Frank Franze, Class of 1950, in the faceitiously named Gang That
Terrorized Marion County that included in when we were teenagers, is among the
Monongah High alumni with birthdays in May. He has been widowed twice and lives
in Slidell, Louisiana with 3rd wife Nannette Couturie. Frank, who grew up in Four
States, moved from Jasper, Texas after his second wife, Linda
Corkern Franze, passed
away in 2013.
His
first wife, from Lake Charles, Louisiana, passed away in 1981 after 27 years of
marriage.
They
had three children: Barbara Franze Bell, married to Steve
Bell, whose children are Amanda, Stevie and Erin; Amanda Franze Calhoun,
married to Pate Calhoun, whose children are Marley and Cooper; and Carol Franze
Presbindowski and Brent Presbindowski, who survived Hurricane Katrina before
becoming husband and wife and whose children are Jacob and Rebecca.
Frank drove the vehicles that his father owned, including one
that had pedals on the floor for gas accelerator, clutch and gearshift changes,
from his Everson home to pick us up for our nightly forays in Marion County.
Donald “Jake” Halpenny of Jackson
Street in Monongah was our other chauffeur.
By the time that Frank got to my house
on Church Street in Monongah, I could barely fit into the
back of the pickup because there were so many guys in it.
Or Don would cajole his father into
letting him use the Henry J, which made a lot of noise the night it sideswiped
a bridge on our way to Clarksburg so that Duane Harbert of Worthington could
make it to the train in time to join the Navy after a night of drinking and
partying. No injuries. The Henry J. got the worst of it. It was Kaiser’s
experiment with small cars.
Jake, clarinetist in the United Mine Workers
and Vingle bands, is a widower living in Fairmont.
And then there was the night that
Duane (I didn’t know his first name was Donald for another 60 years) drove the
car owned by his father, Thoburn Elementary principal Frank Harbert. Police
tracked dad down from the license plate after we were caught swimming at 3 a.m.
in the Fairmont Field Club pool. Rich folks didn’t like the Monongah High kids
playing without authorization in their pool.
If no one had access to an
automobile, we would gather nightly at the bus
stop between the Tropea Grocery and Carlot’s Grill to hitchhike to Fairmont for
fun.
We would sneak into drive-ins (except
for two who had to be in the vehicle), “borrow” watermelons to eat while
skinny-dipping in the river and got thrown out of a Clarksburg theater, but I
put that one on Ronnie “Cooley” Delovich, with his “Be nice; don’t fight”
remark to the theater manager.
Others in the gang were the late
Lawrence “Sonny” Godby, Lawrence and Regina Boone Godby’s son and the late
Jackie Godby Lusczynski’s brother; Steven “Bucky” Satterfield, who lives in St.
Albans after retiring from a long career as a West Virginia Highway Patrolman;
Anthony “Tony” Eates, who is retired and living in Fairmont with wife Lucy;
Robert “Satch” Kasper, who had a successful career sitting at the bargaining
table for Ford Motor Company before retiring to his homes in South Lyon and
Grand Lake (Presque Isle), Michigan; the late Joe Manzo, who survived the
Korean war; the late Tom “Judge” Starcher, who began his prowling in Carolina;
and me, the runt of the litter.
We were stupid, as teenagers usually are, but not destructive or mean. Just a gang of guys having fun.
If your name is not on this list, email John Olesky
at jo4wvu@neo.rr.com with your full name, including maiden name,
your birthday date, your graduation year and your current hometown.
May
4 – Freddie Jane Colosino Villers, Class of 1964
5 – Frank Franze, Class of 1950
5 – Louis Poluck, Class of 1973
6 – Jerry Loss, Class of 1956
12 – Arlene Kitchin, wife of Joe Martin, Class of 1957
14 – Donna Post Swiger, Class of 1955
14 – Mike Jurasko, Class of 1957
14 – Virginia Belle Littleton Curtis, Class of 1957
17 – Colette Stanley Melton, Class of 1970
20 – Linda Tomlinson Stevenski, Class of 1955
21 – June Paxton Rogers, Class of 1948
27 – Ed Graffius, Class of 1971
28 – Terri Orsini Saye, Class of 1972
29 – John Woods, Class of 1957
30 – Dave Westfall, Class of 1948
June
1 – Parma Kay Fetty, Class of 1973
3 – Jim Birdsell, North Marion grad from Monongah; married to
Angela
5 – Ann “Peaches” DeMary
7 – Kenneth Kincaid, Class of 1968
8 – John Koloskie, Jr., Class of 1944
8 – Pat Slovekosky Morris, Class of 1970
13 – C.L. “Roy” Parker II, North Marion Class of 1982
13 – Rick Morrison, son of Kitty Ahouse Morrison, Class of 1968
14 – Pamela Morrison Bombardiere, Class of 1967
14 – Regina Levelle Humphrey, Class of 1973
14 – Regina McCoy Murphy, Class of 1973
17 – Delmas Gene Hartley, Class of 1979
17 – Dennis Jones, Class of 1954
20 – Shirley Ann Woods Merchant, Class of 1953
22 – Prudence Deane Tetrick Funk, Class of 1960.
23 – Ramona Fullen Michalski, Class of 1949
23 – Kathryn Manuel Marshall, Class of 1960
23 – Ron Manzo, Monongah grad
23 – Frankie Vandetta, North Marion grad
July
3 – Susan Ahouse Schrader, Class of 1971
4 – Barbara Fleming Marsh, Class of 1947
5 – David Gowers, Class of 1971
5 – Bill Meredith, Class of 1957
7 – Alex Fazio Huff, North Marion 2005 grad
10 – Mary Fleming Toothman, Class of 1960
14 – Ted Nagel, Class of 1954
14 – Bentley Evans, Class of 1978
18 – Larry Zickefoose, Class of 1968
20 – Catherine Reckart Boyce, Class of 1973
21 – Robin Huffman Satterfield, Class of 1973
16 – Jean Nagel Viglianco, Class of 1949
19 – Jane Pritchard Moore, Class of 1975
29 – Pete Basagic, Class of 1972
August
1 – Kim DeMary Clowers, Class of 1979
5 – Robert Tennant, Class of 1971
6 – Wauneda Evans, Patty DeMary Evans’ mother-in-law
7 – Dorie Mike Whetsell, Monongah graduate
8 – Sandra Ashcraft, Class of 1964
9 – Paula Kerns Fazio, Class of 1979
12 – Angelo Catania, Class of 1943
16 – Debby Morrison Harden, Class of 1966
17 – Twins Earnest Hayes & Chester Hayes, both Class of 1965
18 – Jim McDaniel, Class of 1960
18 – John Fazio, Class of 1970
19 – Greg Postlethwait, Class of 1964
19 – Barbra Eller-Hanning, Monongah grad
20 – Irene Fazio Preolitti, Class of 1966
20 – Connie Warash, Class of 1975
29– Pat Meredith Wills, Class of 1950
30 – Beth Pritchard Brooks, Class of 1978
30 – David Harbert of Idamay, Farmington grad
September
1 – Claude Domico, Jr., Class of 1959
6 – Dave Domico of Monongah, Fairmont West grad married to
Andrea Justice Domico
7 – Mary Louise Orsini, Class of 1948 (honorary)
7 – Phillis Tarley, North Marion grad from Idamay living in
Fairmont
8 – Fred Moorehead, Class of 1964
8 – Jackie Olesky Straight, Class of 1955
13 – Karen Manzo, Class of 1974
14 – Jim Shaver, Class of 1954
15 – Bettie Hensley Lowther, Class of 1948
17 – Patti DeMary Evans, Class of 1972
20 – Greg Patrick, Class of 1970
23 – Sally Wood Tarley, Class of 1959
24 – Joe Fazio, Class of 1974
25 – Marylee Hertzog Gwinn, Class of 1948
25 – Jim Davis, Class of 1964
26 – Nathaleen Cameon Oliverio, Class of 1948
27 -- Bonita Lavencheck Waybright, Class of 1968
29 – Dietta Harden Goush, Class of 1959
29 – Pamm Yanero Bragg, Class of 1969
October
2 – Stanley H. Vance, Class of 1964
7 – Sherry McIntire, Class of 1975
8 – Susan Staron Sanders, Class of 1971
8 – Valerie Vandetta Aldridge, Class of 1973
11 – Jay Holman, Class of 1971
12 – Brenda Manzo, wife of Danny Manzo, Class of 1957
14 – John Prunty, Class of 1949
20 – Leona “Duckles” Davis Schooley, Class of 1953
21 – Dorman Keith Beckner, Class of 1942
21 – Ken Slovekosky, Gilmer County High Class of 1976.
26 – Lori Hawkins Ice, Fairmont East graduate living in Carolina
29 – Robert Boydoh, Class of 1956
31 – Patty Steele McCombs, Fairmont East graduate who lives in
Monongah
31 – Helen McDougal Mudry, Monongah High grad
November
1 – Tom Dean, Class of 1949
4 – Roger Harbert, Class of 1960
5 – John Olesky, Class of 1950
8 – Diana Pishner Walker
10 – Tony Orsini, Class of 1946
10 – Anthony Pulice, Jr., Class of 1945
14 – Ann Marie Mascak Davis, Class of 1955
17 – John Todd Moats, North Marion Class of 1985
20—Hellen Snider Carpenter, Class of 1950
20 – Kathryn Toothman Crim, Class of 1950
22 – Mike Ahouse, Class of 1968
23 -- Antheai Justice Turner, North Marion
1982
25 – Gerald Nelson Hartley, Class of 1955
27 – Roy Foster, Class of 1945
28 – Danny Fullen, Class of 1961
29 – Dave Westfall, Marcia Westfall Michalski’s son
December
2 – Adam Michna, 1980 North Marion graduate
2
-- Mareia Wilmouth McDougal, Class of 1964
4 – Ronald Pearse, Class of 1961
4 – Jay Michalski, 1980 North Marion graduate
5 – Duane Harbert, Class of 1951
8 – Brenda Urban, Class of 1971
9 – Sue Greynolds Davidson, Class of 1955
11 – Paulette Colanero O’Connor, Class of 1966
13 – Otis “Sarge” Shaver, Class of 1948
14 – Bev Morgan Colisino, Class of 1974
16 – Barbara Sweede, Class of 1956
16 – Shelvy Maze Cunningham, Class of 1964
16 – Henry Moore, husband of Beth Pritchard Moore, Class of 1975
18 – Bill Cameon, Class of 1960
20 – Mike Hess, Class of 1975
22 – Frances Wimer Miller, Class of 1951
23 – Jim Fullen
25 – Chris Shamrock Henning
27 – John Yokay III, son of John Yokay, Class of 1953
29 -- Dolores Edwards,
Class of 1955
30 – Deborah Prunty Poluck, Class of 1973
January
6 – Jeanette Barr Baczuk, Class of 1940
13 – Beatrice Salisbury Mills, Class of 1951
17 – Susan Colaneri Monell, Class of 1949
18 – Arlene Marteney Decker Edgell, Class of 1951
?? – Marie Bee Zwiegel, Class of 1951
18 – Bertha Pazdric Sullivan, Class of 1954
18 – Greg Vandetta, Monongah mayor, husband of Debbie Manzo
Vandetta, Class of 1973
19 – Joe Martin, Class of 1957
19 – Joann Thompson, Class of 1962
22 – Jo-Jo DeMary of Monongah, who lives in Chattanooga,
Tennessee and is married to Yvonne King DeMary
24 – Marcia Michalski Westfall, Class of 1974
24 – Mark “Hooch” Aldridge, Class of 1973
29 – Kitty Ahouse Morrison, Class of 1968
February
1 – Debra Manzo Vandetta, Class of 1973
2 – Sylvia Edwards, Monongah grad living in Idamay
3 – Debbie Weaver Hurley, Monongah grad living in Monongah
with husband Milton Hurley
3 – Rebecca Urish Anderson, Class of 1971
8 – Tom Fleming, Monongah grad living in Bridgeport
9 – Bob Nichols, Class of 1964
10 – Bonnie Nicholson Moats, Class of 1960
11—Linda Renay Hess Postlethwait, Class of 1968
15 – Jerry Koloskie, Class of 1975
17 – Larry “Danny” Eates, Class of 1970
18 – Mark Tarley, North Marion grad
20 – Harold Dean Kniceley, Class of 1960
21 – Eva Huey Jarvis, Class of 1975
24 – Mary Kelly, Monongah & North Marion
29 – Betty Sikinow Cunningham, Class of 1954
March
5 – Phil Colanero, Jr., Class of 1963
5 -- Doris Carpenter Rogers, Class of
1971
6 – Karen Fitzwater Pausch, Class of 1961
9 – Richie Basagic, Class of 1975
9 – Brian Evans, Monongah graduate married to Patty DeMary
Evans
11 – Benny C. Morgan, Class of 1948
15 – Donna Colvert Davis, Class of 1961, married to 1958 MHS
grad Bill Davis
15 – Clarence William “Bill” Woods, Class of 1952
22 – David Haines, Class of 1964
25 – Sandy Cook, Class of 1959
25 – Richard Fitzwater, Monongah graduate
28 – Josephine Popovich Jones, Class of 1952
April
4 – Charlotte Walker Cahill, Class of 1954
5 – Bernie Fullen, Class of 1963
9 – Paula “P.J.” Hickman, North Marion 1983
11 – Leo Kubiet, Class of 1942
12 – Linda Sawyer Duckworth, Class of 1966
14 – Lyla Cosner Howell, Class of 1958
15 – Judy Stewart Monell Razook, Class of 1959
16 – Becky Shelosky Carvillano, Class of 1961
30 – Shirley Knight Ritterhouse, Class of 1954
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