Well, it wasn’t Christmas but Monongah lit up like the famous street lights anyway Wednesday, October 17 for the 2018 North Marion Homecoming Parade, which rotates among the schools that consolidated into North Marion in September 1979.

It was Monongah’s turn to host the North Marion parade, which is assigned alphabetically by the original schools’ names: Barrackville, Fairview, Farmington, Mannington and Monongah.

The future ladies man working on the fire-colored snow cone is Greysen Perkins, son of Chrisi McCombs Perkins and grandson of Monongah Town Recorder Patty Steele McCombs, a Fairmont East grad, and Bill McCombs, Class of 1969, Monongah’s water expert.
 
The trio on the Monongah Paw Packs vehicle are Josie Pudder, daughter of Amelia and Joey Pudder and granddaughter of Jennifer, a Monongah High grad, and Jake Pudder; Audriana Pierson, daughter of Chris and April Campbell Pierson and granddaughter of Lisa Criado Campbell and Mark Campbell; and Briella Sphon, daughter of Clyde and Sarah Sphon.
Tristen Orme and Aunavyn Brumage, North Marion freshman cheerleaders on the Grant Town fire truck, are the granddaughters of Shellie Yankie, a 1982 North Marion graduate living in Monongah who knows a bit about lighting up Monongah, too, since she helps Susan Sanders, Class of 1971, with the Charge of the Lights Brigade, as I call Susan’s Christmas street lights committee that will have 26 lights shining in Monongah this December, including the one I purchased near my former Church Street Home (the pearl in a shell).

At nightfall, the traditional bonfire capped off a busy, exciting time for Huskies fans traipsing around Monongah day.

Now, if the North Marion coach Willie Offord can light a fire under his players, maybe the Huskies can burn Braxton County (from Sutton) in Friday night’s football game.