frank’s other children:

Marcia Michalski Westfall, Class of 1974, of Kilarm, married Dave Westfall, Class of 1948. They ride their Harley motorcycle all over the United States. Their children are Brandy Westfall Haney, married to Kiley Haney, living in Fairmont and the parents of Caleb, Kiley and Aiden Haney; Amy Westfall Raines, living in Fairmont with Chad Raines, and the parents of Brevon Westfall, Alley and Erhan Raines; and David Westfall II, living in Morgantown with Nichelle Westfall and their children are Lucille Marie and Forrest Westfall.

Carol Michalski Drake, living in Shinnston with husband Robert Drake.

Ramona Marie Michalski, who lives in Monongah with her mother, Ramona Fullen Michalski.

Ramona and Frank’s daughter, Mary Frances Michalski Hulderman Gapen, passed away after 38 years as a teacher at Barrackville Middle School and Monongah Elementary. She was married to Rick Gapen. They lived in Barrackville.

 

Mary and Rick’s children are Tammy Hulderman Weintraub, married to Jacob Weintraub and living in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil with three children, Dina, Samuel and Mariam; Tracy Hulderman Eye, living in Morgantown with husband Josh Eye and their child, Liam Eye; Mathew Gapen, who spends his time in Morgantown and Pittsburgh; Eric Gapen, who lives in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania; and Mark Gapen, living in Severn, Maryland with wife Heather Gapen, the mother of Katie and David Gapen.

Ramona and Frank’s 23 great-grandchildren were supplied by 12 of their grandchildren.

Friends and family call her “Monie,” (pronounced mow-knee) which is close to what I called my wife of a half-century, the late Monnie Elizabeth Turkette 0lesky of Cinderella, the Sycamore Coal Company camp adjacent to Williamson, West Virginia near the Tug River the separates West Virginia from Kentucky. For those not in the know, the Hatfields lived on the West Virginia side of the Tug and the McCoys on the Kentucky side.

You know, the Hatfields and McCoys, one of the most famous family feuds in American history.

And then there’s the Michalski family, one of the most famous families in Monongah. Not for feuding, but for friendship, frolicking and forever offering a hand-up. God bless them.

And kudos, Jay and Debby. You have great role models. And 31 years of following in their footsteps.