THE REST OF THE STORY

Theodore E. Uchiek

May 24, 1933 - January 22, 1993 

Wow, this is really a blast from past about Theodore E. Uchiek, who attended Monongah High when I did before my 1950 graduation and I headed to Fairmont State for year and then 2½ years at WVU where I got my degree from the School of Journalism that embarked me on my 43-year newspaper career.

The email came from Theodore’s granddaughter, Devin Cline, daughter of Tamara Sue Uchiek Cline, who was the daughter of Theodore and his first wife, Joyce Rollyson Uchiek.

I’ll let Devin Cline set up the situation:

Hi John,

 

I hope this email finds you well. I stumbled across a post from 2016 (in this Monongah High blog that I publish) in which you asked about Theodore Uchiek. 

 

I’m Theodore’s biological granddaughter, Devin Cline, originally born Devin Uchiek. I can confirm that the Theodore referenced is Theodore Uchiek from MHS in the 1940s. 

 

My mother is Tamara, daughter to his first wife Joyce Uchiek (maiden name Rollyson), who passed away when my mother was 6. My mother and her two brothers, Theodore Jr. and Tom, also attended MHS. 

 

I read that you’re passionate about keeping up with Monongah’s records. As both my maternal grandparents passed before I was given a chance to know them (Theodore passed in the early 90s when I was only 2 or 3), if you have any information about them you’d be willing to share I would love to hear it. If you have any other records regarding the Uchieks you need clarification on, I may be able to assist. 

 

Hope to hear from you soon!

 

Devin Cline is TTEC Pittsburgh area service delivery supervisor working in the outsourcing/offshoring industry  and a 2014 psychology graduate from West Virginia University.

 Teddy, as many called Theodore later, worked for Fairmont Wall Plaster, which went out of business in 1995.

I can’t find Theodore Uchiek’s name in any of the Monongah High graduation lists that Ramona Fullen Michalski, Class of 1949, gave me years ago or in the North Marion alumni directory which includes Monongah High graduates that Bob Kasper, Class of 1950, gave me that belonged to Bob’s sister, the late Helen Kasper.

I did find photos of Walter Uchiek, Class of 1948, Theodore’s brother, who was listed as Walter Uchick in the 1948 Black Diamond yearbook.  Walter lived at Swisher Hill at that time and was a member of the MHS Stamp Club.

The 1940 census lists Walter as a 10-year-old and Theodore as a 7-year-old, which meant Theodore started with the 1950 or 1951 classes but even the fantastic updated information provided of 1951 graduates as adults doesn’t include Theodore so I suspect he never graduated.

In the late Clyde Ernest “Buddy” Davis, Jr. obituary Ted Uchiek was listed as his brother-in-law who married Buddy’s sister, Sandy Davis Uchiek. The age is right for Ted to be Theodore and Sandy might be Theodore’s second wife and not Devine Cline’s mother, Joyce Rollyson Uchiek, Theodore’s first wife.

It’s all guesswork despite me spending several days Googling information. The only mention of Theodore Uchiek in this Monongah High Alumni blog is the 2016 article that Devin mentioned. If ANYONE can provide better information, email me at jo4wvu@neo.rr.com or via my Facebook page and I’ll be delighted to add it to this article so that other Lions can find out what happened to Theodore.

Jane Ann Pritchard Moore, Class of 1975, tells me:

“I think Tamara Cline lives around Core in Monongahela County. My husband, Henry (Moore), grew up with her and her brothers” – Theodore Uchiek, Jr. and Tom Uchiek.

Jane is correct.  Tamara lives in Core, 10 miles west of Morgantown on West Virginia Route 7, with Roy Cline.

When I inquired later for more information, Jane replied:

“Younger Ted should have his picture in the Monongah yearbook, maybe 1973, 1974. He was in my Class of 1975 but I’m not sure if he graduated with us or moved to Fairmont Senior (Fairmont West, we called that high school in my Monongah High days; Fairmont East the other Fairmont school, thus East-West Stadium in Fairmont where both teams played football, including against Monongah when I watched the Lions play in the 12^th Street stadium).

Helen McDougal Mudry remembers when Tamara Cline and Devin Cline “lived next door to us on Swisher Hill,” where I got the biggest sledriding thrill of my life in 1950 when a 45.5 inches of snow in three November days shut down Rt. 19 to auto traffic and we pulled our sleds to the top of Swisher Hill and hit such amazing speed that, as our sleds became a blur going UP the hill to the curve near Angelo Raymond’s Tavern, we had to drag our feet all the way uphill to keep the sleds from hurtling off U.S. 19 and into homes along that highway!

The top of Swisher Hill was about 2 miles from my Church Street, Monongah childhood home. I can still hear the swooshing of my sled in my memory bank!

Arthur Yuchek is Class of 1974. Uchiek, Yucheck, Uchek is a common name among Americans. In my Googling I came across those different spellings in states all over America.

Among my research findings:

Joyce Uchiek was born February 4, 1937 and passed away in September 1965.

Walter Uchiek was born October 6, 1929 and passed away March 26, 2009.

Theodore E. Uchiek was born in May 24, 1933 and passed away January 22, 1993.

Sandra K. Uchiek was born November 18, 1946 and passed away November 5, 2001.

Frank E. Uchiek was born February 2, 1917 and passed away May 29, 2007.

Mary M. Uchiek was born March 5, 1917 and passed away January 2, 1998.

In Africa Uchechi means “God’s mind” or “God’s will.”  Other sources said Uchiek means “genius, good, good judger” or “thou are the cause of us” (for Uchick). Pretty weighty meanings in every case.

I haven’t been able to nail down the nationality – Polish? Russian? German? Eastern European?