Sam Lopez collected another honor at the 2015 Monongahfest. We was named parade marshal as the oldest resident miner in Monongah.

Previously, a bridge on Rt. 19 south of Shinnston by the community of Gypsy was named in his honor.

Sam, among 316 survivors of the USS Indianapolis sunk by a Japanese submarine in 1945, is the father of Monongah High Alumni president Linda Lopez Gandy.

 

Sam’s wife, Joanne Vandetta Lopez, daughter of Frank and Olga Grandoni Vandetta, passed away in 2012. Linda’s brother,  Sam Lopez Jr., lives in Fairmont.

Sam’s lifelong friend, Frankie Pulice, who lives in Shinnston, was with Sam at the activities.

And you can’t have a Monongahfest without the Jenna Won’t Sing Band performing. Denise and Mike Roncone were guest performers with the band.

Greg Patrick and friends also will be at Pallatine Park Sept. 12, Barnes School Constitution Day Sept. 17, the Firehouse Café Oct. 17 for the Breast Cancer Awareness fundraiser and Dec. 4 at the United Way dance fundraiser auction at the Fairmont Elks Club.

Tammy Cole was winner of the Signature Homestyles - Blessings drawing. There were winners in the Tug of War contests, the Car Show a day later, the Little Miss Monongahfest pageant (Lexi Delovich, determined by a drawing).

Actually, everyone who attended the 2015 Monongahfest was a winner.