When is YOUR family reunion?

The Brooks family, which includes Beth Pritchard Brooks, will be having its family reunion Sunday, July 12.

The Meredith family, which includes Bill Meredith, Class of 1957, and Patty Meredith Wills, Class of 1950, will be having its reunion June 24 in Canaan Valley State Park again.

The Barr family, which includes Jeanette Barr Baczuk, Class of 1940, who lives in Ashland, Ohio, will have its family reunion at Blackwater Falls State Park, as usual, on June 27. Marcie Marsh, Jeanette's brother Harrelson's daughter, and Jeanette will be the only Monongah High grads there since sister Suzanne Barr Loss, Class of 1948, widow of Arnold "J.B." Loss who lives in Mill Fall, doesn't make the trek any more.

Suzanne and Arnold’s son, Mike, lives nearby on the Mill Fall property once owned by Francis “Frank” Loss and wife Gezala Futten Loss, whose son, Jerry Loss, Class of 1956, lives in North Olmsted, Ohio. Harrelson once was saved from drowning by Lance Ammons, but Harrelson wasn't swimming: He was sledriding on what he thought was safe ice by Worthington dam. Wrong! In he went. So did Lance, saving Harrelson.

 

My drowning savior was Bob Morris, son of Marvin and Lillian Scott Morris, and brother of Marvin Morris, Jr., Class of 1939, and Lois Jean Morris Hamrick, both deceased. 

 

I almost drowned again at Coal Hole when I did a backflip and wound up under an underwater ledge, which I couldn't see because the sulphur water was good for curing poison ivy but not for seeing in it. Luckily, I picked a direction to go and it was out from under the ledge to safety.

 

Bob Tetrick was saved by Tom Belcastro, also known as Tommy Ohio. Billy Don Parks rescued Duane Harbert from a premature death by drowning.

 

We all had our guardian angles handy when we had misadventures in the water. Otherwise, more of us wouldn't have made it into adulthood.

 

Pete and Rose Cimino Belcastro's children were Jennie Belcastro Senkus, Patricia Belcastro Fuscaldo, Teresa Belcastro Rogers, Louis Belcastro and Sam Belcastro.

 

What about YOUR family? If you have a family reunion planned this summer, email John Olesky at jo4wvu@neo.rr.com with the details. You know, date and place, how long you’ve been doing the reunions, etc. And who at the reunion is a Monongah High graduate – name names, graduation year, current hometown.