CATCHING UP WITH MARY ANN PUFFENBARGER MOORE, CLASS OF 1950

 

I had a delightful, vibrant phone call with Mary Ann Puffenbarger Moore, Class of 1950, who had her 89^th birthday on June 17, which makes her among the few in our Class of 1950 older than me.

Mary Ann is a widow of Fairmont East and Fairmont State grad Richard Moore, who passed away in 2015. After Richard passed away Mary Ann sold the family farm and had “a nice home” built in Pleasant Valley on Lillie Street “behind the Pleasant Valley Fire Department” in 2016.

Now, Mary Ann says, “it’s just me and the dog.” Because of COVID, “I go to church (with a neighbor lady), I go the doctor and I go to the dentist and I wear my mask.” Mary Ann got her booster shot two weeks ago.

Its been six years since Mary Ann has done any serious traveling although she did visit son in Winchester, Virginia a week or two ago to see one of the classic cars that Mary Ann’s husband, Richard, once owned that was handed down to the son. Trips to Florida used to be the norm for Mary Ann and Richard, particularly Tampa and Daytona Beach, one of my favorite beaches and the birthplace of NASCAR auto racing because the beach is so solid and not mushy sand. You park your car on the beach and jump into the Atlantic Ocean.

She “really misses” Barbara Glover Rombola, who passed away. They were close friends and remained in contact after Monongah High till Barbara passed away. Monongah High “seems like 100 years ago,” Mary Ann said.

Mary Ann previously made contact with Rose Commodore Cain and Leatrice Yokay Greaser, both Class of 1950. 

Barbara’s sister-in-law, Marie Tracey Rombola, passed away in 2015.

Mary Ann’s sister, Martha Puggenbarger Nussear, Class of 1945, who was a nurse at Fairmont General Hospital for more than 50 years, is deceased. Their parents were William Ralph Puffenbarger and Hazel Loges Puffenbarger. 

Mary Ann and Bill were married for 51 years. Their children are William Richard Moore II of Winchester, Virginia; Roger A. Moore of Carlise, Pennsylvania; and Cathy Phipps. They have two grandchildren, Logan Richard Moore and Savanna Katlyn Moore.

Husband Richard was “really into” classic cars, Mary Ann said, including a 1940 Ford convertible although Richard drove a diesel truck most of the time. He was a member of the Antique Automobile Club of America and The Model A. Club.

If you want to renew old times at Monongah High with Mary Ann, as I did, her email address is savlag@comcast.net Her home phone, which I used, is (304) 363-2268.

There were 45 in the Class of 1950. We have 15 or fewer still alive. When I  tried to call Reva McDougal Ash in Marietta, Ohio her phone was disconnected. The same with Bernice Grandstaff Maranville in Kernersville, North Carolina. And Anna Currence Sutton in Conyers, Georgia phone was “temporarily unavailable” when I dialed (770) 761-0316. So I don’t if that means they are alive or passed away. If anyone knows, email me at jo4wvu@neo.rr.com or post on my Facebook page or call me at (330) 388-4466. Since that’s my cellphone it’s with me wherever I go. I got rid of my home phone years ago. Too much traveling for it to be useful.

As far as I know for sure, Class of 1950’s Rose Commodore Cain in White Hall, Tony Eates in Fairmont, Frank Franze in Slidell, Louisiana, Donald “Jake” Halpenny in Fairmont, Bob Kasper in South Lyon, Michigan (my best friend for 83 years), Patty Meredith Wills in Jacksonville, Florida, Katherine Toothman Crim in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, Patty Urban Utz in Springfield, Virginia and Leatrice Yokay in Fairmont still are alive.

Not sure about Arnold Ray Morgan in Palatka, Florida.

If anyone has any new information on any Class of 1950 members, or any other Lions for that matter, contact me by email, Facebook or phone.

Our numbers are dwindling every year. And, since the last Monongah High graduation class was 1979, there are no replacements for those who leave us.

But, good Lord willing, I plan to be at the 2022 annual Monongah High Alumni Banquet, the oldest continuous high school reunion in West Virginia history. In 2021 I was the only Class of 1950 member at the reunion in the Knights of Columbus Hall in Fairmont.