The Class of 1958 will be the oldest honor classes at the 2018 Monongah High Alumni Reunion May 26 in Fairmont. The 1958 grads will be having a 60^th anniversary reunion.

The other honor classes are 1968 and 1978, which was the penultimate (second-to-last) graduation class before Monongah High consolidated into North Marion.

The Class of 1968 – observing its 50^th anniversary -- will get together at 6 p.m. Friday, May 25 in the home of Trudy Anderson, 1210 Fleming Tavenue in Fairmont.

1968 grads can confirm their plans to attend by emailing Trudy at tanderson@mwoodcraft.com

The Class of 1958, Class of 1968 and Class of 1978 will have their group photos taken at 5:30 p.m. at the Knight of Columbus Hall, 1529 Mary Lou Retton Drive in Fairmont.

That’s where the 2018 Monongah High Alumni Reunion banquet will begin at 6:30 p.m., followed by the dance to Stepping Stones Band music at 8:30 p.m.

Reservations for the MHS Reunion may be made with Donna Davis at (304) 534-5636 or by printing the dinner-dance reservation appearing in this Monongah High Alumni blog and mailing it, with a check for $30 for each person attending made out to the Monongah High Alumni Assocation, to Donna at 858 Park Avenue, Monongah, WV 26554-1143.

The 1958 graduates included Shirley Ann Ayers, James William Banker, Judith Ann Bashaw, Patricia Ann Batiste, Richard Lee Bednarz, Sara Sue Bice, Nancy Sue Bombardiere, Jerry Lee Butcher, Larney Wendell Cain, Pete Cameon, Lonnie Gerald Carson, Paul Nicholas Colanero, Don Anthony Commodore, Thomas Ray Commodore, Lyla Sue Cosner, Patricia Sue Davidson, James John Davis, William Leroy Davis, Arlene Edwards Costelac, Jo Ann Ronda Fleming, Lowell Thomas Gillespie, Phillip Lee Harbert, Patricia Louise Jenks, Walter Gene Kendzior, Barbara Ann Kolakowski, Warren Carroll Kuhn, Opal June Kunkle, Donald Leon Leonard, Judith Ann Lipinski, Rosemary Rita Lushinski, Sylvania Alice McIntire, Olretta Miller, William Edward Minor, Peggy Lou Moore, Ira Parks, Jr., Jack Harlen Patrick, Norma Jean Pulice, David John Raddish, Rosemary Veronice Raymond, Brenda Faye Rogers, Virginia Lee Salisbury, Thomas Lee Salvati, Judith Ann Satterfield, Carolyn Louise Shaver, Stanley Thomas Shelosky, Dixie Lee Slimmer, Prudence Jean Snider, William Thayer Stalnaker, Esther Marlene Stoneking, Carol Sue Suplita, Carolyn Jo Suplita, Ronald K. Tetrick, Jackie Eugene Thompson, Patricia Ann Timms, Samuel Russell Vinton, Patty Walker and Sara Williams.

Richard Bednarz, Jerry Butcher, brothers Don and Tom Commodore, Jim Banker, Jim Davis, David Raddish, Bill "Skip" Stalnaker, Gene Kendzior, Ron Tetrick and Pete Cameon were on the Monongah High football team.

They had enough 1958 seniors to form their own team.

Gene Kendzior, Jack Patrick and  Larney Cain were on the Lions’ basketball team.

Pete Cameon, Jim Banker and Bill Stalnaker also were on the MHS baseball team.

No wonder the Monongah High Letterman’s Club Officers in 1958 were all from this class: Bill Stalnaker, Dixie Slimmer and Jim Banker.

Kip Stalnaker later played football for Fairmont State. After his 1962 graduation he began his 40-plus-year work with the Boys Club of America. There’s a Stalnaker Unit in Springfield, Missouri  named for him. He married Barbara Anderson.

Even in retirement, he goes back to talk club members. He remains in contact with many he helped, going back to this first Boys Club position on New York City’s Long Island.

Kip’s sister is Rachel Stalnaker Sloan, Class of 1962, who grew up in Four States but lives in Fairmont. 

The 1958 grads were leaders outside sports, too. Dixie Slimmer, Pete Cameon and Jim Banker, were on the Monongah High Student Council. Jim was one of the Council officers.

The 1958 class had brains, too. The MHS National Honor Society officers were all from that class: Larney Cain, Lyla Cosner, Patty Batiste and Sara Williams. Jo Ann Fleming and Dixie Slimmer also were in the National Honor Society.

James “Bud” Banker passed away in 1958. He was predeceased by his wife, Karen Tetrick Banker, Class of 1956. They had 2 children and 4 grandchildren.

Bud’s brother, Robert “Gene” Banker, is Class of 1954.

Dick Benarz passed away in 2016 in Beavercreek, Ohio, a Dayton suburb. His widow is Avonell Spurlock Bednarz. They had a daughter.

Dick’s sisters are Delores Bednarz, Class of 1956, and Annette Lambert, who lives in Clinton, Washington. Their parents are the late Joe and Lena Bednarz.

The late Paul Colanero’s siblings are Robert Colanero, who lives in Monongah with wife Sherry; Danny Colanero, who lives in North Carolina with wife Linda; and Judith Nicola Colanero, who passed away in February.

The late Gene Kendzior, who married Sheila Stotler Kendzior, was the legendary coach of Monongah’s 1960 Marion County girls softball champions.

Gene’s siblings are Kim Kendzior, Class of 1976, who lives in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and Carol Kendzior VanMeter, Class of 1963, who lives in Monongah with husband David VanMeter, Class of 1962.

Judy Lipinski Cook, who passed away in 2016, was a Maid of Marion chosen from among Marion County high schools and a Monongah High prom queen.

Her siblings were the late Henrietta Lipinski Hawkins, Class of 1959; Joyce Lipinski Evans, Class of 1969, married to Donnie Evans, also Class of 1969; and Sandra Lipinski Hawkins, Class of 1962, widow of Charles “Chuck” Hawkins.

Their parents were Goldie DeFazio Lipinski, Class of 1937,  and the late Henry “Cheese” Lipinski.

The late Norma Jean Pulice Zannino’s siblings, the children of Frank Pulice, Sr. and Theresa Larry Loria Pulice, are Sam Pulice, California; Anthony Pulice, Arizona; William Pulice; amd Rose Ann Pulice Satterfield, all deceased, and Katherine Pulice Manno, Mary Louise Pulice Hefner, Frank Pulice, Jr. of Fairmont and James Anthony Pulice of Arizona.

Ron Tetrick, who passed away in 2017, was married to fellow 1958 grad Rosemary Lushinski Tetrick. They lived in Ambridge, Pennsylvania.

Rosemary’s siblings are Laraine Lushinski Clark, Class of 1964, widow of Denny Clark, and the late John Lushshinski, Jr. 

Rosemary is the godmother of Renee Straight, a WVU Ruby Memorial pharmacist, who is the daughter of Jackie Olesky Straight, Class of 1955. The Lushinski and Olesky families lived two doors apart on Church Street.

Rosemary Raymond Pagliaro, who lived in the Church Street rental that the Olesky family later bought and moved into from the Olesky Thomas street rental, married 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.

Rosemary’s brother, Bobby Raymond, played football, basketball and baseball at Monongah High and was John Olesky’s pre-school friend and daily combatant.

Clarksburg resident Pete Cameon’s siblings are Bill Cameon, Class of 1960, who lives in Highland, Utah; Virginia Cameon Mezzanotte, married to Pat Mezzanotte for 52 years and living in Fairmont; Nathaleen Cameon Oliverio, Class of 1948, of East Chicago, Illinois; Linda Cameon, Class of 1966, of Carolina; and, all deceased, Albert Cameon, Class of 1947, Arthur Cameon, Class of 1946, Joe Cameon and Rudy Cameon.

Tom Commodore lives in Monongah and Don Commodore lives in Rock Creek, Ohio. Their siblings are Rose Commodore Cain, Class of 1950, who lives in Fairmont, and the late Jim Commodore, Class of 1950, who married married Marian Ola Commodore and passed away in 2014.

Lyla Cosner Howell married Len Howell and they frequently attend reunions of Monongah High alumni in Florida in the winter. They who live in Elkins and Fort Myers Beach, Florida.


Arlene Edwards Costelac was married to the late Larry Costelac and lives in Shinnston. Her sister is Monongah Alumni Association vice president Dolores Edwards, Class of 1955. Their father was the late Bob Edwards. 

Patti married and is Patti Davidson Arnold.

Phil Harbert’s siblings are Paul, Jr., Gerald, Bill, Eva, Class of 1951, Ted and Farrell. Their parents were Agnes Wood Harbert and Griff Harbert.

Tom Salvati and wife Patricia lives in New Manchester, West Virginia.

Carolyn Shaver, who lives in Hutchinson, is a sibling of Ken Shaver in Monongah, Eugene Shaver in Hutchinson and Jim Shaver and the late Bill and Charles Shaver and the late Martha Shaver Collings, who married Lawrence Collins.

Tom Shelosky, Class of 1958, lives in Monongah with wife Phyllis. Their children are Sts. Peter and Paul School and 1982 North Marion High grad Monica Shelosky Cochran and Greg Shelosky.

Tom’s parents were Julia Lazorick Shelosky and Stanley “Strob” Shelosky (originally Szydlowski). Strob passed away in 1993, Julia in 2013. Strob’s brother was George Shelosky, Class of 1932.

Tom’s siblings are Becky Shelosky Carvillano, Class of 1961, of Fairmont; Barbara Shelosky Willis, Class of 1968, of San Diego, California; and the late Bernie Shelosky, Class of 1965, who passed away in 2013.

You can count on Dixie Slimmer Rogers Edmond being at the 2018 Reunion since her and husband Bruce Edmond, Class of 1957, have attended every Monongah High Alumni Reunion in Fairmont from 2006 through 2016, probably the longest streak by a non Alumni Board member. They live in Monongah.

Patty Timms Davidson is married to Monongah super athlete Merlin Davidson, Class of 1957. They attend MHS alumni winter reunions in Florida.

Merlin was quarterback of the 1955 Monongah High state champ football team and the 1956 state runnerup team. And was on the basketball and baseball teams for 4 years, including the 1955 team that won Monongah’s only state baseball title.

So Merlin is a rare two-time Lion king in the state of West Virginia.

The late Sue Greynolds Davison, Class of 1955, married Merlin’s brother, Melvin “Whitie” Davidson, Class of 1954.