No matter how hard God tried he couldn’t make a better couple than Ann DeMary Eates and Joe Eates, both Class of 1945.

Ann’s  parents were Anthony and Lucy Damico DeMary.

Ann's siblings include Jimmy DeMary, Virginia DeMary Rossi and Anthony “Plumber” DeMary, Jr., all deceased.

Joe's siblings include Mike Eates; Dominick Eates, Class of 1946, who married the late Mary Larry Eates from Carolina; Nick Eates, Class of 1935; Mary Eates, Angie Eates all deceased; and Tony Eates, in my Class of 1950, who lives in Fairmont with wife Lucy Cann Eates.

Ann and Joe live at the bottom of Bridge Street hill. Ann DeMary Eates and Joe Eates are the godparents of John Larry Olesky of Tallmadge, Ohio, the only son of John Olesky, Jr., Class of 1950, who also lives in Tallmadge.

Virginia DeMary Rossi and Christine “Tina” Tartell Arnett, both Class of 1953, were born on the same day – April 24, 1935 -- and died two hours apart on the same day – August 20, 1982 -- and were best friends for life. At Monongah High, they were Student Council representatives together for their senior class in 1953.

 

Tina was the maid of honor at Virginia’s wedding to James Rossi.  David Tartell was a pallbearer at Michael DeMary’s funeral in 2007. Tina was Paula Rossi Wiley’s godmother.

 

Virginia DeMary Rossi is buried in Mt. Calvary Cemetery on Park Avenue in Monongah. Nearby are the side-by-side graves of Lee and Josephine Tartell, Tina’s parents, and Lucy and Anthony DeMary, Virginia’s father’s brother.

As for Ann and Joe, St. Peter already has their angel wings and special halos prepared for them in Heaven.

I call Ramona Fullen Michalski, Class of 1949, Monongah High’s de facto historian, the head of the “Monongah High Alumni blog Monongah Bureau” because I couldn’t do my Monongah High Alumni blog without Ramona’s help. She provided me with Monongah High graduation lists for every year from the first class in 1918 through the final class in 1979.

Whenever I don’t know the connections of former Lions I’m writing about, I call Ramona, whose memory is excellent. When I visit her home every room was filled with Monongah High memorabilia, down to the MHS Lion with water spitting out of its mouth.

Ramona also is the hostest with the mostest. Her home and pool are party central for nearly any Lions passing through Monongah.

Ramona is the widow of Frank Michalski, who was in the Class of 1949 but dropped out after the 1948 football season. Frank was my playground protector at Sts. Peter and Paul School. When I was bullied over my cleft palate speech defect, Frank stepped in and made it clear that if they did it they would have to deal with him. It never happened again during my eight years under the nuns’ tutelage.

Frank and Ramona had six children.

Marcia Michalski Westfall, Class of 1974, of Kilarm, married Dave Westfall, Class of 1948. The others were Mike Michalski (wife Jan) and Jay Michalski (wife Debbie), both of Monongah, Carol Michalski Drake (husband Bob) of Shinnston and Monie Michalski, who lives with Ramona Fullen Michalski on Bridge Street Extension just outside the  Monongah town limits.

Another child, Mary Frances Michalski Gapen, Class of 1968, married to Rick Gapen, passed away in 2012. Mary was a super teacher at Barrackville Middle School and Monongah Elementary.

Ramona's grandson, Tony Michalski, is Marion County Parks and Recreation Comission executive director.

Ramona's grandfather was the half-brother of the father of Shirley Fullen, Class of 1954. The late Jim Fullen, Class of 1962; Dan Fullen, Class of 1961, who lives in Four States; Connie Fullen Cantrell, Class of 1966,  who lives in Jasper, Alabama; and Charlotte Fullen Lloyd, Class of 1968, who lives in Bear, Delaware, are siblings

I call Susan Staron Sanders, Class of 1971, the Angel of Thomas Street. She has earned the title.

Susan is on the Monongah Town Council, the founder and chairman of the Monongah Friends of the Christmas Lights Committee that raised enough money for 61 Christmas street lights in a town of 900+ people and helps care for Amelia Shenasky Zentz, the daughter of Nell and Pete Shenasky of P.P. Shenasky Grocery fame in Monongah who will celebrate her 100^th birthday January 11 in the Monongah Town Hall with the townsfolk gathered around the legendary grande dame of Monongah.

The committee’s current lineup:

President - Susan Sanders, Class of 1971.

Vice President - Shelly Yankie, 2002 North Marion grad.

Treasurer - Linda McCullough.

Secretary - Kitty Morrison, Class of 1968.

 

Alternates - Josh Scritchfield, North Marion grad; Breanna Stewart, Bill McCullough, 1988 North Marion grad Amanda Morgan, another North Marion grad Amber Efaw.

I visited my Christmas street light, the pearl in a seashell outside my childhood Church Street home representing the Resurrection of Christ (the pearl) rising from his tomb (the seashell), with my daughter LaQuita and her husband, Tom Timberlake, who took most of the photos in this blog article. My contribution mainly was photos of my great-granddaughter, Eliza Frances Timberlake, who lives in Canal Winchester, a suburb of Columbus, Ohio, with her parents, Dr. Dylan Timberlake and Casey Benedetti Timberlake.

Susan’s husband, Ron Sanders, is a Vietnam veteran. Susan’s brother, the late Bob Staron, Class of 1967, fought in Vietnam, too. Susan and Ron met at a night club on Morgantown Avenue in Fairmont.

Susan and Ron’s son, Tommy Sanders, is a WVU computer engineering graduate.

Susan’s parents were Stanley Staron and Alice Staron. Her siblings are Jack Staron, Bill Staron and the late Tom Staron and Bob Staron.

Susan grew up with Becky Urish Anderson, who today lives in Clarksburg, and went to Monongah High with Becky. They are both Class of 1971.

Susan is a Personnel retiree. Susan and Ron live on Thomas Street, where the Mangino family lived when the Olesky family was in the last Thomas Street rental before the Church Street intersection till my parents bought the Church Street home that Angelo and Mary Dudash Raymond were renting in the mid-1940s.

On the other side of the Sanders house is the former Catania house, before Angelo Catania, Class of 1943, convinced his siblings and father Mandala Catania to move to Covina, California, where Angelo was stationed at a military base. Mary Catania Heywood, Class of 1945, still lives there. Angelo, Alex Catania, Class of 1944, Josephine Catania, Class of 1952, and Mandala, widower of Schiro Catania, passed away.

Carmella Catania Allard, Class of 1947, are in San Antonio because her husband, Omer Allard, still was in the Air Force when the Catania migration took place. When Omer retired, he and Carmella remained in San Antonio.

The trip included Olesky family reunions in Fairmont, at the Say Boy Restaurant where my father introduced me to my first ribeye steak when I was a teenager, and in the Columbus suburb Canal Winchester, home of my 4^th great-grandchild, Eliza Frances Timberlake, daughter of Dr. Dylan Timberlake and wife Casey Timberlake and granddaughter of LaQuita Olesky Timberlake and Tom Timberlake.

At Say Boy, where I returned for another ribeye 75 years after my first taste of what became my #1 choice in steaks, were my sister, Jackie Olesky Straight, Class of 1955, of Rivesville; Jackie’s daughter, Belinda Straight Morris; Belinda’s husband, Dave Morris; Jackie’s daughter, Renee Straight; John Olesky, Class of 1950; John’s daughter, LaQuita Olesky Timberlake; LaQuita’s husband, Tom Timberlake.

Also at Say Boy was Linda McCullough, part of Susan Staron Sanders’ Charge of the Lights Brigade, as I call them, the committee that raised money for 31 Christmas street lights brightening Monongah’s streets during the holiday period.

So was her sister Christy Hamilton, who lives in Butler, Pennsylvnia, and their mom Joyce Locke. Christy lived with Linda in Monongah for a couple years in high school before graduating from North Marion. Their Mom is from Fairmont. Their late father was Larry Lee Hamilton, Class of 1969.

The family was having a family dinner after a memorial service for another sister, Lori Morris.

In Canal Winchester for an Olesky-ish reunion were Dylan, Case, Eliza, LaQuita, Tom and John.

Jackie’s other daughter is Lea Ann Straight Barnes, married to David Barnes.

Monnie Elizabeth Turkette Olesky was named for her grandmother, Monte Compton Turkette, and Elizabeth Fugett Brooks.

The busy doctor who delivered Monnie waited a week to fill out a stack of birth certificates in Williamson. He spelled her name Monia.

Monnie’s mother called her Monie. Monnie signed her photo she gave me during our two courtship years as Mona. We were married 48 years when Monnie passed away in 2004. The name on her grave in Northlawn Memorial Gardens is Monnie, which is what the doctor should have written down and what everyone called her throughout her life.

Monnie’s mother, Virginia Belle Turkette, was the daughter of Elizabeth Fugett Brooks, who married Charlie Brooks.

Monnie’s daughter is Monnie Ann Olesky Johnston, who lives in Brunswick, Ohio.

One of Monnie Ann’s daughters is Monnie Lynn Johnston, who lives in Boston, Massachusetts.

Monnie Ann’s other daughter is Beth Johnston, who lives in Cleveland area.

So Monte Compton Turkette and Elizabeth Fugett Brooks gave Monnie her names of Monnie Elizabeth.

Monnie and I named our youngster daughter Monnie Ann Olesky, now a Johnston.

Monnie Ann named her daughters Monnie Lynn and Beth, both using my beloved late wife Monnie Elizabeth’s names.

Dr. Dylan Timberlake, son of Monnie’s daughter Dawn LaQuita Olesky Timberlake, and Dylan’s wife Casey named their daughter Eliza Frances. So Eliza and Beth make Elizabeth, my late wife Monnie’s middle name.