AMELIA SHENASKY ZENTZ IS 101 YEARS OLD !!!

 

Amelia Shenasky Zentz, the grande dame of Monongah, celebrated her 101^st birthday.

Kitty Ahouse Morrison and Monongah councilwoman Susan Staron Sanders, Class of 1971, the angel of Thomas Street who led the Charge of the Lights Brigade that put 21 Christmas street lights in Monongah, visit Amelia often. Their emotions ping-pong between delight and amazement.

 

Amelia was the blonde behind the counter of her parents’ grocery store. Amelia and Nell, her mother, handed out free candy to the children of the parents who shopped at Nell and Pete’s P.P. Shenasky grocery.

Amelia was a fantastic dancer and was invited to compete in ballroom dancing in New York City. As Amelia recalled, “When I was 19, I went to New York City and danced in the Cotton Club.”

 

Her partner, the late Walt DeWitt, was her dancing partner for years, including in West Virginia. They were the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers of Monongah.

 

Joining Amelia behind the Shenasky counter was Bruce Zentz, her husband for 59 years. In 1968 George Shaw built their Dairy Kone on property that once housed Joe Hanus’ garage. It was across U.S. 19 where children played baseball in the 1940s and where brothers Angelo and Alec Catania built the Sinclair service station that covered part of the baseball field where children played before the Catania family  -- father, the brothers and two sisters – moved to Covina, California.

Pete and Nell bought the Shenasky building from Mr. Martin in 1921. Pete, who passed away at the age of 69, sold the building to John Boggess, son of Evelyn Kasper Boggess, Class of 1953, and retired coal miner Okey Boggess, who still owns the building today.

On to your 102^nd birthday, Amelia!

John Olesky graduated from Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic elementary school and Monongah High School, in 1950, before attending Fairmont State for a year before graduating from West Virginia University School of Journalism and embarking on a 43-year newspaper career as founder of the West Virginia High School All-State Baseball selections, 15 years as a sportswriter, later a newsroom electronics coordinator, State Desk assistant editor and Television Editor. He retired in 1996 and has traveled to 56 countries and 44 states and has had season tickets to Mountaineer Field for more than 30 years, thanks for his Monongah upbringing and education.