1979 Monongah High yearbook then & now

The last class is first class

The size of Monongah High’s graduation classes are dwarfed by those from high schools around the state and the nation but Lions alumni have impressive lives and careers after leaving the building just off U.S. 19.

The Class of 1979, the last graduation class before the school consolidated into North Marion, is an excellent example.

The co-valedictorians were Michael Bruce Edmond, son of Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Edmond, and Anthony Joseph Saverino, son of Mr. and Mrs. Tony Savereno.

Dr. Michael Bruce Edmond is a world-famous pioneer in the treatment of C.Diff (Clostridium difficile), an infectious disease that is dangerous and sometimes fatal to hospital patients. He came up with a unique and successful way to treat the illness: Using feces of a close relative to battle and usually cure C.Diff. It works 90% of the time.

The lifesaver is being used around the world. Dr. Edmond’s book is titled “The Power of Poop.”

Dr. Edmond is a West Virginia University graduate who lives in Iowa City, Iowa where he is chief quality officer at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. He has been married to Laurie Jean Lyckholm since 1994.

Previously, Dr. Edmond was professor of Internal Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Virginia Commonwealth University.  

The 1979 class’ other co-valedictorian, T.J. (as in Tony Joseph) Savereno, is a wildlife biology guru as a Natural Resources Extension Agent at Clemson University in South Carolina. He lives in Timmonsville, South Carolina with wife Lynette Abercrombie Savereno, a 1984 Irmo (South Carolina) High grad.

They have a daughter, Hannah, who is Clemson student and a son, Isaac, is a sophomore at West Florence High School.

T.J. and Lynette travel regularly throughout South Carolina and the Southeast. Their travels also have taken them to Maine, Florida, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Tennessee, Kentucky, Canada and, on a church mission, to Belize.

The 1979 class’ valedictorian was Brenda Lee Graffius, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Don Graffius. Brenda lives on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, with her husband. Her siblings are David Graffius and Ed Graffius.

Michael Delligatti, Evelyn Prahl Kurtock, Pam Prahl Johnson and Eleanor Slavik Varga are her cousins. Jennifer Linn-Foster is her niece.

Kim Zickefoose came from North Carolina as an experienced beauty contest entrant and, by the time she was a student at West Virginia Wesleyan, won the West Virginia Miss Teenager Pageant. Kim was among the 12 semifinalists at the All-American Teen Pageant in Florida.

Ron Eagle served his country in the Army, with combat duty in the Afghanistan-Iraq area. He is a Fairmont State graduate who lives in Bridgeport.

Bob Tinnell, after Fairmont State and Columbia College Hollywood and Point Park University, is bigtime into thrilling audiences with his music and has close ties to the Marshall Lowry Band.

Bob also is author of Kids of the Round Table” and “Feast of the Seven Fishes” comics. He is married to Shannon Colaianni Tinnell and they once owned a home house in the Sangre de Cristos in Colorado.

Kathy Lewis Noble lives in Fairmont. She has been married since 1982 to Mark Noble. Kathy is a teacher at West Taylor Elementary who went to Charleston to support the legendary West Virginia walkout that started a trend among teachers around the country.

David Martin lives in Millwood with wife Mandy Martin and is deeply involved in union activities, including president at Mason Jackson Roane Central Labor Council and United Steel Workers Local 5568. He works at Constellium.

Dave studied electronics at Fairmont State. Dave and Mandy’s sons are Landon and Andrew Martin.

Mary Jo Hall Comley lives in Fairmont with husband Dave Comley. They were married in 2002. Their children are Mindy Efaw and Eric Hinebaugh, who have produced three grandchildren: Gavin Efaw, 11, and Aubrey Efraw, 8, and Madison Hinebaugh, 10.

Mary Jo graduated from Fairmont State University with a degree in business administration. She works for Mountain State Auto Auction as Director of Marketing and Sales Mary Jo and Dave attend South Ridge Church on Fairmont Avenue between 16^th and 17^th streets.

BettyAnne DeMary has been a medical secretary for Dr. Peter L. Ang since 2000. She’s a Fairmont State graduate.

BettyAnne’s parents are Tina Ann “Peaches” Aldridge DeMary, Class of 1945, who lives with husband Frank DeMary, Jr., Class of 1947, in Monongah. Peaches and Frank owned DeMary Grocery in Monongah at the end of the Brookdale Bridge. Previously, they owned a grocery store in Pennsylvania.

BettyAnne’s sister is retired nurse Patti DeMary Evans, Class of 1972, married to retired coal miner Brian L. Evans, Class of 1969, for more than 40 years. Patti is a Fairmont State graduate. 

Doug Efaw is a staff nurse at Hospice Care who lives in Dunbar, Pennsylvania. He has been married to Cindy Vall Efaw since 2011.

Cindy Lynn Freeland Nosack lived in Four States while going to Monongah High. She married in 2007 and is living in Shinnston.

Gene Hartley, a Carolina boy during his Monongah High boys, lives in Fairmont with his wife, Julie Hartley. Gene worked at Federal No. 2 Mines.

Sandy McIntire is materials manager at Upper Occoquan Service Authority (1990-present) and is from Worthington.

Sandy Smith Ritter worked at Criminal Case and lives in Grafton.

Debbie Weaver Hurley has been married to Milton Hurley since 1983. She’s a Fairmont State business/accounting graduate who lives in Monongah. They also are big Pittsburgh Penguins hockey fans.