Frankie Vandetta No. 5

Frank Vandetta No. 5
with The Mountaineer
at the 2015 Monongahfest

Mom Stephanie Vandetta

FIVE Frank Vandettas in this family

Keeping the same first name in a family is a thread that runs through Monongah High alumni.

There are, for example, FIVE John Oleskys – my father, John W. Olesky, Sr., married to Lena Futten Olesky and living for decades on Church Street in Monongah until he moved in with me in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio for the last seven months of his life; me, John Olesky, Jr.; my son, John Larry Olesky of Tallmadge, Ohio, the same city I live in now with Paula; John Larry’s son, John Richard Olesky, who lives in nearby Mogadore, Ohio; and John Richard’s son, Brett John Olesky, who is, I think, 6 years old.

Well, the Olesky Five have been tied by the Frank Vandetta Five.

The first Frank Vandetta was born in the early 1900s. The second was Frank Junior Vandetta,  born in 1928. The third is Frank Vandetta III,  born in 1955. The fourth is Frank Anthony Vandetta IV, born in 1990. The fifth is Frank Charles Vandetta V, born in 2015.
The 5^th Frankie Vandetta was 4 months old September 7. His parents are Frankie Vandetta (No. 4) of Monongah and Stephanie Kishbaugh Vandetta, who once lived in Hazelton, Pennsylvania. Papa Frankie Vandetta is a North Marion graduate and member of the Monongah Volunteer Fire Department.

Papa Frankie explains how the Frank Vandettas line up:

“Great grandpa, grandpa, dad, me and now the baby.”

When she returned to work with the Marion County Rescue Squad, Stephanie wrote:

“1st day back at work! I'm gonna miss this little guy today.”

Stephanie studied emergency medical services at Fairmont State and once worked at WVU Hospitals.

As if I didn’t have enough trouble keeping up with the Vandettas in Monongah High history, there’s a Frank Vandetta who is a 1974 Mannington grad, but I have no idea if he’s one of the Frankie Vanetta Five.

Frank No. 4's parents are Frankie Vandetta Jr. (Frank No. 3), a Monongah High graduate married to Brenda Sturm Vandetta. 

Frank No. 4's cousin is Monongah Mayor Greg Vandetta, Class of 1975, married to Monongahfest president Debbie Manzo Vandetta, Class of 1973. Mayor Vandetta is the owner of Vandetta Construction. Their son, Greg Vandetta II, and Janelle Vandetta were wed amid a snowstorm.

Frank No. 4's father and His Honor's grandfather were cousins, too. So Frank No. 4 and Greg are cousins, but a few branches out on the family tree from No. 4's father and the Mayor's grandfather.

I went to Monongah High with Carl Vandetta, Class of 1948, and passed his house many times on my way to my Uncle Frank Loss and Aunt Gezala Futten Loss’ home in Mill Fall. Aunt Gezala was my mother’s sister and Fairmont barber Si Futten’s sibling, too.

Among other Vandettas, by birth and by marriage:

Martha Robinson Vandetta, Class of 1952.

Valerie Vandetta Aldridge, Class of 1973, who works at Fairmont General Hospital and lives in Monongah with husband Jim Aldridge.

I sure hope I got all the Vandetta relationships right this time! Frankie No. 4 helped out.