Where are these yesterday’s heroes?

While trying to convert the 1962 Monongah High Black Diamond yearbook into the 26^th MHS online yearbook album, I came across these individual photos of the 1961 football team. Being a reporter and editor for 43 years before my 1996 retirement, naturally I wondered what happened to yesterday’s heroes.

Maybe you know. If so, email John Olesky at jo4wvu@neo.rr.com and I’ll share the information on this blog. We’re in it together, this conduit for bonding former Lions, you know.

Don Pitman lives in White Hall with his wife, Jane. They were at the 2014 Monongah High Alumni Reunion.

Bob Mick remembers sitting on the late Denver Browning’s family couch in Monongah with Gene Phillips while they waited for Denver to finish his piano practice.

Marlene Paula Mick Harrison lives in North Carolina and was in the Monongah High band and on the 1961 Homecoming court for football.

I don’t know where Donnie Blagg is, but Eugene “Buck” Blagg and wife Joann Pitman Blagg, both Class of 1951, attend the Monongah High Alumni Reunions nearly every year. Buck's sister was the late Ruth “Inkie” Lemoine Blagg McDonald of Idamay. Their parents were Vaughn Blagg and Neva Hensley Blagg.

We conducted an unsuccessful search for the whereabouts of Terry Shea on this blog last October. Larry Zickefoose, Class of 1968, asked where Terry was. No luck. Anyone ever find out where Terry is living these days? Or even if he IS living?

Ronnie Shea, Class of 1954, also from Carolina during his Monongah High days, passed away in 2013 in Deland, Florida. Ronnie attended the 60^th anniversary reunion of the Class of 1964 in 2004.

 

By the way, The Old Sugar Mill Restaurant in Deland lets you cook your own breakfast, pancakes or eggs. Delicious and fun with a griddle in the middle. Paula and I liked it so much we went there twice even though it’s two hours each way from our winter base in The Villages, Florida.

I also don’t have a clue where Eddie Vozniak is. I went to school and caddied at Fairmont Field Club with Mitch Vozniak, married to another Monongah High grad, Barbara Prezioso Vozniak.

 

Mitch was on the 1952 Monongah High state football championship team and an auto racing mechanic. The late Chester Vozniak is Mitch's brother. Chester's widow is Mildred Paknik Vozniak, Class of 1948.

Barbara’s aunt, the late Amelia Ann Yerace Prezioso (The Canned Peppers Lady), ran Prezioso Grocery at the top of Jackson Street with her husband, Roman Prezioso, Sr. Amelia and Roman, Sr. are the parents of State Sen. Roman Prezioso, Jr., Class of 1967, who lives in Fairmont with wife Deborah.

So, that’s all I know about these 1961 Monongah High football heroes. As I said, if you have better and later information, email John Olesky at jo4wvu@neo.rr.com I’ll be busy trying to finish converting the 1962 yearbook into the 26^th Monongah High Alumni online album.

Since I’ll be 83 on Nov. 5, it may be a race against time to do convert all the MHS albums through the final, 1979 Monongah High class before the consolidation into North Marion. When I finish 1962, I’ll have every yearbook from 1939 through 1965. Only 14 more to go after that. Unless the guy with the giant scythe cuts me down first.

I’m having a great time doing this. And I appreciate the weekly notes telling me how much former Lions appreciate this blog. My 43 years as a newspaper editor, reporter and sportswriter aren’t going to waste, even though I retired in 1996.