Can YOU identify any of these 1961 MHS grads?

At long last, after months and months of delays caused by our travels and problems with technology and putting together and publishing the Class of 1950 book that I distributed to my 1950 classmates at the 2015 Monongah High Alumni Reunion and by U.S. mail, I am nearly finished with my 24^th online Monongah High Alumni yearbook, the 1961 yearbook that David Haines has been waiting patiently for me to return to him after I scan in all the pages.

But the group shots of the senior boys and senior girls does NOT have any identifications.

Please email the identifications to John Olesky at jo4wvu@neo.rr.com Do it by first row, 3^rd from left, and/or white top/plain skirt, whatever will help me get the right names to the right faces.

Once I post the 1961 yearbook online for anyone in the world to see free, there will be Monongah High yearbooks from 1939 through 1961 plus 1964 available online. My goal is to finish all of the yearbooks through to 1979, the final graduation year from Monongah High. If I’m still alive after that, I’ll begin begging to borrow 1938 or earlier yearbooks, which probably will be tougher to find. I borrow the yearbook, scan everything into an online album, and then return the yearbook to its owner. But, due to a variety of circumstances, there are can be months between the day I receive the yearbook in the mail and the day I happily mail it back to the owner.

I still have the 1963 yearbook loaned to me by Phil Colanero, Jr. to convert from print to online status.

Debby Morrison Hardin said she’ll send me 1962, 1965 and 1966 when I ask her for them. Ramona Fullen Michalski will provide me 1967 through 1979.

If you have 1938 or EARLIER Monongah High yearbooks, let me know. Don’t mail them till I’m ready for them, although I might request 1938 before I ask for 1962 and later yearbooks. I’m flexible.

This project is my gift to every Monongah High alumni that graduated from my alma mater. It should be around long after I’m gone for all MHS graduates to check out, free. I feel that my 43 years as a newspaper editor qualified me uniquely for this task. And I have a passion for it.

JOHN OLESKY, CLASS OF 1950 

self-appointed conduit to let MHS grads know what is going on in their former classmates’ lives. It was a special time in a special place for me, and many others.