Amelia Shenasky Zentz, daughter of P.P. Shenasky Grocery owners Nell and Pete Shenasky, celebrated her 100^th birthday . . . and the whole darn town joined her in the celebration.

I visited Amelia, the Grande Dame of Monongah, at her Shenasky Lane home a few weeks ago and her memory and sense of humor is amazing!

Amelia is the widow of Bruce Zentz, who with Amelia built the Dairy Kone that still stands in Monongah on U.S. 19 (Camden Avenue), but under its 5^th ownership (I think; it’s hard to keep track).

Amelia was the cute blonde who let me dip my hand into a bowl of candy corn when my mother went shopping at the P.P. Shenasky Grocery. I got to keep and eat whatever my young hand could grab with one try.

Currently, the Shenasky buiding is owned by John Boggess, son of the late Evelyn Kasper Boggess, Class of 1953, and former coal miner Okey Boggess.

Here’s the Fairmont Times story about Amelia’s century celebration:

 

Marion County resident celebrates 100th birthday

 

By Gillian Mencken | Fairmont Times

 

MARION COUNTY, W.Va (WDTV) -- The Monongah Town Hall was coated top to bottom in pink, purple and yellow, as requested by the lady of the hour . . . . Mrs. Amelia Shenasky Zentz.

 

A proud West Virginia resident and friend to the community, Mrs. Amelia celebrated her 100th birthday.

"You can see from the turnout that there are a lot of people in the town that know her and come and visit her and enjoy spending time with her."

Mrs. Amelia's nephew, John Shenasky says there's no one quite like his aunt, and hopes he can also live as long as she.

"I'm looking forward to trying to match that record for the family. I think she is the first person that's made it 100 years."

Even those who aren't related to Mrs. Amelia say her kind spirit and goofy personality make knowing her a privilege.

"She is probably one of the funniest people I've ever met. For example I wrote her a speeding ticket one day because she gets on her scooter and cranks it up and just floors it, so I wrote her a fake speeding ticket and I told her she got a 30-day license suspension and she just cracks up, she love it," says Mrs. Amelia's caretaker, Kaylee Miller.

After waiting in line for 2 hours, WDTV finally got the chance to speak with Mrs. Amelia to find out for myself if everything said about her was true.

"I'm amazed, I'm not happy I'm amazed, couldn't believe it, you all went through all this work, it's great, it sure was wonderful, had a lot of people, I don't even know half of them now," said Mrs. Amelia.

The interview got even better when she let her funny personality that I've heard so much about come out.

"Then I got one the other day from the president...Trump...and his wife...I was surprised when he told me he was the President, I didn't vote," Mrs. Amelia whispered as everyone giggled.

Mrs. Amelia's final comment was that looking back, she has no regrets.

"I've just had a good life, really."