This is more than a photo montage of teacher Elizabeth Jones’ 1st grade class at Thoburn School and 1968-69 Sts. Peter and Paul School 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd graders.

It also is an early snapshot of the last graduation class at Monongah High, the Class of 1979, before Monongah consolidated into North Marion.

These are two Monongah schools where the Final Pride of Lions began its education.

Check out the Thoburn 1968 first graders’ names:

Mary Birdsell

Jon Brown

Mark Bunnell

Tully Chenowith

David Cook

Brenda Lee Graffius Barna

Joyce Griffey Smith

Mary Jo Hall Comely

Robert Harris

Judy Johnston

Barbara Lambert Hess

Ramona Michalski

Rheba Pethtel

Ruth Ann ????

Tracy Lynn Ramsey

Frank Shipco

Richard Stanley

Russell Eugene VanFossen

Timothy Willie

Mary Birdsell, David Cook, Brenda Graffius, Mary Jo Hall, Tracy Ramsey and Russell VanFossen were in Monongah High’s final Class of 1979. Joyce Griffey was in North Marion’s first Class of 1980.

 

At Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic School first grade in 1968 and in the Monongah Class of 1979 were:

Kim DeMary Clowers

John Leo Dodd II

Michael Bruce Edmond

John Michael Manzo

David Michael Martin

John Mascara

 

Mary Catherine “Tootsie” Birdsell’s siblings are Jim Birdsell, David Birdsell and Kay Birdsell. Bill Birdsell, Class of 1950, and Byron Birdwell, long-time Monongah mailman, are her uncles. During her Monongah High days Tootsie was a frequent swimmer in the Monongah Pool with an ambition to be a lifeguard. She lives in Fairmont.

When Tootsie posted the Thoburn photo on Facebook she wrote:

“I love Miss Jones. It was amazing to learn that she taught my Dad when he was a 1st grader at Thoburn. That is quite a long span of history of teaching the kids of Monongah!!!”

Mike Hess wasn’t in this Thoburn class but recalls “I think she looked for any reason to paddle someone. She pulled down Eva Brumage’s underwear and paddled her bare butt in front of the class. She never did paddle me but she smacked my fingers with that chalkboard pointer more than once.”

Terri Tennant, also not in this Thoburn class, chimed in: “She was an awesome lady. I remember running off one day and walking to her house. I believe she lived in Mill Fall. She was so gracious to my brother and me. I got into trouble when I got home.”

Terri grew up in old town near Champion Block. Her childhood house was been replaced by apartments.

Pam Ice, also in Miss Jones’ class in a different year, wrote:  “I remember her taking all of our first grade class to her house. I loved her as a teacher.”

Brenda Graffius Barna is Eddie Graffius’ sister, which can be confusing because Eddie, Class of 1971, married a woman also named Brenda -- Brenda Ridenour Graffius, Class of 1974. Ed and wife Brenda live in Fairmont. Ed’s sister Brenda is married to Chuck Barna.

Brenda and Eddie’s parents are Helen Prahl Graffius, daughter of Paul and Beulah Toothman Prahl,  and Donald Graffius. Their other siblings are Dave Graffius, Class of 1973, and Donald Graffius, Jr. 

 

Helen’s 12 siblings were George Prahl, Class of 1965; Charles “Tinker” Prahl; Jack Prahl, who marroed Shirley Jones Prahl; Paul Prahl, Lorraine Prahl Yaquinto, Robert Prahl, Betty Lou Prahl DeVores, Clyde Prahl, Coralee Prahl Delligatti, James Prahl, Thomas Prahl and Sarah Prahl Kerns Dusenberry.

 

Jon Graffius is North Marion Class of 1982.

Joyce Griffey Smith’s parents are Alberta Juanita "Lil Bit" Griffey and Paul Griffey. Her siblings are Michael "Mike" Griffey, Brian Griffey, Deborah "Debbie" Freeman, Kim Tucker, Twanetta Griffey, Lashya Griffey and Roberta Griffey.

Roberta was a 1983 graduate of North Marion High School and attended West Virginia Business College. She worked for First Communities Property Management in Atlanta for more than 16 years before she passed away.

Richard Stanley is married and living in Fairmont and is self-employed.

Mary Jo Hall Comley is a Fairmont State graduate who is director of marketing and sales at Mountain State Auto Auction. She married in 202 and lives in Fairmont.

Barbara Lambert Hess’ children include MayMay Hess and Jess Hess, married to Christina Hess.

Dr. Michael Edmond is a legendary physician in Richmond, Virginia. His mother was Lavinia Rose Prezioso Edmond, Class of 1960.

Dr. Edmond’s siblings are Mari Lisa Edmond Johnson, who purchased the Monongah Christmas street light at the Dairy Kone site to honor Lavinia; Steve Edmond, West Virginia Health & Human Resources Bureau for Public Health’s Office of Emergency Medical Services’ trauma designation coordinator and a Registered Nurse, who lives in Fairmont with wife Amy; and the late Mark Patrick Edmond.

WVU School of Medicine graduate Dr. Edmond is an internal medicine doctor who has been in the U.S. News & World Report’s top doctors in America and the top 20 people in Health Leaders Magazine. Dr. Edmond was a pioneer in fecal transplants, putting fecies from healthy patients into those suffering from C.diff (Clostridium Difficle), a common infection for hospital patients.

John Leo Dodd II’s parents are the late Shirley Koval Dodd, Class of 1955, and Richard Dodd, both deceased. Idamay attorney Vicki Renee Dodd, John’s sister, passed away in 2017. John lives in Mount Vernon, Illinois.

David Martin’s parents were the late Henry “Dinkle” Martin and Gloria Jean “Jeanie” Nichols Martin.

Dinkle and Jeanie’s other children were Michael Ann (Michelle) and Robert "Robbie” Martin. Dinkle, Class of 1957, made the PAT kick that won the 1955 state championship for Monongah High, the second of five Lions state titles in football. Jeanie was Class of 1959.

Dinkle’s brother, Joe Martin, is married to Chris Martin. Their parents were Henry and Della Martin.

Kim DeMary Clowers is living in Red Bank, Tennessee with husband Earl Lee Clowers. Kim is a daughter of Joe DeMary and Laurelle “Lou” Costello Hustead. Her siblings are Joe Jo-Jo DeMary, Julie DeMary and Joanne DeMary.

John Mascara’s parents were LaVerne McKenzie Mascara and Frank C. Mascara. John’s siblings are Debbie Mascara Light of Greensboro, North Carolina; Patsy Mascara, living in Everson with wife Kim; and Tina Mascara of California.

John Michael Manzo's parents were John “Duke” Manzo, Class of 1945, and Dolores Shenal Manzo, a 1948 Farmington graduate.

Harley motorcycle-riding son John passed away in January after a career with Consol Energy, then the FBI in Clarksburg. Tony Manzo is his son and Duke's grandson.

Together, the 1968 Thoburn and Sts. Peter and Paul first grades became the Last Pride of Lions in 1979 before Monongah High consolidated into North Marion, built in Rachel between Farmington and Mannington. Farmington, Barrackville, Mannington and Fairview joined Monongah students to form North Marion.

North Marion has 19 state boys and girls team titles – football, cross country, track, basketball, wrestling, cheerleading.

Also in the Class of 1979, although I haven’t been able to pin down where they were in elementary school in 1968, are:

Paula Jean Kerns Fazio, wife of Joe Fazio and daughter of Dorothy Stevenski Kerns, Class of 1942, and Wester Warren “Bud” Kerns. Paula’s siblings are Dave Kerns of Mannington; Donnie Kerns, who lives in Worthington with wife Linda; Pamela Kerns Ross, Class of 1970, who lives in Syracuse, Indiana, with husband Christopher Ross; and Patti Kerns Haught, who lives in Lumberport with husband Glen Haught.

Anthony Joseph “T.J.” Saverino, whose father, T.J. Savereno, Class of 1948, lives in Florence, South Carolina with wife Lynette Saverino and is a former Extension Associate at Clemson, where he studied Wildlife Biology after his Fairmont State College and Monongah High days. The Anthony Joseph T.J.’s siblings are Linda, Class of 1968, who married Fred Moorehead, and Mark, Class of 1970