1969 Monongah High band



1960 United Mine Workers band

Monongah and music: Match made in Heaven

It’s no coincidence that Monongah and music both start with the letter M. They belong together like peanut butter and jelly, Oscar and Felix and all that jazz.

Monongah High bands routinely got the highest rating possible in state competitions, with band director Harland Hartman cranking out musician after musician.

The United Mine Workers band in Monongah lit up the union hall next to Pepsi Meffe’s service station regularly with music to dance by. It was one of my favorite memories of my childhood days in Monongah.

The Vingle family had its own bands, too.

There’s a Barry Vingle who kept the Monongah musical magic going at Fairmont West and Mannington high schools.

After Monongah High was consolidated into North Marion, Monongah Middle School grabbed the baton and won awards for its musical talents.

The photos are of the 1969 Monongah High band, the 1960 UMW band and Mr. Hartman.

Ramona Fullen Michalski, Class of 1949, nailed down the year for the MHS band photo, thanks to her son, Mike Michalski, who is in the photo.

Ramona added:

“Mike was band vice president in his senior year and has his VP cord on his uniform in the photo.”

Mike is in the drum section, Ramona wrote.

Gerald Pulice spotted his brother, “clear at the top, a trumpet player.”

Virgil Vingle, Class of 1939, had one band. His stepdaughter is Judy Stewart Monell Razook, Class of 1959, who lives in in North Palm Beach, Florida. Virgil married Judy’s mother when Judy was six years old.

Judy recalls:

 “The Vingle Band was The Greatest!! My Dad was the Leader, Bugs his younger brother, the drummer, and Vince, also a brother, played trumpet !!!!”

I remember the Vingle band playing some wicked polkas. The music and the pitchers of beer at every table helped the coal miners and their families forget the stress of going under the ground to keep America’s lights on.

Virgil Roman Vingle passed away in Monongah at the age of 90 in 2010. He was preceded in death by his wife, Betty Vingle. Virgil was survived by Irene Colosino.

 

His parents were Anthony and Anna Vingle of Monongah.

The Virgil Vingle Orchestra performed all over the tri-state area, playing dances, weddings and festivals. He was a World War II veteran with the Marines.

At Monongah High, Judy dated Joe Martin, Class of 1957, who lives on Treasure Island, Florida with wife Arlene Kitchin, a native of Canada. Judy and Joe have remained friends throughout the decades.

The Yuhas girls of Carolina, Tunney and Irene, had a thing for the musical Vingle boys during their Monongah High days.

The late Tunney “thought the world of” Raymond Vingle, Class of 1945, Irene said. Irene dated Anthony “Bugs” Vingle, now deceased, as is Bugs’ widow, Mary Martha Cavrich Vingle, who passed away in 2011.

The children of Bugs and Mary Martha are Barry, Scott and Robert Vingle of Fairmont – Judy’s cousins -- and Brian Vingle and wife Kathy of Concord, North Carolina.

Barry, great-grandson of Peter Urban, one of five survivors of the 1907 Monongah mines twin explosions that killed 362, owns Stick Em Up Percussion on Skyline Drive in Fairmont, which produces percussion ensemble music for high school and elementary students.

He is past President of the West Virginia Jazz Festival, in 1995 was named West Virginia Band Director of the Year for his work at Fairmont West, in 1996 received the 25 years of Distinguished Service Award from the West Virginia Music Educators Association, in 1997 received The City of Fairmont Arts and Humanities Commission's Music Award and in 2002 was inducted into the West Virginia Music Educators Hall of Fame.

Barry has played with the United Mine Workers Concert Band, the Morgantown Municipal Band, the Jim Talkington Jazz Quartet, the Royals rock band, the Virgil Vingle Orchestra, The JR Farley Band, The Sydfx Rock Band and the Orlando Colombo Orchestra and today performs with the Subway Band out of Morgantown.

 

He has played drum set for The Four Aces, The Shanri-Las, These Three Tenors and Fabian.

 

Barry also was the drummer in J.R. Farley’s Royals band for 40 years. Farley was on keyboards, Casey Shaner was the vocalist, Ed Vanhorn was on the guitar and Bob Schmit on the bass.

 

Delores Vingle Olender, Class of 1951, a Micco, Florida. Anna Sistok, Delores’ aunt, married Walter Soyer, uncle of siblings Ted Nagle, Marty Nagle and Jeanie Nagle Viglianco.

Click on the blue https://get.google.com/albumarchive/115483244393507838338/album/AF1QipN9Nakfr96fjr6pubH0rQxBwHoi1S8CDpRv6oCo/AF1QipPH3P1Mc2aOzV15dkGpkDVDEUxAiFOl4L7CQ

to get the 1950 Monongah High faculty photos that include Mr. Hartman.  Because I’m in Florida for four months and using  laptop instead of my desktop computer sitting in our Ohio home I wasn’t able to crop out everyone except Mr. Hartman from the picture.