Billie Burl Miller passes away

I just got word belatedly, thanks to a David Haines post to me, that Billie Burl Miller, Class of 1959, passed away in Parkersburg on May 5.

Billie Burl Miller

Billie played football for the unbeaten Monongah High 1958 football team, on the MHS Student Council and was on the National Athletic Scholarship Society. 

He was active in cycling, running, swimming, skiing, scuba diving and flying.

Obituary

Billie B. Miller
Billie B. Miller, 77, of Parkersburg, passed away after a long courageous battle with Parkinson’s Disease.

He was born June 12, 1940 in Worthington, WV, son of the late Farrell Amos Miller and Catherine Ester (Stiles) Miller.

Billie was an Air Force Veteran who served in The United States and European Theatre. He worked for Diamond Glass and retired from Johns Manville and Kraton Polymers formerly known as Shell Chemical.

Billie as MHS student

He was a member of Crossroads United Methodist Church in Waverly, WV. He was an Avid cyclist and Runner. He also enjoyed swimming, skiing, scuba, flying, and gardening. Billie was a member of River City Runners Club and Blennerhassett Bicycle Club.

He is survived by his wife Sharon Deanne (Hartley) Miller of Parkersburg, son, Timothy M. Miller (Beth) of Ashburn, VA, daughter, Tamara D. Miller of Morgantown, WV, sister, Betty Brown of Parsons, WV, grandchildren, Caitlin Morgan Miller, Ethan David Miller, several nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents, Billie was preceded in death by his infant sister.

A Celebration of Life will be held June 16, 2018 1:00 PM at the Leavitt Funeral Home in Parkersburg with Pastor Judy Vetter officiating. Public visitation will be held one hour prior to service. Inurnment will follow at the convenience of the family at Beverly Hills Cemetery in Morgantown, WV. Military Rites by The American Legion Post #15 will follow his Celebration of Life.
Memorial contributions may be made in his name to either, The Crossroads United Methodist Church, 7390 Old St. Mary's Pike Waverly, WV 26184 or The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, P.O. Box 5777 New York, NY 10163-477.

Final 5 Monongah Christmas street lights ordered

Susan Staron Sanders, Class of 1971, president of what I call the Charge of the Lights Brigade, said that 5 more Christmas street lights have been ordered for Monongah.

That brings the total to 26. And there will be no more Christmas street lights purchased after that. 

But additional fundraisers will pay for replacement bulbs, electricity for the lights and maintenance.

Susan’s report:

“Hi, Everyone “Letting you know I placed the order for the final 5 Christmas Lights today to get our 25% discount. “A special thank you to Sandford & Linda Carr for buying a light. “Sue Ahouse & Kitty Ahouse Morrison & Dave & Paula Sloan. “We the committee purchased the last two lights with money from our fundraisers and your wonderful donations. Please keep them coming. We could not do it without you all. “Our next event will probably be a Road Toll. Please remember even though there will be no more lights we will still be working hard to keep up the lights replacement bulbs, pay the electric bill, etc. “We will not be setting up at the Monongahfest. We would like to enjoy it this year. “Thank you all for your support. “Sincerely “Susan & Committee” Susan’s campaign began in 2015, after White Hall donated 7 Christmas street lights that it was replacing to Monongah. The Monongah Christmas Street Lights Committee: President - Susan Sanders, Class of 1971. Vice President - Shelly Yankie, 1982 North Marion grad. Treasurer - Linda McCullough. Secretary - Kitty Morrison, Class of 1968. Alternates - Josh Scritchfield, North Marion grad; Breanna Stewart, Bill McCullough, Amanda Morgan, Amber Efaw.

CATCHING UP WITH

Robert Kisner

I’ve run into former Monongah High classmates in West Virginia, Ohio, Virginia and Florida and in Mountaineer Field at WVU football games. This time one showed up on my doorstep, ringing my doorbell.

Robert Kisner, who started with the Class of 1950 but was at Fairmont East as a junior and then left high school to join the military, was the friendly face.

Bob Kisner, my friendly visitor

Bob served in the 25^th Infantry Division in Korea, which is where Joe Manzo, also Class of 1950, wound up as a medic. 

Bob said that, when they both were Thoburn School students, “Joe took me under his wing.”

Bob married a Fairmont East girl, Jean Harris, who passed away at the age of 50.

His second wife, for 31 years, is Patty Burge of Parkersburg, where the late Bob Fox, Class of 1948, super fullback for Monongah High football, lived till his 2014 passing. 

Bob Kisner and Patty lived all their married life in Brimfield Township, which is between Kent and Tallmadge, where I live, and near Akron, Ohio.

Bob has a son, Clyde Kisner, who lives in Seville, Ohio, which is 23 miles west of Akron, and a daughter, Doreen Kisner Johnson, who lives in Wadsworth, Ohio, 16 miles from Akron.

Bob and Jean have 15 to 20 grandchildren in their families. They multiply faster than Bob can count them.

Bob left West Virginia to work in the steel mills in Lorain, Ohio. He became a powerhouse engineer, which means he makes steam equipment and boilers work properly.

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Bob’s sister, Ellodean Kisner, passed away at the age of 13. His brother, Albert Kisner, passed away in 2001 in Lorain.

When I told Bob that I had another reunion with Kathryn Toothman Crim of Farwell, Michigan, Class of 1950, at the 2018 Monongah High Alumni Reunion last weekend in Fairmont, Bob spun this memory:

“One day (at Monongah High) we were turning in our math assignments and Reid (Crim, later Kathryn’s husband) reached around me and pinched Kathryn on the butt. She smacked him with her math book.”

And later married Reid, who served his country in the Air Force for a couple of decades before he passed away.

Kathryn’s siblings were Paul Albert Toothman, Class of 1948, who passed away in Mantua, Ohio and was born in Rivesville; Blanch Toothman, who passed away in Tennessee; and Melba Toothman Lowe, who lives in Minden, Louisiana. Their parents were Albert and Nila Toothman. 

If you want to contact Bob Kisner, his phone is (330) 678-5129. Like most Lions he turned out to be a great human being.

Brian Evans, Class of 1969, and Patti DeMary Evans, Class of 1972, will celebrate their 44^th wedding anniversary on Friday, June 1 in Fairmont, where they live.

Brian’s parents, Don Evans and wife Wauneda, out-did them by celebrating their 70^th wedding anniversary this week.

That’s 114 years of marriage for two couples!

Brian retired after 37 years at Consol Energy’s Loveridge Robinson Run mine. He went to Fairmont State.

Patti retired as a University Hospitals Clarksburg nurse in 2006. She had a 29-year career after her graduation from Fairmont State School of Nursing.

Patti’s parents are Tina “Peaches” Aldridge DeMary, Class of 1945, and Frank DeMary, Class of 1947, who ran DeMary Grocery in Monongah at the end of the Brookdale Bridge. 

Patti's sister is BettyAnne DeMary, Class of 1979. 

Patti and Debbie Manzo Vandetta, Class of 1973 and married to Monongah Mayor Greg Vandetta, have been friends for more than six decades.

If you look in the dictionary under “excellence” and “quality” you should see this synonym: “Monongah.”

Monongah Middle School girls track continued the Monongah tradition of quality and excellence, repeating as Marion County Middle School champions.

Chad Davidson and Anna McKenzie coached the 2018 track queens. Chad has been the boys coach for 7 years, winning 3 Mason-Dixon championships in 4 years and one Marion County and at the same time that Monongah took 3 girls Mason-Dixon championships and one Marion County.

Plus cross-country championship in girls one year and boys the previous year.

And the Monongah Lions won the A-Ball baseball title last year. The team was made up of Monongah and Mannington players.

Monongah High won five state football titles (1952, 1955, 1968, 1969 and 1973) and a state baseball championship (1955, with the late Frank DeMoss the star pitcher on that team).

Monongah Middle excels beyond sports, too.

It is a West Virginia State Exemplary School, a West Virginia Reward School and, in 2013, was a National Blue Ribbon School for its academic excellence.

Paula Cook McIntire was 2017 Marion County Teacher of the Year for her exemplary influence at Monongah Elementary.

Monongah Middle received a Superior rating, the highest possible, at the Regional 10 Band Festival last year in Bridgeport.

Monongah Middle raised the most money for the United Way five times in six years.

Last year Monongah Middle School cheerleaders won the Beckley-Stratton Middle School cheer competition title.

Monongah Middle School language arts teacher Lisa Myers McCombs, Class of 1977, is a  children’s book author who received the Marion County Reading Council’s Patti R. Pollack Reading Teacher of the Year Award.

All these great achievements emulate the great Monongah High teachers of eons ago like Mary Turkovich and Blair Wolfe.

Kathren Herndon Loss, Class of 1942, with John Olesky, Class of 1950

Judy Rhoades McCoy, John Larry, Linda Moorehead Larry

Trudy and Charlie Anderson

Barbara Shelosky, Trudy Damico Anderson

Vicki and Tom Nottingham

Louanna Felton Raddish, Becky Shelosky Carvalanno

Charles Chefren, Curtis Lee, Sam Thompson

Linda Moorehead Larry, Linda K. Moorehead Pruitte, Linda Savereno Moorehead

Phyllis Shelosky, Tom Shelosky, Sharon Garrett Sokolosky

Kitty Morrison, Ina Kincaid Fullen, Brenda Manzo and (standing) Donna Davis

John Baransky, Susan Staron Sanders

Joyce and Donnie Evans

Pam Kincaid West and Joe

Bonita Lavenchek Waybright

Tom Dean in background, Jackie Olesky Straight in foreground at Three Ways Inn Restaurant on Friday

SEATED
Charlotte Fullen Loyd, Barbara Shelosky, Trudy Damico Anderson
MIDDLE ROW
Kitty Ahouse Morrison, Debbie DeFazio Zickafoose, Linda Moorehead Pruitte, Pam Kincaid West, Phyllis Hayes, Linda Savereno Moorehead, Bonnie Lavenchek
BACK ROW
Tom Nottingham, Tom Colanero, Donnie Evans, Larry Zickefoose

JoAnn Chipps, Tom Colanero and Kathren Loss

Linda Tomlinson Stevenski in green top

Don Commodore, John Olesky

Paula Rossi Wiley, John Olesky

Donna McGinnis Suppa-Fullen, Bernie Fullen, John Olesky

Phil Colanero with Brenda Manzo

Tom Colanero with John Olesky

Brenda and Dan Manzo

Ramona Fullen Michalski in the money

Bonnie Lavenchek, Harold Maze

Jackie's daughter, Belinda, enjoys a good laugh at Three Ways Inn

Jackie Olesky Straight (R), LaQuita Olesky Timberlake, Jackie's rhododendron

Kitty Ahouse Morrison, Class of 1968

Judy McCoy, Linda Moorehead Larry

Colette Stanley Melton and Sam Thompson

Sue Ahouse Schrader, Class of 1971, Larry Konzelman

Flowers, well wishes for Sue Schrader from her 1971 class

Kitty Morrison, Sue Schrader, John Olesky at 2015 MHS Reunion

The 2018 Monongah High Alumni Reunion was an enjoyable, amazing gathering of Lions, as usual.

But the amazing attendee, for me, among the 146 who attende was Kathren Herndon Loss, Class of 1942. She’s a lively, aware 93.

Kathren is the widow of Bernard Loss, whose  siblings were Lucille Loss Blocker, wife of Richard Blocker; Rosemary Loss Hartman of Phoenix, Arizona; Mildred “Jean” Loss Carlot, who with husband Julie ran Carlot’s Grill across the street from Monongah High for decades; and Don Loss.

Barbara Shelosky, Class of 1968, came from San Diego, California to join her honor class, which was a large and lively group. Andrea Shelosky also moved to California.

Also at the Class of 1968 table was Trudy Damico Anderson, married to Charles Anderson.

And Linda Savereno Moorehead, whose husband, Fred Moorehead, Class of 1964, passed away in 2016. They lived in Carolina. Fred was a Fairmont State graduate from Helens Run, West Virginia.

With another honor class, the Class of 1958, was Don Commodore, who lives in Rock Creek, Ohio. His siblings are Jim Commodore, Class of 1950, who passed away in 2014; Rose Commodore Cain, also Class of 1950, who lives in Fairmont; Joe Commodore, who also lives in Fairmont; and Tom Commodari, Class of 1958, who lives in Monongah.

With the third honor class, the Class of 1978, was Donnie Wells, Jr.. It was Donnie’s father, Don Wells, Sr., Class of 1955, who 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. Jackie still lives in their family home in Rivesville.

Donnie, Sr. married Lucy Barta Wells of Idamay and Farmington High School. They had five children, including Donnie, Jr.

Donnie, Sr.’s siblings are Lyndon Wells, Class of 1955; Joe Wells, who married Peggy Clayton, Class of 1951; Mary Alice Wells, who  became Mrs. Emerson; and Pauline Wells, who  became Mrs. Huffman.

Also at the MHS Reunion was Paula Rossi Wiley, married to Rick Wiley and living in Fairmont. Paula, after Fairmont State and WVU, embarked on a career as a Marion County Schools media specialist, teaching in Barrackville.

Paula’s parents are James and Virginia DeMary Rossi, Class of 1953, who was Tina Tartell’s life-long friend.

The Class of 1963 was well-represented by Donna McGinnis Suppa-Fullen and husband Bernie Fullen. They married after Donna’s husband, Jack Lee Suppa, and Bernie’s wife, Chloe Anne of Webster Springs, passed away.

Bernie and Jack were best friends while growing up in Carolina.

Susan Staron Sanders, Class of 1971, the driving force behind raising money for 26 Christmas street lights in Monongah, was there. She lives  with husband Ron Sanders on Thomas Street, one door down from where the Olesky family resided before moving to Church Street.

You can find their son, Tom, at the Family Dollar Store, where he's in management. 

Also in the 1958 honor class was Rosemary Raymond Pagliaro, married to Carmen Pagliaro. Rosemary is the only daughter of Mary Dudiak Raymond and Angelo Raymond and the only sibling of Bob Raymond, Class of 1951, whose widow, Susan Russell Raymond, lives in White Hall.  

Rosemary and Carmen’s children are Melanie Ann Pagliaro, policy analyst for the Majority Leader in the West Virginia House of Delegates, who lives in Charleston, and C.J. Pagliaro.

Tom Dean, Class of 1949, widower of Rosemarie Dean, was there, too. He lives in Goldsboro, North Carolina.

Tom has three sons in Goldsboro and brother Jim, Class of 1945, not that far away in LePlace, Louisiana.

Tom was there with his daughter, retired Army Colonel Pam Dean Mitchell, who lives in Arlington, Virginia. 

Another Tom, Tom Shelosky, showed up with

wife Phyllis. They live in Monongah.

Tom’s parents were Julia Lazorick Shelosky and Stanley “Strob” Shelosky.  George Shelosky was Strob’s brother.

Harold Maze, Class of 1961, who lives near Worthington, also was there. His siblings are Shelvy Maze Cunningham, and Sandra Maze Freeman, Class of 1956.

Harold is married to Kathy Lindsay Maze, Class of 1968 (she went to Monongah High her senior year after previously attending Shinnston High).

Kitty Ahouse Morrison was with the honor Class of 1968. 

Usually her sister, Sue Ahouse Schrader, Class of 1971, is right alongside Kitty at the MHS Reunions.

But Sue is battling medical problems in Piscataway, New Jersey, where she lives with Larry Konzelman when she isn't in Stoney Lonesome.

Sue’s 1971 classmates sent her flowers and good wishes to  “the heart and soul of the Class of 1971.”

Kitty reports that Sue “is feeling better. She was sent hoe with pills. She really appreciates all the thoughts and prayers.”

Sue’s response: “Thank you, Class of 1971. You are the best!!!  What a nice surprise. Beautiful.”

If you check out the photos you will find:

Judy Rhoades McCoy, Class of 1968.

John Larry, Class of 1967, and Linda McCoy Larry.

Louanna Felton Raddish, Class of 1961.

Rebecca “Becky” Shelosky Carvillano, Class of 1961.

Linda Moorehead Larry, Class of 1968.

Linda K. Moorehead Pruitte.

Sharon Garrett Sokolsky.

Bonita Lavenchek Waybright, Class of 1968.

John Baransky, Class of 1971, who lives in Worthington.

Jackie Olesky Straight, Class of 1955, was at Friday’s gathering at the Three Ways Inn Restaurant with her daughters, Renee, Lea Ann and Belinda, and her brother, John Olesky, Class of 1955, publisher of this blog.

John also attended the Saturday reunion, sitting at the same table with Otis “Sarge” Shaver and June Paxton Rogers, both Class of 1948, which means this was their SEVENTIETH anniversary celebration.

Also at the same table, next to the Stepping Stones Band that provided the music for the dancing, were Ramona Fullen Michalski, Class of 1949, who lives in Monongah, with son Mike Michalski, who lives next door to Ramona; and Tom Dean, Class of 1949, accompanied by his daughter, Pamela; and John Olesky, Class of 1950, with his daughter, LaQuita Olesky Timberlake, a teacher in Aurora, Ohio.

I call LaQuita “the Mary Turkovich of Aurora schools” because I can’t think of a higher compliment to give any teacher in America.