1939 MONONGAH HIGH GRADUATES WERE A CLASS ACT

 

This 1989 photo of the Class of 1939 holding a 50^th anniversary reunion at the Ramada Inn in Morgantown, where the Monongah High Alumni Banquet was held at that time (I was there along with Bob “Satch” Kasper, my fellow Class of 1950 friend for 83 years), brought back a LOT of memories.

Ruth Patrick Tetrick, for one.

Virgil Vingle is music to my ears, of course.

Gerald Spragg is a connection to Harold Spragg, als in my Class of 1950.

Vincent Vingle brings another tingle of musical memories.

Saundra Tetrick Loretta, Class of 1966, was married to Dave Loretta, Class of 1961, before she passed away. Sandy was Maid of Marion in 1966 and prom queen of Monongah High,  escorted by Richard Davidson.

 

Patricia Ann Tetrick Judy, a retired Watson Elementary teacher who passed away in 2015 and was a daughter of Gladys and Paul Tetrick, was survived by her brother, Robert Tetrick of Fairmont and her nephew, Rocky Tetrick.

Ron Tetrick, who passed away in 2017, was married to fellow 1958 grad Rosemary Lushinski Tetrick, who grew up 2 houses away from my Church Street home with Mary Margaret Sayre Lewis prancing around in the house that was next door to my home and Rosemary’s home.

 

Rosemary’s siblings are Laraine Lushinski Clark, Class of 1964, who married Denny Clark, and John Lushshinski, Jr. 

 

Rosemary is the godmother of Renee Straight, a WVU Ruby Memorial pharmacist, who is the daughter of  my sister Jackie Olesky Straight, Class of 1955, who today lives in Rivesville and is co-host of the J&J&Lions Get-Together in the Monongah Town Hall 6-9 p.m. Saturday, July 17.

 

Prudy Tetrick Funk, Class of 1960, married Jim Funk and lived in Denver, Pennsylvania before moving to Longwood, Florida to be near her daughter, Stacey Funk Jackson, who had a home there.

 

Prudy’s mother was Ruth Paxton Tetrick, Class of 1939. Prudy’s sister, Penny, was Class of 1961. Sisters Peggy and Pamela graduated from high schools in Baltimore.

 

The Vingle bands are right up there in Monongah history. Vince was Class of 1939, of course.

 

Virgil Roman Vingle passed away in Monongah at the age of 90 in 2010. He was preceded in death by his wife, Betty Vingle. Virgil was survived by his companion of 20 years, Irene Colosino.

 

His parents were Anthony and Anna Vingle of Monongah.

 

The Virgil Vingle Orchestra performed all over the tri-state area, for dances, weddings and festivals. He was a World War II veteran with the Marines.

 

 

Barry has played with the United Mine Workers Concert Band, the Morgantown Municipal Band, the Jim Talkington Jazz Quartet, the Royals rock band, the Virgil Vingle Orchestra, The JR Farley Band, The Sydfx Rock Band and the Orlando Colombo Orchestra the Subway Band out of Morgantown.

 

Barry has played drum set for The Four Aces, The Shanri-Las, These Three Tenors and Fabian. 

 

Barry also was the drummer in J.R. Farley’s Royals band for 40 years. Farley was on keyboards, Casey Shaner was the vocalist, Ed Vanhorn was on the guitar and Bob Schmit on the bass.

 

 

 

Delores Vingle Olender, Class of 1951,was a vocalist with the Ray Vingle band.

 

 

Raymond Vingle, Class of 1945, also knew his way around musical instruments. It was mandatory in the Vingle family.

 

Virgil Vingle, whose band enchanted Monongah folks for decades, was the stepfather of Judy Stewart Monell Razook, Class of 1959.

 

Judy once told me:

 

 “The Vingle Band was The Greatest!! My Dad was the Leader, Bugs his younger brother, the drummer, and Vince, also a brother, played trumpet !!!!”

 

At Monongah High Judy dated Joe Martin, Class of 1957, long before Joe moved to Treasure Island, Florida with wife Arlene Kitchin, who was born in Canada.

 

As for Gerald Spragg, his brother was Harold Spragg, in the Class of 1950 with me. Harold was married for 63 years to Karen Eddy Spragg and, at Monongah High, had the nickname of “Flopbottle.” I don’t know why.

 

Gerald and Harold’s siblings were Geraldine Spragg Gawthrop, Class of 1939, and Bernice Spragg Detwiler, Class of 1945.

 

 

Their parents, who had a thing for alliteration when they named their children, were Grover Spragg and Mary Jane Yost Spragg.

 

Not in the photo but in the Class of 1939 was Margaret Browning Beccaloni, Marie Hardin Porter, Jane Kanios Bernardo (who I met at a funeral for one of her siblings in Akron, Ohio), Helen Moosey (who had done superb work on updating information and photos of Monongah High alumni) and Thelma Wright Colburn.

 

Sure, this article is long. But only because there are so many memories of the Class of 1939. After all, they attended Monongah High with the effects of the Great Depression still weighing down America and World War II pouncing on the world courtesy of Adolph Hitler, the man with the puny mustache and a huge effect on world history and survival of Jews.