While looking over the 1965 Monongah High Black Diamond that Patty Sawyer Skeen, Class of 1965, of New Martinsville, West Virginia loaned to me for conversion into another online album, I saw that the year was dedicated to Judy Blocker Kincaid, who was named Maid of Marion with Bill Fleming, quarterback of the 1968 and 1969 Monongah High unbeaten football teams and later a backup QB at WVU, at her side.

Judy Lipinski Cook, Class of 1958, also was chosen Maid of Marion among the Marion County high schools. Judy’s mom is Goldie DeFazio Lipinski, Class of 1937, sister of Loraine DeFazio Barth, Class of 1951.

Jeanette Baczuk, Class of 1940, who lives in Ashland, Ohio, remembers Goldie: “I met Goldie Defazio Lipinski when I was in high school.  I know all her daughters, and she was a school friend of my mother.” 

 

Jeannette’s mother was married to the famous Dr. James Monroe Barr, who handled the births of about everyone in Worthington, thereafter known as the Barr Babies.  Jeannette is the widow of Frank Baczuk and the sister of Suzanne Barr Loss, Class of 1948, the widow of Arnold “J.B.” Loss, Class of 1947. Their brother is Harrelson Barr, Class of 1939, whose daughter, Marcie Barr Marsh, is Class of 1966.

Since both Monongah Maid of Marion selections were named Judy, it would have been appropriate if stylish actor Cary Grant (born Archibald Alexander Leach in 1904 in jolly old England) had revived his famous non-existent “Judy, Judy, Judy” line in his English accent. It turns out that comedian Larry Storch said it while doing an impersonation of Cary Grant in an English accent and pretending to greet singer Judy Garland. But it stuck with Grant’s legend forever.

While filming “Charade” and massaging Audrey Hepburn’s foot in the taxi scene, Grant impishly said, “Juday, Juday, Juday. Now you’ve got it on film.” But it was not used in the movie.

Grant was a savvy guy in many ways. He negotiated a 10% cut of “To Catch a Thief,” which brought him $700,000. Director/producer Alfred Hitchcock received only $50,000.

In “His Girl Friday” movie, Grant paid homage to his birth name by saying, “I never had so much fun since Archie Leach died.”

Grant and Archie Leach died in real life in 1986.

When I convert the 1965 Monongah High yearbook into an online album for everyone in the world to see without paying a penny for it, as my gift to fellow Lions, that will be 26 Black Diamonds as online albums and 42 online albums with Monongah High alumni in them, including gathering of Lions in Fairmont, Florida, Michigan and Ohio.

And more to come since David Haines, who provided the 1961 yearbook, will be sending me the 1962 yearbook.

Other yearbooks were loaned to me by Ramona Fullen Michalski, Class of 1949, who lives in Monongah; Jeannette Barr Baczuk, Class of 1940, who lives in Ashland, Ohio; Elaine Hewitt Monell, Class of 1949, who lives in the Dayton, Ohio suburb of Riverside and is the widow of Raymond “Soak” Monell, Class of 1945; Dennis Jones, Class of 1954, who brought Monongah High the 1952 state football title before moving on to WVU football, and is a retired general in Brentwood, Tennesse; Sandra Smith Swiger, Class of 1955, in Fairmont, who was at the Class of 1955 dinner this year at the Three Ways Inn in Fairmont; Bill Meredith, Class of 1957, who lives in Sarasota, Florida and Buckeye Lake, Ohio; Lyla Cosner Howell, Class of 1958, who lives in Elkins and Fort Myers Beach, Florida with husband Len Howell; Sandy Weils Shaffer Cook, Class of 1959, who lives in Fort Myers, Florida with husband Bob Cook; Bonnie Nicholson Moats, Class of 1960, who lives in Rustburg, Virginia; and Phil Colanero, Jr., Class of 1963, who lives in Morgantown with Betty Hanlin.

And Debby Morrison Harden, Class of 1966, the widow of Gary Harden, Class of 1964, will be mailing me the 1966 yearbook when I’m ready for it. I don’t like to have more than one or two in my den because sometimes, due to Paula and I traveling so much and technology problems, I keep the yearbooks for months.

As you can see, although this is my project, it’s a group effort. Already 10 Monongah High graduates have entrusted me with their yearbooks while I scanned them into an online album, then returned the Black Diamonds to them. Debby will be No. 11.

Ramona Michalski has 13 yearbooks that will take me from 1967 through 1979, the final graduation class at Monongah High, by borrowing them from her children – Jay and Michael Michalski, Carol Michalski Drake and Monie Michalski and maybe from the collection of her late daughter, Mary Michalski Gapen, a long-time Barrackville schoolteacher.

And then, if I’m still alive and alert, I can start asking for 1938 and earlier yearbooks till I get to 1918, the first graduation class at Monongah High.