Guess who’s coming to dinner for the
99th Monongah High Alumni Banquet on Saturday, May 29. No, it won’t
be Sidney Poitier, Katharine Houghton, Spencer Tracy or Katharine Hepburn.
But it will be Linda Nottingham
Willis, Class of 1964, and husband David Willis, Class of 1961. They sent in
their reservations for the 99th annual Banquet at the Knights of
Columbus, 1529 Mary Lou Retton Drive in Fairmont. The MHS Banquet moved to K of
C in 2014 after previous venue West Chester Village closed down shortly before
the Reunion and K of C came to the rescue.
Linda and Dave Willis were at the
longest-running high school reunion in West Virginia in 2021, in 2016, in 2014,
in 2011. So this will be their 6th appearance in 11 years . . . that
I have a record of. Probably more. Linda was on the MHS Alumni board of
directors in past years, too.
The high school sweethearts have been
married 57 years and have 2 sons and 3 grandsons. They live in their hometown
of Worthington. They love vacationing in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Pauletta Ellison, Class of 1969, who
lives in Fairmont, also sent in her reservation for the 2022 MHS Banquet, which
will be her Lucky Seventh appearance. Her favorite places to visit, other than
the annual Monongah High Alumni Reunion, are Smoke Hole and Seneca Rocks, two favorite
West Virginia tourist sites of many.
Susan Staron Sanders, Class of 1971,
also will be there. The Angel of Thomas Street lives 2 doors down from one of
my childhood residences, and is the widow of Ron Sanders. Susan is on the
Monongah Town Council, founder and president of the Monongah Christmas Street
Lights Committee that put dozens of beautiful holiday lights all over Monongah
to enjoy every Christmastime. She also has her hand in craft shows, bake sales,
anything that will brighten the day for Monongah residents.
The Ahouse sisters, Kitty Morrison
and Sue Schrader, will take a break from their trips around America and other
countries to show up, too. Mary “Kitty” Ahouse Morrison, Class of 1968, lives on
Lyndon Avenue in Monongah. Susan Ahouse Schrader, Class of 1971, lives in Mount
Bethel, Pennsylvania, after decades of residing Piscataway, New Jersey and
having a home-away-from-home in Stoney Lonesome section of Monongah.
Debra
Williams Hockenberry and her husband David Hockenberry will be there, too.
Debra started high school at Clay-Battelle but came to Monongah High to
graduate. They have been married since 1988.
Brenda
Mills, Class of 1970, will be there, too. She lives in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania
but grew up in Four States while attending Monongah High. Brenda was at the
2021, 2018, 2017, 2016 Monongah High Alumni Banquets, too. Sheila Mills, who
lives in Martins Ferry, Ohio, is Class of 1968 and has attended recent MHS
Banquets, too. Bea Mills, Class of 1951, attended the 2011 and 2006 MHS
Banquets.
Of course the Monongah High Alumni
Board of Directors and their spouses or guests will be there, too. That starts
with Linda Lopez Gandy, Class of 1965, Alumni Association president, and Alumni
Association treasurer Donna Davis, Class of 1961. Other board members on the
dias hovering above the rest of the tables include vice president Delores
Edwards, secretary Connie Cameon, board members William Davis, James Gandy, Class
of 1964, Dave Raddish, Class of 1958, married to Luann Felton Raddish, Class of
1961, Carol Spatafore, Nick Scrivo and Lorraine Day Patton, Class of 1961. Dave
and Luanna live in Fairmont.
Henry Lipinski, of
the famous Lipinski Monongah High family of athletes, gets credit for Linda and
Jim Gandy living a long married life together. As Linda once told it: “When
Henry Lipinski told me when I was young, ‘See that boy down there helping his
mom wash windows? That’s the boy you marry, best boy in Monongah.’ I was smart
and listened to him. Love you forever and ever, Jim.”
Some happily ever after
story, huh?
I counted only 74 at the Labor Day
Weekend Banquet in 2021. And 100 years after the first Monongah High Reunion
Banquet there will be 110 on Saturday for the 2022 version! Great job, Linda
and Donna!
Last, and I hope not least, is me, John Olesky, Class of 1950, who lives in the Akron, Ohio suburb of Tallmadge and publishes this Monongah High Alumni blog that gets 3,000 hits a month from readers. If you attend, stop by my table and we’ll have a chat.
No comments:
Post a Comment