LIONS ROAMING THROUGH MY MEMORIES AT CHRISTMAS

 

Christmastime gathering of Rosemary Raymond Pagliaro, Father Meo, Brenda Manzo Vandetta and Greg Vandetta, a photo taken by David Manzo, stirred memories for me.

Rosemary, Class of 1958, was Monongah High three-sport athlete Bobby Raymond’s peanut-sized sister. One of the few girls at Monongah High smaller than me, who weighed 99 pounds still my growth spirt between my junior and senior years shot me up to 125 pounds.

Bobby and I were best friends living one door from each other, the Olesky family the last house on Thomas Street before the Raymond house on Church Street that my parents eventually purchased from Consolidation Coal Company when Rosemary and Bobby’s parents Angelo and Mary moved to their Frogtown area home near the Swisher Hill part of U.S. 19.

Such good friends that, when I began first grade at Sts. Peter and Paul School but Bobby was too young to attend, he ran away from home and came to the school to be with me. The nuns got a kick out of it and called Bobby’s mother Mary Dudiak Raymond to pick him up.

Greg Vandetta was a GREAT mayor for Monongah. His Vandetta Construction company helped the town fix things. I ran into Greg and wife Brenda Manzo Vandetta in the Light Blue Lot before a WVU game in Mountaineer Field one year. Greg is Class of 1975, Debbie, Class of 1973. Their children are Jessica, Bethany and Greg II. They also have at least 6 grandchildren, maybe more since I last checked.

My Monongah memories, at the age of 90, are SO heartwarming. Yours, too, I’ll bet.  

My most treasured Monongah High memory is Robert “Satch” Kasper, Class of 1950. He mailed me a Christmas card in 1955 about “old times, old friends” at Christmas. I sent him my card. Every Christmas after that we sent those 2 cards back and forth with the year and family members’ names on it. Since passed away this year I keep one card on my den wall as a constant reminder of our 84-year friendship. Bob’s son, Steven, kept the other card to show his children – Satch’s great-grandchildren -- the value of a long and deep friendship.

Satch and I (as June Bug) were part of what I faceitiously labeled The Gang That Terrorized Marion County. We were mischievous but didn’t terrorize anyone just acted out like teenagers do. Also in our harmless gang was Ronnie “Cooley” Delovich, Anthony “Plumber” DeMary, Tony Eates, Frank Franze, Lawrence “Sonny” Godby, Donald “Jake” Halpenny, Donald Duane Harbert, Joe Manzo (who survived being a medic in Vietnam), Steven “Bucky” Satterfield and James “Judge” Starcher. Cooley, Plumber, Tony, Sonny, Joe and Judge have passed away but remain in my memories.

Bucky was Class of 1949. Plumber, Jake, Tony, Sonny, Satch, Joe, Judge and me were Class of 1950. Cooley was Class of 1952.

I’m sure you have similar memories of your Monongah High days. If you email (jo4wvu@neo.rr.com) or Facebook them to me I’ll put together and article about other Lions’ memories of Lions. In particular I’d like to hear about your MHS classmates you still are in contact with today.