No matter how far you stray from Monongah, whether it’s Mary Catania Heywood, Class of 1945, who lives in Covina, California, or Bill Meredith, Class of 1957, who lives in Sarasota, Florida and Buckeye Lake, Ohio, or me, John Olesky, Class of 1950, who lives in Tallmadge, Ohio, your memories of your Monongah High classmates live in your heart and mind forever.

Even after they are no longer in this world.

Monongah High Alumni Association Board member and 1955 grad Dolores Edwards coming upon a collection of Class of 1955 head shots in a montage reminded me of that again. In that montage are 66 faces of former Lions. 24 of them are no longer with us.

My sister, Jackie Olesky Straight, of Rivesville, is one of the 66 faces in that montage. Her best friend in the halls of Monongah High was Toni Pflock Hennis, who moved to Florida with husband Russ Hennis.

When Paula and I attended the 2016 West Virginia Reunion in The Villages, Florida, we came across Toni’s sister, 1960 Fairmont West graduate Karen Pflock Bosley, a Monongah High graduate who lives in Florida and worked for the FBI and at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

There’s a third sister; same father, two moms. Karen’s college path included Fairmont State and Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold, Maryland.

In my Class of 1955, there were 45 graduates. Our passing away percentage, of course, is higher than the Class of 1955 since we're 5 years old. We have 21 survivors and 24 deceased members. More gone than still with us.

Perhaps the most famous 1955 graduate no longer with us is Frank Edward DeMoss, who pitched Monongah High to its only state baseball title in 1955. His son,  Monongah native and 1989 North Marion grad David DeMoss, was West Virginia Player of the Year in baseball while at North Marion High School – a chip off the old block, eh? -- and is a lawyer in Fairmont these days. Frank married Shirley Vandetta DeMoss, Class of 1957.

Among other 1955 classmates who are no longer with us are Karen Colvin Harbert, who passed away in 2014 in Spring Hill, Florida. She was married to John Harbert, also Class of 1955, and was a nurse after leaving Monongah High. Karen and John’s children are Larry Harbert and wife Barb, Marshall Harbert and wife Beverly,  Deborah Harbert Napier and Paul Napier and Peggy and Chip Harbert.

And Paul Vernon Harbert, Jr.   His father – Paul Harbert, Sr. – was the son of Griff and Agnes Harbert. Paul Jr.'s siblings were Gerald, Bill, Eva, Ted, Farrell and Phil.  Eva was in the class of 1951 with cousin Duane Harbert, who lives in Marlton, New Jersey, and Bill was either class of 47 or 48.

John’s mother, Goldie Harbert, taught at Worthington Grade School. Goldie’s husband, Frank Harbert, was principal of Thoburn Elementary in Monongah. John’s brother is Duane Harbert, Class of 1951, who lives in Marlton, New Jersey.

And Earl “Buck” Parrish, Jr., whose widow is Phyllis Parrish, living in Columbus. Buck gave of himself even after he departed. His liver saved another person, two people were given his eyes, his tissue went to help save servicemen coming back from war and his lungs went to research.

And George Raddish, Jr., who grew up in Four States and passed away in 2011 in Hostetter, Pennsylvania. His parents were Josephine and George Raddish. George was an Air Force veteran who retired from Calvert Wire Company.

His brother is David Raddish of Fairmont. His son is Stephen Raddich of Delmont, Pennsylvania. His wife, Delores Burrik Raddish, predeceased him.

And Clyde Lyndon Wells. Lyndie's brother, Donnie Wells, set up a blind date for his Fairmont Westinghouse co-worker, David Straight, with another 1955 graduate, Jacqueline Olesky, who was in teacher Mildred Berry’s home room at Monongah High with Donnie.

Jackie became Mrs. David Straight and they had four children and four grandchildren. Dave passed away in 1998.

Lyndie’s other siblings were Joe Wells, who married Peggy Clayton, Class of 1951, Mary Alice Wells Emerson and Pauline Wells Huffman.

 

Donnie married Lucy Barta Wells of Idamay and Farmington High School. They had five children, including twin boys who are dentists in Charlotte, North Carolina. All the Wells siblings are deceased.

And Cecilia Ann Shamrock Eller, who wound up in Abilene, Texas with a retired college professor, husband Charlie Hennig.

There were seven Shamrock children – the others are John, Class of 1947; Joe, who attended Monongah High; Jim, who attended Monongah High; Paul, Class of 1962; and Mike, Class of 1966. John and Joe also are deceased.

And Wilma Mae McNece Scott Dwyer, daughter of Joseph and Mildred Shepard McNece and sister of Betty McNece Poster, also a Monongah High graduate. Wilma worked at Westinghouse after Monongah High and lived in Fairmont.

Her children are Rick Dwyer of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, Joe Scott of Worthington and Joy Damico of Worthington.

And James Eugene Edgell, brother of Okey Edgell, Class of 1944, married to Arlene Marteney Edgell, Class of 1951.

And Donald Marshall Boone, whose siblings were Jean Hayhurst of Fort Myers, Florida; Delores Boone Bonnett of Fairmont and Karen Sue Boone Bledsoe of Clendenin. Their parents were Harry Claire and Goldie Sheets Boone.

In my case, I will never forget my Class of 1950 members who have gone to the Great Beyond:

Barbara Jean Baczuk Franklin, who shares an uncle with me, Steve Kerekes; Mary Bienkoski Domico, who shares my Monongah High prom date with me, her best friend, Nancy Robinson Saunders, also deceased; Bill Birdsell, a golf greenskeeper who is a legend in Florida; Kathleen Blagg Goldstein, who moved to New Mexico; Walter Brzuzy, a superb setshot basketball player and pitcher; Deloris Butcher; Martha Jean Carpenter; Jim Commodore, whose sister, Rose Commodore Cain, also is a 1950 graduate; Anthony “Plumber” DeMary, Jr., part of the faceitiously named Gang That Terrorize Marion County, brother to Ann DeMary Eates, Class of 1955, married to Joe Eate, also Class of 1955; Theresa Demus, who made a career in government work; Richard Garett; Lawrence “Sonny” Godby, who served our country in Vietnam twice as a Marine pilot; Joe Manzo, who served our country in Korea; Iris Martin; sisters Ann Mannuel Richardson and Virginia Manuel Eddy, cousins of Frank Franze, also Class of 1950, of Slidell, Louisiana; Tom “Bum” Orsini, who played football for Monongah High and was a teacher in Florida and married to Peggy Rauer Orsini, Class of 1959, who lives in Titusville, Florida; Bill Pringle; Paul Rankin; Jim “Judge” Starcher; Lyman Wadsworth, the son of a preacher man; Jim Wimer, cabinet-maker extraordinaire; and Agnes Jean Larry DiLaura, who became a Power model and lived in a Las Vegas suburb, and who got a box of chocolates from me at MHS when I had a secret crush on her and, in memory of that teen moment a few years before she passed away, I had a box of chocolates delivered to her Henderson, Nevada home where she was living with her daughter, Linda Cassesse.

I’m sure that all of you have the same memories of the dearly departed Lions.

And it's another good reason to show up at the 2017 Monongah High Alumni Reunion on Memorial Day weekend. It might be your last chance to see your former classmate alive.